Re: [Swprograms] [Internetradio] Radio Australia

["John A. Figliozzi" <jfiglio1@xxxxxxxxxxxx>]

I have no disagreement whatsoever with your excellent (as usual) analysis.  But I find it somewhat discordant that the BBCWS constantly touts increases in raw listening numbers worldwide and targets that represent near double digit growth year to year.  I sincerely doubt there are 180 million "opinion formers" (or whatever phrase they're using these days) to target.

In RA's case, however, none of this is the cause.  This is, pure and simple, an ideological attack on public service broadcasting.  RA knows full well who it's target audience is:  media and information deprived areas in the Pacific island nations and principally urban audiences in Southeast Asia.  It's in their recently revised charter as a major focus.  It's not RA that is the genesis of this contraction, it's the Abbott government's design to strangle the ABC under the guise of rationalizing its organization and services and dramatically shrinking the public sector in favor of the private under the guise of necessary emergency efficiencies -- a manufactured crisis.

This has been a pattern with conservative-oriented governments and factions the world over, including here.  While no one should deny that there are reasons to pursue prudent efficiencies, those reasons are being falsely overblown and inflated in the pursuit of purely ideological objectives that demonstrably lack majority popular support.  It might be the most successful propaganda effort in history and it is happening right underneath our noses.  The stench is overpowering but we seem incapable of locating the air freshener.

jaf

Sent from my iPad

> On Jul 15, 2014, at 7:52 PM, Richard Cuff <rdcuff@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
> 
> Over the past 10+ years, one of the fundamental changes in how
> international broadcasters operate is that broadcasters have become
> selective and purposeful in identifying audiences to serve.  The BBC
> was one of the first to do this, focusing on "opinion formers", if you
> remember their stated approach in 2001 when they cut English shortwave
> broadcasts to North America.
> 
> Simply reaching the largest possible audience is no longer the goal.
> Rather, the goal is to identify a specifically defined target audience
> segment, and then figure out the best way to reach that segment.
> 
> If that means abandoning your existing audience, so be it, if you
> don't believe that existing audience serves your national purpose.
> 
> To Rob's point, if the people one believes are important to reach are
> those in the major capitals, or in the Internet-rich areas of South
> Korea and Japan, then that's where one puts the effort...shortwave be
> damned.
> 
> This line of thinking is diametrically opposed to the thinking that
> drove the establishment and growth of international broadcasting from
> the 1920s to, say, 1990.  In those days, bigger was better...you
> wanted to reach the largest possible audience as reliably as possible.
> You didn't worry about "targeting" -- the concept really hadn't
> developed yet.  This approach was serendipitous for the listener...in
> these pre-Internet days...because those who wanted to hear diverse
> voices had no alternatives available to them.
> 
> While this trend is understandable, it's also parochial and grievously
> short-sighted.  Humanity will be less-informed, less aware of diverse
> views, and less sensitive to the plight of the "have nots".
> 
> This is not a good thing...
> 
> Richard Cuff / Allentown, PA  USA
> 
> 
> 
>> On Tue, Jul 15, 2014 at 3:50 PM, Rob de Santos <rdesantos@xxxxxxxxx> wrote:
>> One only has to travel
>> that region to understand that outside of a few major capitals and parts of
>> China, Japan, and South Korea shortwave remains vitally important.
>> 
>> 
>> A sad day as the voices on shortwave will be further diminished.
>> 
>> --
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