Radio Kiribati in technical and financial trouble

The Radio Kiribati AM transmission that normally provides broadcasts covering the entire nation has now been off the air for five weeks because of problems with its transmitter and funding shortages.

The national broadcasting station is now transmitting only on FM, which can only reach the capital atoll of South Tarawa and the nearby Line and Phoenix Group islands.

This is the latest in a series of developments that have led the Kiribati government’s Broadcasting and Publications Authority (BPA) to slash staff, and the government to terminate some members of the BPA’s board of directors.

This is the second time Radio Kiribati’s AM transmission has been off the air because of technical problems with its aging transmitter, which Engineering Manager Kautabuki Rubeiariki describes as out of date and beyond its lifespan of eight years. “Our transmitter has been used for the last 11 years - three years beyond its lifespan,” he said. “Even though it’s repairable, in the long run, the problem will continue because of wear and tear of other components.”

The Engineering Manager says the only solution to bring back permanent national AM transmission is to purchase a new AM transmitter at a cost of almost 100,000 Australian dollars including transport costs to Kiribati, installation by the manufacturer and other local costs.

“I’ve prepared a project document for this and it’s now being scrutinized by the mother ministry, Transport, Information and Communications, the Ministry of Finance and Cabinet, which will give the final approval,” Rubeiariki said. “If they react favourably, national broadcasting can be back on air in time before the next sitting of parliament, which is ‘on air’ during sessions, before the end of this year,” he said.

Source: Media Network, Pacific Magazine