6: Presenting Australia to the world

The national broadcasters play a significant role in overseas broadcasting. This is achieved through television and radio broadcasts, online content delivery and projects designed to enhance local broadcasting capacity in neighbouring countries.

The overseas activities of the ABC that are directly funded by Government include:

  • Radio Australia shortwave, local FM and online broadcaster in seven languages throughout the Asia Pacific region. The service has a confirmed surveyed audience of over one million listeners per week, while online services generate 1.4 million visits per month.20
  • International projectsconstituting a range of initiatives with media organisations in the Asia-Pacific region aimed at enhancing the relevance and capacity of these organisations.21

SBS's internationally oriented activities include the provision of Radio News on the World News Australia website, which enables English-speaking international audiences to access these services, and overseas sales of SBS content.

The ABC provides the Australia Network television service under a contract with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. Australia Network broadcasts via satellite and cable platforms to 44 nations in the Asia-Pacific region and has a monthly audience of approximately seven million viewers.22 The ABC won the tender to operate Australia Network for a second five-year term in late 2005.

Technology adoption and continued internet penetration, particularly in Asia, have enabled multiple platforms to be used to deliver these overseas broadcasting services.

For example, Radio Australia's delivery via shortwave radio has been complemented since 2000 by a network of FM retransmissions in Indonesia and the wider South East Asia region, direct-to-home satellite carriage, and provision of content on the Radio Australia website www.radioaustralia.net.au

Podcasts of Radio Australia programs now regularly achieve more than one million downloads per month. The internet is the primary delivery platform for bilingual English lessons.23

The policy context

Enhancing Australia's engagement with the Asia-Pacific region is a priority for the Government. The Prime Minister noted in a speech in June 2008 that 'global economic and strategic weight is shifting to Asia. For the first time in the settled history of this continent, we find ourselves in the region that will be at the centre of global affairs'.24

With their established reputation and 'brand', the overseas services provided by the national broadcasters might be deployed to further Australia's cultural, commercial and social links in key Asian markets, particularly those crucial to Australia's future trade and economic development.

India is one example. India is currently Australia Network's biggest single market, with more than five million viewers per month. Consecutive 'people meter' surveys in the first half of 2008 demonstrate that Australia Network consistently out-rates both BBC World and CNN International in the six key Indian metropolitan markets.25

Service enhancement and expansion

At the Australia 2020 Summit the ABC, along with some respondents in the consultation process, argued for an expansion in the international broadcasting services it provides. Specific proposals included:

  • securing access for Australia Network to terrestrial television services in China
  • extending the reach of Australia Network and Radio Australia in the Middle East
  • enhancing news coverage, educational (English language) programming and institution building activities in the Pacific
  • offering local-language captioning/subtitles in key markets for Australia Network, such as China, Indonesia, Vietnam, Cambodia and Thailand26
  • extending the reach of Radio Australia in India
  • initiating further projects to build national broadcasting skills and infrastructure throughout the Pacific, in partnership with Australian Government agencies.

As noted previously, SBS has indicated an interest in making all its television and radio content available online.27 This content would be available to an international audience as well.

Proposals relating to the services of Australia Network would need to be considered in the context of the current contract for the service with the Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade, which expires in August 2011.

Priorities and independence

Aside from its contractual obligations in relation to Australia Network,28 the ABC is not required to accept the views or any other policy directions from the Government in the provision of its other international broadcast services (including Radio Australia). Indeed, one of the key performance indicators in the current Australia Network contract is the existence and application of editorial policies on independence and accuracy.

Market research for Australia Network shows that audiences particularly value the service's ability to provide an alternative viewpoint.29 The editorial independence of international broadcasting services is likely to be a key factor in building and maintaining audience loyalty, particularly in countries where state-owned media is often politically aligned. Regardless of the mechanism used, any attempt to specify priorities for overseas broadcasting will need to ensure that the editorial independence of these services is not undermined.

Platforms

The national broadcasters use a mix of platforms to deliver their international services: shortwave broadcasts, FM retransmissions, direct-to-home satellite, cable and online.

In light of rapid changes in technology it is reasonable to consider whether this platform mix remains the most efficient and cost-effective way of projecting Australian values and perspectives to overseas audiences.

For example, in relation to Radio Australia, it may be useful to consider whether shortwave radio will still be relevant in 2020, or whether resources would be better directed toward FM retransmission, online delivery or satellite distribution.

Questions: Presenting Australia to the world

  • Should consideration be given to expanding or enhancing the overseas services provided by the national broadcasters, and if so, in what form and to which countries?
  • What is the appropriate relationship between Australia's foreign policy objectives and the overseas broadcasting activities of the national broadcasters?
  • Is there a need to reconcile Australia's priorities for engagement within the Asia-Pacific region with the requirement for the editorial and operational independence of the national broadcasters' overseas broadcasting activities?
  • Are there ways in which the impact and use of the overseas services of the ABC and SBS can be better measured and tracked?

Footnotes

  1. Figures as at June 2008, provided by the ABC.
  2. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Annual Report 2007.
  3. Figures as at June 2008, provided by the ABC.
  4. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Annual Report 2007.
  5. Prime Minister Kevin Rudd, It's Time to Build an Asia Pacific Community, Address to the Asia Society Australasia Centre, Sydney, 4 June 2008.
  6. Figures from internal document provided by the ABC, June 2008. Source of statistics is TAM India.
  7. The proposal for Vietnamese subtitling in Australia Network broadcasts has been implemented.
  8. Special Broadcasting Service, SBS's Plans for the Future, July 2008.
  9. Among a range of matters, the Australia Network contract stipulates requirements in terms of geographic reach, programming (including 70 per cent Australian content), continuity of service, development of online services, branding, marketing, advertising and revenue.
  10. Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Annual Report 2007.
 
 
 
 
Document ID: 87649 | Last modified: 26 May 2011, 10:02am