ABC Radio Australia hit the airwaves in Majuro at 7pm last Friday going live for the first time in over a decade with its 24/7 programs on 106.7FM.
To mark the milestone development, Australian Ambassador Paul Wilson hosted a gathering at Wallaby Downs Friday evening that featured a countdown to the official opening of the new broadcast service and plenty of good cheer about the development.
RMI Minister in Assistance Bremity Lakjohn was on hand and called it “another great achievement for both our countries, as we welcome back ABC Radio Australia to the Marshall Islands.”
“It’s a milestone not only for Australia’s relationship with RMI, but for Australia’s relationship with the Pacific as a whole and for RMI’s connections to the Pacific,” said Ambassador Wilson.
“By tuning into 106.7FM, Majuro residents will have the same FM broadcast access to ABC Radio Australia 24 hours a day as those in major centers across the Pacific – whether in Nadi or Nuku’alofa, Arawa or Apia, Kokopo or Koror.”
He recognized Power 103.5FM for partnering with ABC for the rollout of the new FM service.
“Following an agreement between the ABC and Power 103.5FM, two ABC technicians, Greg Britain and Pooyan Khorasani, came to Majuro a few weeks ago to install at Power 103.5FM’s premises the physical equipment to transmit Radio Australia on FM 24/7 across Majuro,” said Wilson. “And I want to thank our friends from Power 103.5FM for partnering with the ABC and with Australia more broadly in this venture.”
The ambassador also highlighted the ABC agreement with the government’s V7AB AM station that sees the station broadcast Radio Australia news bulletins and other programming on the AM band.
“The expansion of Radio Australia’s network of FM broadcast locations across the Pacific is one key element of the Australian government’s Indo-Pacific Broadcasting Strategy,” Wilson said. “The strategy is providing a framework to expand Australia’s engagement in and with the media sector throughout the Pacific, South-East Asia and South Asia.”
He added: “The ABC has more than doubled Radio Australia’s Pacific-focused content, launching 14 new programs across sport, music, science, climate and culture which sit alongside such Radio Australia mainstays as Pacific Beat.”
Nesryn Bouziane, ABC’s International Broadcast and Digital Services manager, was in Majuro with Alicia Kish, ABC’s Content Syndication manager, for Friday’s launch.
“It is a significant milestone in the ABC’s commitment to delivering high-quality, informative, and engaging content to audiences across the Pacific region,” said Bouziane of the resumption of 24/7 ABC broadcasts for Majuro. “ABC Radio Australia is not just a new service; it is a bridge that connects Australia to the Pacific, fostering understanding, dialogue and friendship through the power of radio.”
She highlighted some of the Pacific-focused programs that are part of ABC programming: “Among the programs I am especially excited for you to hear on 106.7FM is Stories from the Pacific, which features in-depth interviews with remarkable people from across the region. Our music shows includes In the Fale, Island Music, and Sista Sounds – a vibrant show dedicated to amplifying the voices of the Pacific’s talented female artists.”
Bouziane also pointed to Climate Mana, a program that celebrates the resilience of Pacific communities in the face of climate change. “And of course, we bring you essential news and current affairs with our flagship show Pacific Beat, as well as the lively daily morning show Nesia Daily,” she said.
Bouziane said ABC was not here to compete with local media but to “complement and support a vibrant local media landscape.”
She said they anticipated expanding collaboration not only with V7AB but also with the Marshall Islands Journal, MHTV and Power 103.5FM.
Just prior to the start of the countdown, Journal editor Giff Johnson elbowed his way into the program to comment on the day chosen for the launch. “There are some who might say that a Friday the 13th is not an auspicious day for starting such a venture,” Johnson said. But, he added, the Marshall Islands Journal also launched its first edition on a Friday the 13th in 1970 and was now in its 56th year of publication.
“On behalf of the Pacific Media Institute and the local independent media, we are delighted to see ABC in the Majuro market and hope for it to continue as long as the Journal has,” he said.
A sumptuous buffet provided by the Marshall Islands Resort was enjoyed by attendees following the program.