Radio Australia
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Digital media |
| Founded | 20 December 1939 |
| Founder | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Indo-Pacific region, Pacific Island nations, worldwide (online) |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | www |
ABC Radio Australia, commonly referred to as Radio Australia, is the international broadcasting and digital platform managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Australia's national public broadcaster. The majority of its content is delivered in English, with some programming available in Tok Pisin.
Radio Australia transmits via FM stations across seven Pacific Island nations, reaches the Indo-Pacific region through satellite, and offers worldwide access through online streaming.
Programme Delivery
The ABC commenced its shortwave broadcasting services on 20 December 1939, officially inaugurated by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. A primary objective was to counteract Axis powers' propaganda efforts, particularly from Japan. Nevertheless, ABC’s transmitters were less powerful compared to those of Japan and Germany; for example, Sydney's AWA transmitter operated at 10 kW, while stations VLR and VLW each functioned at 2 kW.
Throughout the 1970s and 1980s, Radio Australia maintained extensive broadcasts targeting Asia and gained significant popularity in China, where media alternatives were largely restricted to government-controlled outlets. During the 1990/91 Gulf War, the Darwin transmission station played a crucial role by providing essential updates to Australians stationed in Iraq and Saudi Arabia.
In 1993, ABC expanded its international presence by launching television services. However, budget reductions under the Howard administration led to the discontinuation of Cantonese, Thai, and French language services and the closure of shortwave transmitters serving Southeast and Northeast Asia. These funding cuts attracted criticism due to their impact on Australia's regional influence through soft power. The Mansfield Review recommended that international television broadcasting might be financially supported by the Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade. Economic constraints also resulted in the shutdown of transmissions from Darwin’s Cox Peninsula in the late 1990s.
By January 2017, ABC ceased its final shortwave broadcasts to Pacific audiences. This move raised concerns from Vanuatu’s prime minister who highlighted shortwave's critical role during Cyclone Pam in delivering emergency information to remote islands lacking FM coverage. Former ABC shortwave frequencies were subsequently acquired by China Radio International. ABC managing director Michelle Guthrie faced parliamentary scrutiny over this decision. The termination of shortwave services was met with opposition from cattle station operators, Indigenous ranger groups, and fishermen who lamented the absence of consultation and loss of vital emergency alerts. Senator Nick Xenophon introduced legislation aimed at reinstating shortwave broadcasts. In September 2017, the Nick Xenophon Team successfully advocated for a review concerning Australia’s broadcasting reach within the Asia Pacific region, including an assessment of shortwave technology’s relevance in government media reforms.
In December 2019, ABC Radio Australia celebrated eight decades of delivering international broadcasts.
Transmission facilities
Throughout nearly eighty years of operation, Radio Australia has utilized a variety of domestic and overseas transmission sites tailored to effectively serve its target audiences.
Shepparton, Victoria (1941–2017)
Chosen in 1941 by British and Australian authorities for its advantageous terrain and soil conductivity, Shepparton in Victoria became a key transmitter location. Completed in 1944, this site housed one 50 kW transmitter alongside two units operating at 100 kW each and was officially designated as Radio Australia.
Carnarvon, Western Australia (1976–1996)
Test broadcasts started in December 1975 utilizing a 250 kW transmitter, followed by the introduction of a 100 kW Harris unit in February 1976. Regular operations with a 300 kW transmitter began in May 1984. The station ceased operations on 31 July 1996.
Cox Peninsula, Darwin, NT (1966–1997)
Established in the late 1960s by the Postmaster-General's Department, this site retransmitted Melbourne-originated programs through three Collins Radio 250 kW HF transmitters and five log-periodic antennas aimed at East and Southeast Asia. The majority of the antennas were destroyed by Cyclone Tracy in 1974; broadcasting recommenced approximately in 1988.
Bald Hills, Brisbane, Qld (1973–1976)
Originally acquired in 1941 to support AM national services, the Bald Hills facility also relayed Radio Australia’s Papua New Guinea service on 11880 kHz from late 1973 until 1976.
Brandon, Qld (1989–2015)
Serving ABC North Queensland (4QN Townsville) since the early 1950s, the Brandon location expanded its capabilities in 1988 by adding three STC 10 kW transmitters transferred from Lyndhurst. Transmissions on 6020 kHz commenced in May 1989 via a rotatable log periodic antenna oriented toward Papua New Guinea. Subsequently, two TCI curtain arrays were installed to cover PNG and the Coral Sea region, including the Solomon Islands and Vanuatu; components of this antenna system were salvaged from cyclone-damaged Cox Peninsula.
Shepparton, Vic – Amateur Radio (2020)
On 14–15 March 2020, the Shepparton and District Amateur Radio Club operated a special event station VI3RA, linking equipment to the inactive Shepparton antenna arrays to establish communication with amateur radio enthusiasts worldwide.
