ABC welcomes the launch of the Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy

Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) Managing Director David Anderson has welcomed the launch of the Australian Government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy (IPBS) which calls out ABC International as a leading implementation partner.

Pre-empting the release of the strategy, the Federal Government provided an additional $32 million over four years in the October 2022 budget for ABC International to expand content production, transmission, and media assistance across the Indo-Pacific region. In the May 2023 budget, the Government announced a further $8.5 million over four years for regional transmission and distribution.

The ABC has invested this new funding to support the key pillars of the IPBS by boosting the availability of Australian content, deepening media connections and strengthening the resilience of media outlets in the region. The ABC’s work in this area continues to support mutual understanding of Australia and our region.

ABC Managing Director David Anderson welcomed the Government’s release of the much-anticipated strategy and said the ABC is “well-placed to deliver on its key pillars.”

“No other Australian media organisation has the regional knowledge, relationships, distribution networks and platforms, and the development expertise necessary to fully deliver the IPBS’ aims that are in the national interest,” Mr Anderson said.

ABC International Head Claire M. Gorman said: “The additional funding provided by the Federal Government under the IPBS is already being invested across the Indo-Pacific region by ABC International in a range of key areas including enhanced distribution networks, premium bespoke content for international audiences and high-impact media development programs.”

To date, the ABC has made significant progress on many deliverables outlined in the IPBS. Examples include;

ENHANCED DISTRIBUTION

  • Over the past year, ABC International has launched new ABC Radio Australia 24-hour FM services in six strategic locations including Palau, Nauru, Tuvalu, Pohnpei (Federated States of Micronesia), Kokopo (Papua New Guinea) and Gizo (Solomon Islands) and will deliver new services in a further six locations in the second half of 2024.
  • In October 2023, ABC International divided the previously single ABC Australia broadcast service into two separate schedules: one for the Pacific region and one for Asia, allowing the ABC to better serve audiences with content and time slots tailored to the respective regions.

BESPOKE CONTENT

  • In June 2023, ABC Radio Australia launched a new schedule, tripling its Pacific-focused content with bespoke programs including morning show Nesia Daily, sport show Nesian Footy, music shows In the Fale and On the Record, a special series of the popular podcast Days Like These and Stories from The Pacific, drawing audiences into the lives of Pacific Islanders who have seen and done amazing things.
  • In the past 12 months, ABC International has delivered extensive multi-platform coverage across ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia, ABC Pacific and ABC Asia of major elections in India, Indonesia, and the Solomon Islands, and coverage of regional events such as the 2023 Pacific Games in Honiara and the 2024 Festival of Pacific Arts & Culture in Hawai’i.
  • Additionally, ABC Australia has broadcast two special election series this year – Indonesia Decides and India Votes 2024 – which were produced by ABC News’ Asia Pacific Newsroom for international audiences, delving into voter concerns and key political figures and providing insights beyond the headlines.
  • Also, this year, ABC Australia launched Kids Club, a brand-new lineup of kids’ programming specially curated for Pacific audiences, on its Pacific service.
  • In April 2023, ABC Australia launched a flagship pan-Pacific current affairs program, The Pacific, which covers the major news events in the region through the year and looks at the rich culture and history of the region. The program is supported by a network of experienced local journalists across the Pacific region.
  • Over the past 12 months, ABC Australia has delivered programming targeting Indo-Pacific audiences, including special editions of ABC favourites Gardening AustraliaForeign Correspondent, Compass, Backroads and Landline as well as documentaries The Cloud Under the Sea on undersea telecommunications cables, Price of Progress: Indonesia’s Nickel RushRunning Dry on water scarcity in Asia, and the two-part series Project Wild.

MEDIA DEVELOPMENT

  • Over the past 12 months, ABC International Development (ABCID), has launched the Indonesia Media Development Program focusing on digital storytelling, safety and resilience.
  • ABCID has also launched the Timor-Leste Media Development Program to strengthen Timor-Leste’s media landscape. This program provides support to the media sector through technical and craft skills training. This support includes collaborating with the Timor-Leste Press Council and supporting the public broadcaster, Rádio e Televisão de Timor-Leste (RTTL), with the launch of a weekly English language news program.
  • ABCID has developed the Media Education for Development and Information Access (MEDIA) platform, an invite-only online learning resource which offers modules on journalism, capacity-building courses and resources to individuals and partners across the Indo-Pacific, to complement in-person training and mentoring.

About ABC International Services

Since 1939, the ABC has been broadcasting to audiences overseas. The International division reaches an estimated 14,224,065 unique monthly overseas audiences through owned and operated platforms including ABC Australia, ABC Radio Australia and ABC websites and apps including ABC Pacific and ABC Asia. The ABC’s international audiences come from all corners of the globe. ABC Australia, the ABC’s international television service available in 37 markets throughout Asia and the Pacific, has a monthly viewership of at least 3,905,050. ABC Radio Australia, the ABC’s international radio service available via FM in the Pacific and Timor Leste, has a monthly listenership of at least 321,225. Outside Australia, ABC websites and apps have an average global monthly usership of 9,997,790 which includes approximately 7,505,085 users across the Americas, Europe and Africa and 1,865,655 users in Asia.

*Figures based on the ABC 2022-23 Annual Report

About ABC International Development 

ABC International Development (ABCID) is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s media development unit. ABCID supports partner organisations in the Indo-Pacific region to pursue quality journalism, tell engaging stories and build strong connections with their communities. It leverages ABC regional expertise and sources the best Australian and Indo-Pacific talent in journalism, program-making, thematic content, organisational development and research to support capacity building in media organisations across the Indo-Pacific region.

