Re: [Swprograms] [Internetradio] Radio Australia

["Rob de Santos" <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx>]

It's difficult to know where to begin here but this is another nail in the
coffin for international broadcasting. As happened at RCI, the gutted service
will be of less and less value to listeners who will turn away from it and thus
insure the final death knell a few years further on. RA was a valuable voice
into underserved media markets in Asia and the Pacific. One only has to travel
that region to understand that outside of a few major capitals and parts of
China, Japan, and South Korea shortwave remains vitally important. 

I would note that there is a tiny bit of light here. The redundancies are almost
certainly a violation of Australian labor law, as I understand it, and the
courts may thus intervene. Also, the Australian Football League has already been
assured it's coverage into Asia and the Pacific via Australia Television will
not be affected for the remainder of the AFL season (through September 27) and
will, in fact, increase to six games per week. 

A sad day as the voices on shortwave will be further diminished. 

--
-Rob de Santos

-----Original Message-----
From: Internetradio [mailto:internetradio-bounces@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx] On Behalf Of
John A. Figliozzi
Sent: Tuesday, July 15, 2014 7:26 AM
To: <dxld@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx>; odxa@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx; NASWA@xxxxxxxxxxxxxxx;
Shortwave programming discussion; Internet radio discussion
Subject: [Internetradio] Radio Australia

Here's what I've been able to assemble from various sources that I consider
reliable about what can only be described as a truly catastrophic situation for
Radio Australia.  Keep in mind that RA management is left with few options, none
of them good, in its efforts to preserve and maintain anything resembling a
viable service for its regional and international audiences.

-  The English Language Programming department (ELP) is effectively gutted.  The
only remaining RA productions in English appear to be some hourly news bulletins
and the Pacific Beat program.  All else, including the excellent Asia Pacific
program, ceases.
-  At least for the time being, RA intends to maintain a 24/7 English language
service by pulling all of its content from ABC Radio domestic sources (except
for the morsels described above).  A revised ELP schedule is in preparation and
will be announced and implemented shortly.
-  Language services in Tok Pisin, Vietnamese, Khmer, Chinese, French and
Burmese appear to remain but only in some skeletal form since about 3/4 to 4/5
of those staffs are to be axed.  Again, it appears the plan is to pull some
content from domestic sources, this time from SBS whose administration is likely
to be housed with what's left of RA at Southbank in Melbourne as indicated in a
previous press report.
-  As unbelievable as this may sound, the situation is so dire and so immediate
that there will be a culling of half of the journalists on staff via a random
process -- no evaluations, experience, records of achievement or years of
service considered.
-  No reduction in shortwave schedules has yet been indicated, but it's hard to
see how that continues unaffected and unabated beyond anything but the very
short term.

Personally, I will reserve comment on all this at this time and let the facts
speak for themselves.  However, some of you will be aware of my admiration and
appreciation for Radio Australia over the decades so you are free to draw your
own conclusions in that regard.

John Figliozzi
The Worldwide Listening Guide
wwlgonline.com

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