Target areas
Radio Australia’s shortwave transmissions primarily focused on the Asia-Pacific region, delivering content in various languages such as English, Mandarin Chinese, Vietnamese, Indonesian, Khmer, French, Burmese, and Tok Pisin (used in Papua New Guinea). A daily news bulletin for the Pacific is available as a French-language podcast. Although shortwave broadcasts did not directly target North America, some signals were received there. ABC Radio Australia's satellite transmissions cover the Indo-Pacific area via Intelsat-18 and Intelsat-20.
For the 1956 Olympic Games, a dedicated log periodic antenna with an 18 dB gain was installed at Shepparton to beam signals toward Europe, oriented at 128 degrees (E by SE) across the South Pacific, Central America, and North Atlantic. Powered by a 50 kW transmitter, this setup supported a daily European program for several years. Broadcasts aimed at Asia in the opposite direction (308 degrees) were also received within Europe.
Radio Australia was accessible on CBC Radio across Canada during overnight hours. In July 2012, transmission resumed in Fiji through partnerships with the Ministry of Information and the Fiji Broadcasting Corporation (FBC), broadcasting on 106.6 FM in major Fijian urban centers.
Programs are additionally streamed online via services hosted by Akamai Technologies located in Steinsel, Luxembourg, providing stable access for European audiences.
Domestic Asia Pacific broadcast
The regional news and current affairs show Asia Pacific was aired domestically on Radio National from approximately 2009, scheduled Tuesday through Saturday at 12:05am with a repeat at 5am. Originating from Radio Australia, the program debuted in April 1998 and continued for sixteen years until August 2014. In 2013, alterations to ABC Radio Australia's programming lineup resulted in the loss of the show's domestic radio audience.
Programming
English-language content from Radio Australia includes productions by ABC Radio Australia alongside other ABC networks such as ABC Local Radio, Radio National, ABC Classic FM, Triple J, Triple J Unearthed, Double J, ABC Sport, and ABC NewsRadio. Additionally, it features SBS Radio’s SBS Gagana Samoan program.
On the Record
On 4 July 2023, Radio Australia introduced On The Record, a weekly music program presented by Samoan-Australian journalist and broadcaster Sosefina Fuamoli. The show highlights leading Pacific musicians including Tiana Khasi, Sprigga Mek, and Joji Malani, targeting audiences in Papua New Guinea, Fiji, and Samoa. Fuamoli previously held the role of editor-in-chief at The AU Review between 2016 and 2018 before joining Triple J. Her journalism has appeared in outlets such as Rolling Stone Australia, NME Australia, Junkee, and The Australian. She has served as a judge for prominent music awards and was honored with Best Live Music Journalist at the 2020 National Live Music Awards. Since 2021, she has hosted "Window Seat" on Melbourne’s community radio station 3RRR.
Indonesian killings in 1965–1966
Radio Australia was involved in the propaganda efforts linked to the Indonesian mass killings of 1965–66, broadcasting content that intensified anti-Communist sentiment. At that time, it was Indonesia’s most popular foreign radio station, known for its strong signal and favored by students as the sole outlet playing rock music. The Indonesian National Armed Forces supplied daily briefings dictating both content and language for Radio Australia's reports, instructing the station to disseminate distorted information as factual.
The Australian Department of External Affairs also exercised control over Radio Australia's Indonesian transmissions by managing topics and phrasing while frequently editing broadcasts. The station was directed to exclude Communist Party (PKI) denials regarding the attempted coup and to emphasize civilian participation alongside military forces without implying pro-Western or right-wing biases. Radio Australia adhered closely to these guidelines.
Australian ambassador Mick Shann endorsed these measures, promoting broadcasts aligned with Indonesian Army demands and describing them as "excellent propaganda" that supported anti-PKI factions, acknowledging "we must be a bit dishonest for a while." Similarly, Richard Woolcott advocated selective news coverage aimed at discrediting the PKI and underscoring its involvement in the failed 30th September movement.
This coordinated propaganda campaign played a role in legitimizing the mass killings by vilifying victims and encouraging militia and civilian involvement.
Other international ABC offerings
Since 1993, ABC's television network for the Asia Pacific region, rebranded as ABC Australia in 2021, has been broadcasting across the area.
The ABC has broadened its global digital footprint by leveraging the iview streaming service application along with ABC News Online, which provides programming in both Chinese-language and Tok Pisin.
Starting in 2022, ABC Pacific emerged as the digital platform showcasing premier content from Pacific Islands featured throughout the ABC website. This was followed by the launch of ABC Asia in 2023, designed as the central digital destination for leading Asian content.