The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has made a Senate submission opposing a
bill which would force it to restore its shortwave services for the Northern
Territory and the Pacific.
The bill was introduced by South Australian
Senator Nick Xenophon after the ABC switched off its shortwave transmitters in
late January.
The ABC is opposed to the bill and said in its submission that
its passing would impinge on its independence by directing the ABC to use
broadcast technologies for diminishing audiences and at significant maintenance
costs. ABC's Melbourne offices Photo: Wikimedia Commons
The ABC also said
that in the bill there were factual errors and misconceptions, including the
figures for the actual cost of the services.
The bill said that the cost of
the services was $US1.4 million but the ABC said if the Bill was enacted, the
total transmission cost would be closer to $US3 million per annum, with costs of
$US 880,000 for the domestic services and $US2 million for the international
services.
It also said while it had received numerous submissions from
pressure groups, politicians and members of the public since switching off its
shortwave service, it had only got complaints from 20 listeners.
The ABC said
it believed that the limited response from individual audience members in
affected regions bears out the weight of evidence it used in making its decision
to cease these services.
