Australian Foreign Minister says her party did not support shutting down shortwave
The Shepparton transmitter site of ABC/Radio Australia
(Source: RadioInfo via William Lee and Dennis Dura)
Australian Foreign Minister Julie Bishop has told [ ABC's Radio National ] RN's Fran Kelly that her party did not support the ABC's decision to switch off short wave services in the Pacific.
"It is not a decision of the Australian government," she said.
Bishop has travelled to Samoa to launch a radio transmission facility, funded by Australia's aid program, to support disaster management and emergency management.
"We have a media assistance scheme to ensure that radio transmission can continue" I would certainly encourage the ABC to continue shortwave transmission in the Pacific."
Asked by Fran Kelly if that funding could have been given to the ABC given that the cuts were the result of funding decisions at the time, Minister Bishop said: "The ABC determines its priorities""["]