MYDRIVESCHOOL AND LiSTNR LAUNCH IMPORTANT NEW PODCAST SERIES AIMED AT SAVING LIVES, KEEP YOUR WHEELS ON

myDRIVESCHOOL, in partnership with LiSTNR and funded by the Australian Government, today announced a new podcast, Keep Your Wheels On, which aims to educate drivers on safe driving habits and techniques.

Launching today, Keep Your Wheels On is a collection of drivers reflecting on times that they have experienced unsafe driving situations, and features guidance from driver education experts who provide advice for safer driving.

Hosted by Greg Rust, from LiSTNR’s Rusty’s Garage and Lisa Skaife, Founder and CEO of myDRIVESCHOOL, each podcast episode features a special guest sharing their driving history. With guests including actor Shane Jacobson, former Supercars racer and four-time Bathurst 1000 winner Greg Murphy, and Victoria Police – Road Policing Assistant Commissioner Glenn WeirKeep Your Wheels On explores important driving lessons to help listeners become safer and more aware drivers.

Lisa Skaife, Founder and CEO myDRIVESCHOOL, said: “Loved doing this podcast with Rusty, and some amazing guests with great insights and mind-blowing stories. We laughed, cried and learnt some, and I hope the listeners will too … all the best and keep your wheels on!”

Todd Stevens, Senior Executive Producer ‑ Branded Podcasts, said: “The stories revealed in this new podcast series are incredible; from Samantha who crashed her car driving tired, but then became paralysed when her ambulance driver also fell asleep and crashed, to Angela who ended up $70,000 in debt by deciding to drive her new car uninsured.

“It is true that this podcast features expert commentary that could help you to become a safer driver, but it is also about much more than that.  It is about learning from the experiences of real people who showcase just how quickly a crash can happen, and the longstanding impacts that can occur when it does.

“Rusty and Lisa had not heard these crash survivor’s stories until they sat down in the recording studio and so their reactions are real and unfiltered.  We catch the laughs, but also hear the real frustration and tears as they unpack these moments with their expert guests.”

Launching today on LiSTNR, 16 July, Keep Your Wheels On will have eight weekly episodes.

About LiSTNR:

LiSTNR is a curated and personalised, free app offering radio, podcasts, music, and news, creating a new audio destination for all Australians. Featuring a fun and intuitive onboarding process, LiSTNR delivers an audio destination that is built for individual listeners’ routines and preferences. Highly personalised, it provides listeners a new world of audio entertainment, with their own daily feed of audio and easy discovery of new content through curated recommendations. Available across a large array of devices including both iOS and Android, CarPlay and Android Auto, Google Assistant and Alexa and Android TV, LiSTNR enables a fantastic listening experience, anytime and anywhere. Open your Ears to a new world of audio – download the free app today. LiSTNR.com

Award-winning 9News podcast team launches new investigative series

On a day that left an indelible mark on the state and shook the nation, a routine callout to a remote property in Wieambilla, west of Brisbane, plunged four young police officers into the grip of unimaginable evil.

Constables Rachel McCrow and Matthew Arnold died in a cold-blooded execution at the property, while their colleagues, Constables Randall Kirk and Keely Brough, bravely risked their lives to call for backup. Despite sustaining injuries, they miraculously escaped and survived the ambush. Innocent neighbour Alan Dare, who courageously sought to investigate the unfolding chaos, was also shot dead.

The Ultimate Sacrifice, led by the acclaimed duo of 9News Queensland presenter Melissa Downes and producer Jessica Lodge, who made the award-winning podcast Hannah’s Story, confronts the haunting question: how did a routine callout lead to Queensland’s deadliest police shooting and Australia’s first Christian terrorist attack?

In four compelling episodes dropping in the first two weeks, The Ultimate Sacrifice meticulously examines the events leading up to the deaths of six people, including the three killers.

The podcast will revisit the six-hour gun battle waged by the police officers, and explore the long-term investigation into conspiracy and religious extremism that reveals how the murderers – once respected teachers – turned to heinous violence. It also covers the arrest of an American man, discovered nearly a year after the ambush to be connected with the killers.

From Monday, July 29, the podcast will continue by tracking the four-week coronial inquest into the massacre with frequent episodes. Listeners will receive updates on unfolding evidence and conclusions, including testimonies, new details, previously unheard recordings, and crucial evidence revealing the heroism and camaraderie displayed on that tragic day.

Melissa Downes said: “December 12, 2022, is a day that left a lasting impression on us all, a stark reminder of how unexpected tragedy can profoundly touch our community forever. The Ultimate Sacrifice is our heartfelt exploration into the events of that unforgettable day and an earnest pursuit of answers. It is a tribute to the police lives lost and a solemn recognition of the bravery shown by all who responded.”

Jessica Lodge said: “Having witnessed the impact of our first 9News podcast, Hannah’s Story, we approached this new project with a sense of privilege and responsibility. As we uncover new evidence during the upcoming inquest, we hold the highest regard for Rachel and Matthew, who made the ultimate sacrifice in the line of duty. Our goal is to ensure their courage and the events of that fateful day are honoured with the utmost respect.”

Head of 9Podcasts, Mia Stern, said: “The team behind The Ultimate Sacrifice is exceptional,  bringing award-winning talent to this new podcast. It will serve as a tool for understanding, education and emotional reflection as Australia revisits that harrowing day. With Melissa and Jessica leading the way, we have the perfect duo to navigate the complexities of this story with expertise and empathy.”

The Ultimate Sacrifice is available now wherever you get your podcasts (SpotifyApple Podcasts). It is produced in a partnership between 9News and 9Podcasts.