Radio Australia back on air within Fiji

Radio Australia, the international arm of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, is broadcasting within Fiji again after three years off-air.

Amidst tension between the government of Commodore Frank Bainimarama, the media and Australia, Radio Australia’s FM transmitters in Suva and Nadi were switched off in April 2009. Since then Radio Australia has been accessible to audiences in Fiji only via shortwave radio broadcasts and online.

Mike McCluskey, CEO of Radio Australia, says that through dialogue with the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation and the Fijian Ministry of Information, Radio Australia’s FM services have now resumed via locally based transmitters in Suva, Nadi and Labassa, with Ba to follow in coming weeks.

Mr McCluskey says: “People in Fiji will have access to Radio Australia’s high quality news and talk content from across Asia, the Pacific, Australia and the world. They will also be able to hear some of the best radio content produced by the ABC.” 

He says the focus of the service to Fiji will be clearly on the Pacific, looking at events, issues and the people of the region.  

He added that the availability of these frequencies in Fiji complements existing ABC Radio Australia FM services located in 12 other Pacific and five South-East Asia locations. 

 

(Source : Asia-Pacific Broadcasting Union)