The PNG National Broadcasting Commission (NBC) is to be revamped in an exercise aimed at stopping its disintegration. A three-pronged approach consisting of legislation to turn the NBC into a corporation, together with assistance from the ABC and the Australian aid agency, AIDAB, will ensure that the rescue operation is successful.

Radio Announcer
Papa New Guinea is version of the ABC - the Papua New Guinea National Broadcasting commission - is about to be revamped in an exercise aimed at stopping its disintegration. The NBC has been in serious decline for some years, and it's been increasingly unable to carry out its role as the nation's public broadcaster. In fact, its national service is in danger of going right off the air because of equipment failure.

Shawn Dorney reports that the PNG government has adopted a three pronged approach, which with the help of the ABC and the Australian aid agency AIDAB, is aimed at rescuing Papua New Guinea's National Radio Service.

Reporter - Sean Dorney
At the very beginning of the state of emergency on Bougainville last year, radio North Solomon, one of the National Broadcasting Commission of Papua New Guinea's 19 provincial radio stations, broke down. For the first full week of the state of emergency the station was off a air. At such a crucial time in the province's history, when the people of Bougainville perhaps had more need to know what was going on than ever before, their radio station was silent. This was not because of sabotage. It was transmission failure and the NBC of PNG could not find the money to fly a technician to Bougainville to effect repairs.

This is just one of many stories of NBC stations going off the air.

One station, Radio Enga, which services the province in which the giant Porgera Gold Mine is being built in the highlands, was off air for more than 12 months because the NBC generator broke down, and there was no money to replace it. Plans to connect to mainline power were frustrated by a land dispute. So the staff at Radio Enga collected their pay each fortnight for more than a year. But during all that time, not a note nor a word was broadcast.

The transmitters for the nationwide English service have broken down one by one, and this service can now be heard in only a fraction of the country.

The problems at the NBC have been well documented. A report three years ago headed by Sir Comala Carlo, the distinguished public servant found the organization had been starved of cash, morale was low, and the management was weak and ineffective.

But in the past few days, the outlook for the NBC has brightened considerably. Another distinguished public figure Sir Alkan Tololo has been appointed acting chairman. The organization's former chairman, who was suspended for some of last year for taking housing allowances he was not entitled to, put himself at the top of retrenchment list. Sir Alkan, who should take over next week is a highly respected administrator, a former high commissioner to Australia and currently he's chancellor of the University of Technology in Lae.

As well, the Papua New Guinea government has approved a comprehensive two year assistance and training package for the National Broadcasting Commission valued at more than $1 million. The cash component of that will be provided by the Australian aid agency AIDAB while the ABC will provide the training for managers, broadcasters, journalists and technicians.

The third element of good news for the PNG national broadcaster is that legislation to turn it into a corporation and streamline its management, will go to next month sitting of parliament.