New mast to boost N.Z.’s Pacific voice

Press, 25 May 1989, Page 4

New mast to boost N.Z.’s Pacific voice

By

PETER LUKE,

in Wellington

New Zealand’s voice should be booming through the South Pacific in time for next year’s Commonwealth Games after a big improvement of its international shortwave radio service.

The Minister of Foreign Affairs, Mr Marshall, yesterday announced that a IOOkW transmitter would be sited at Rangitaiki, south-east of Taupo. It will replace two existing 7.5 kW transmitters which have been used since World War II but which cannot be reliably received in most South Pacific countries. The new .transmitter will beam to all South Pacific countries from Papua New Guinea to the Cook Islands. Radio New Zealand will be responsible for programming and day-to-day running, while the Ministry of External Relations and Trade will be responsible for funding it and for organisational guidelines, such as target areas, languages and broadcast hours. The station will cost over $3 million, to be raised by a loan from the Treasury, and will take $1 million a year to run. Mr Marshall and the chief executive of Radio

New Zealand, MS Beverley Wakem, yesterday ruled out any propaganda use of the new transmitter. Ms Wakem cited the British Broadcasting Corporation model in which editorial responsibility rested with the broadcaster, not the Government. Asked specifically

whether Radio New Zealand would still broadcast what it saw fit during an event like the Fiji coup, she replied, “Absolutely or we won’t be running it.” Australia has recently improved its own shortwave service in the South Pacific but Mr Marshall believed New Zealand had a distinct role there. The revamped service could give news on Pacific ■ Island events in New Zealand, as well as sharing information and news between islands. Commenting on a claim that the existing service was a “tin whistle,” Mr Marshall said with the new station “we will have enough oomph to power an entire brass band.” The new service will be the Ministry’s main contribution to the 1990 celebrations and it was hoped that the transmitter would be able to broadcast Commonwealth Games events next January.