ABC Friends is campaigning for continued levels of funding for ABC International – but not everyone is familiar with the service it currently provides.

That was the starting point for an invitation to Claire Gorman, Head of ABC International, and Dr Phil Kafcaloudes, former Radio Australia presenter and author of Australia Calling to join an audience in Fitzroy last month to answer questions about the service. Jennifer Bowen of ABC Friends’ Inner Melbourne was in the chair.

Discussion focused on the role of ABC International in the Asia Pacific region, the benefits of the service for our neighbours and for advancing Australia’s own interests.

ABC International has been providing a continuous service for over 85 years. It delivers independent content, free of government oversight on television, radio and digital platforms. Surveys show users have expressed a high level of trust in the content.

Diverse programming includes news, sport, current affairs and cultural, arts and music content designed to appeal across age groups. Programs also provide targeted health and lifestyle information for specific audiences such as women and young people.

ABC International commissions and collaborates with local journalists to develop stories for, and about, the region. Opportunities are provided for regional media development and learning. At the same time, it enables regional content to be distributed domestically on the ABC network. This includes stories on the 7pm News, 7.30 Report, and Foreign Correspondent, and on a range of ABC Radio programs and podcasts.

This dialogue with our neighbours is critical. In addition to providing information about Australia to our region, Asia Pacific content increases Australian understanding about own geopolitical space. This is an important service not often provided by mainstream Anglocentric media. 

The value of such broadcasting for soft diplomacy is well recognised by other players.  ABC International operates in a field of heavily funded international broadcasters who pursue clear geopolitical and cultural influence goals. The Peoples’ Republic of China is foremost in the group spending up to $1.5 billion on its international media per year, overshadowing ABC International’s annual funding of at most $50 million a year.