Open letter to civil society

 

“ At a time when CSOs also face increasing pressure, please help our colleagues at the ABC help keep your audiences informed, engaged, and participatory.

PACIFIC FREEDOM FORUM·SUNDAY, 12 MARCH 2017

Civil society across the region - PIANGO Executive Director Emele Duituturaga, presenting at high level UN event on post-2015 agenda. Photo / PIANGO

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE :

Talofa, greetings civil society partners,

For decades, news teams across Oceania have helped create awareness around civil society issues, promoting vital debate, far beyond CSO board rooms.

Not always in ways some feel that media 'should', but how media 'could' with shrinking capacity - and nearly always for public good. Now, news media need help from civil society organisations - to #saveshortwave.

Here's why :

On 31st January, ABC, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, cut off shortwave broadcasts to the Pacific region – the latest in years of cutbacks. This means there is just one regional shortwave service remaining - RNZI – now in its seventh year of a funding freeze.

That leaves RNZI more isolated, and increasingly vulnerable to political pressure. Both stations act as an information lifeline during times of natural disasters, and political crisis.

Ending nearly 80 years of shortwave service has been widely criticised, with just over 1,000 supporters joining our petition already. Among them, Cook Islands Prime Minister Henry Puna, and senior officials from around the island region. Even Australia's own Foreign Affairs minister Julie Bishop has expressed concern.

Please consider formally signing our PFF petition, here : https://www.change.org/p/abc-chair-hon-james-spigelman-save-lifesaving-shortwave-radio-to-the-pacific

Please consider making a submission to the senate hearings by 10th May later this year, here : http://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Environment_and_Communications/Shortwaveradio

At a time when CSOs also face increasing pressure, please help our colleagues at the ABC help keep your audiences informed, engaged, and participatory.

Fa'afetai lava,

Monica Miller
PFF Chair

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