The ABC’s new regional division begins operating from today, bringing together program makers, producers and reporters from across the country to provide a unified service for audiences.
ABC Regional Director, Fiona Reynolds, said regional stations were among the first to broadcast for the ABC in 1932.
“The new division builds on this commitment in the digital era by refocusing the ABC’s resources to ensure regional voices are heard locally, across regions and nationally on all platforms. ABC Regional has been developed following extensive input from staff and communities over the past four months. The Radio, News and Television divisions will still play a major role in creating content that reflects regional Australia and is relevant to those communities. ABC Regional will ensure the needs of regional audiences are championed in ABC decision-making while sharing their stories, celebrating their diversity and helping them voice their views at a local, state and national level,” Mrs Reynolds said.
The ABC’s Managing Director, Mark Scott, said that with the presence of commercial media services in regional areas declining, there was no more important time for the ABC to take a coordinated approach by combining its regional radio and newsgathering capacity to provide a more cohesive service for audiences.
“From today, ABC radio will roll-out streaming to an additional 14 regional services, broadening audiences for regionally produced programs and bulletins through the capacity to stream online,” Mr Scott said. These services will be refined and tested over the coming weeks and will be offered through the ABC Radio App from August, allowing audiences to listen no matter where they are”.
The services to receive streaming online are:
ABC Alice Springs ABC North West – Karratha
ABC Goldfields – Kalgoorlie ABC Northern Tasmania – Launceston
ABC Kimberley – Broome ABC Western Queensland – Longreach
ABC South West – Bunbury ABC North West Queensland – Mt Isa
ABC Far North – Cairns ABC North and West – Port Pirie
ABC Western Plains – Dubbo ABC Gippsland – Sale
ABC Southern Queensland – Toowoomba ABC Goulburn Murray – Wodonga
There are more than 400 content makers from 48 locations across the country outside the eight capital cities in the ABC Regional footprint, as well as metro-based Rural team members and the Landline, Australia All Over and Saturday Night Country teams.
ABC Regional has also begun filming a new eight part TV series, in partnership with Television, to air later this year. Called Back Roads, it will explore some of Australia’s smallest regional communities and the people who choose to call them home.