NBC Satellite Distribution System inauguration
4 August 2009, NBC, Port Moresby, PNG
Australian High Commissioner to PNG, HE Chris Moraitis
Good morning.
It’s a great pleasure to be here today on this important occasion.
Today is about communication and it is communication which plays such an important role in a country’s development.
Communication in a democratic society like PNG means that the people hear the good news and the bad. They hear about national political affairs and they hear about local issues. They hear news, weather, cultural programs, sport, and discussion and debate. And through all this, people gather information which has a major effect on their lives.
It might be information that persuades a person who to vote for in an upcoming election or it could be information as simple as a weather forecast which could determine whether a villager goes off in a boat on that day. Information is a highly prized commodity in all its forms.
And while PNG has a vibrant and healthy print and television media industry it’s radio which can cut through issues of literacy and the challenging geography of this beautiful country.
In my time here in PNG I have travelled a great deal and one thing is clear, it doesn’t matter how isolated the community you don’t have to look too hard or too long to find some form of access to radio.
And that’s what makes today so important and that’s why Australia is so pleased to have been a major partner in this project.
This new satellite system will increase the reach, reliability and the quality of signal sent the length and breadth of PNG and beyond.
Since the provincial network was established NBC has relied on dedicated telephone landlines to distribute National Radio to the 19 provincial stations – a costly and increasingly unreliable resource I am advised.
Now a signal will go from the dish here at NBC in Port Moresby up to a satellite from where it beams down across the whole area of the satellite’s footprint.
The satellite signal will be captured by a smaller dish at each provincial site then decoded and sent to the local transmitters.
All of this is occurs virtually instantly with no loss of broadcast quality.
And the end result is NBC now has a more modern system than the ABC in Australia.
Another great outcome from the work being done is that provincial stations will also be able to feed material back to Port Moresby and to other provincial stations. This opens up new opportunities for provincial stations to be able to share programming with the rest of PNG.
On top of this NBC is restoring, or replacing where necessary, its network of Short Wave, Medium Wave and FM transmitters. This work will mean that the clear signal sent from NBC in Port Moresby via the satellite to the provincial stations is then sent on to listeners reliably and in good quality.
Now I may be getting out of my depth here but I understand the Project guarantees the use of four satellite channels for the next 5 years.
Two channels will be reserved for the soon-to-be-launched Tribe FM network aimed at PNG’s youth – apparently you need two channels to broadcast in stereo. One channel will carry National Karai Radio. And one channel will be available for distributing material for broadcast by provincial stations.
This last category has great potential to send whole programs such as dramas to be played at provincial stations or education material for schools and universities.
Training on the various elements of the system has already seen three NBC technical staff spending one week in Perth.
Further training on the satellite communications system will be provided by the ABC and United Group Industries to ensure that NBC staff are equipped to maintain the system once it is installed and commissioned.
This is a great outcome and one Australia is pleased to support.
AusAID has been supporting the PNG media industry through it’s media for development initiative over a number of years.
The program – jointly overseen by the PNG Government, the PNG Media Council and AusAID – has focused on building the capacity of the media sector by helping to address issues of access, content and voice.
AusAID’s support to the PNG media industry has two main components, one which has supported the development of NBC and the other which provided a small grants scheme through the Media Council.
And it hasn’t just been about infrastructure at NBC, some notable programming successes have included Kunai Strit and Maus Bilong Ples, both of which contributed to a sense of national unity by sharing stories and airing issues such as women’s rights.
Grants through the Media Council provided support for communities to voice opinions such as NBC Sandaun holding ‘studio talkshows’ between government and citizens on issues such logging and international border crossing.
The Media Council has also delivered training for media in a wide range of areas covering issues such as developing content on HIV and AIDS and improving photographic skills.
A really important initiative was the first-ever National Media Conference, bringing together regional media representatives to discuss issues impacting on the sector.
And as I mentioned earlier, a strong, dynamic and vibrant media is a major player in PNG’s development.
Firstly as a witness, holding government and development partners accountable, and secondly, as a catalyst, providing PNG’s people with the tools and information needed to be masters of their own development.
Australia is working with your government under the PNG-Australia Partnership for Development, signed last year by Prime Ministers Rudd and Somare.
Under the partnership both countries are committed to addressing the Millennium Development Goals.
The partnership means mutually agreed commitments which work towards the specific targets of the Millennium Development Goals - better access to markets and services through improved infrastructure; faster progress towards universal basic education; more effective delivery of public services; better statistics, and improved health outcomes.
This is a common-sense approach geared towards poverty alleviation in this country.
And it’s around these sorts of commitments where the media can and should hold people, organisations and governments accountable.
The second role I mentioned for media is to equip people to come up with their own development actions.
People need to know what’s going on, people need information, people need to discuss the issues, people need to be heard.
And that’s the job of NBC and other PNG media organisations.
A good example is HIV and AIDS and the associated stigma of having this disease. I’m sure I don’t need to tell many people here today that people who live with HIV and AIDS are often shunned by their communities.
Sadly it is often through a lack of understanding of the issues that this occurs, so who better than the media to play a strong role in ensuring the people of PNG are better informed about the issues around HIV and AIDS.
And this is just one example of how you can buy in and help.
You have a big responsibility to your people and now here at NBC you have better tools with which to do the job.
My challenge to you today is to take these tools and utilise them to make a big difference in the lives of your people.
Finally, let me commend the work of NBC management, the team from the ABC and the various contractors who have brought this project to fruition.
I look forward to seeing how this new system impacts positively on the lives of all Papua New Guineans.
Thank you.