Rear Admiral J. V. Bainimarama, CF(Mil),OSt.J, MSD, jssc, psc

Prime Minister and Minister for Finance, Strategic Planning, National Development and Statistics, Public Service, Peoples Charter for Change and Progress, Information, iTaukei Affairs, Sugar Industry and Lands and Mineral Resources
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SPEECH AT THE FBC 60TH BIRTHDAY CELEBRATIONS


Carnavon Street
Sat. 2nd August, 2014
SUVA 1830 Hours


Bula Vinaka and a very good evening to you all.

I’m delighted to be here this evening to celebrate FBC’s diamond jubilee.

Sixty years ago, listeners from across the country tuned in at 6am to hear the beating of the lali followed by Fiji’s firstever local radio broadcast. Before that moment, people had to use short-wave radios to listen to foreign broadcasts on the BBC, Radio Australia and Radio New Zealand. Imagine the pride and joy that Fijians must have experienced knowing that the broadcast was coming from the capital city, Suva, not some far off place like Sydney or London.

The radio station that signed on that day with the call letters ZJV soon changed its name to the FBC and quickly became one of the most important sources of news, education and entertainment in the decades that followed. Every morning at 6am listeners would be greeted with the beating Lali and every evening sent to bed withIsa Lei and God Save the Queen.

For years, FBC ruled the airwaves as Fiji’s public service broadcaster. But continued success for a broadcaster requires the ability to adapt and evolve as times change, as technology changes, and unfortunately FBC was unable to keep pace with the developments that were happening in the country as commercial radio stations started to enter the market and compete for listeners attention.

Fast forward to 2008. One of the first things my Government did after assuming office was conduct a survey of the telecommunications landscape in Fiji, and as you can imagine, the results weren’t promising.

In radio, FBC was struggling. The company hadn’t turned a profit in ten years, the building and infrastructure were falling apart and the staff were demoralised. In TV, consumers had little choice with a single free-to-air station dominating the market. In mobile, there wasonly one service provider making prices for calls and texts sky-high. And Internet penetration at the time was almost non-existent.

We knew that a radical intervention was needed and so we set about creating a holistic approach to reform. Now, in 2014, look how far we have come. Fiji has two mobile service providers competing in a deregulated market, which has increased coverage, driven down prices and improved services. Fiji now has the region’s first National Broadband Policy and more Fijians than ever before are connected to the Internet.

But, without doubt, one of the biggest challenges that lay before us in 2008 was the reform of FBC. I was insistent that the organisation needed to develop a TV arm because a true national broadcaster needs TV as well as radio.

I took it as a national embarrassment that Fiji was one of the last countries in the region without it. If Tonga and Samoa could do it, why couldn’t we?

It was a tall order for the new CEO and his young team – set up a brand-new, nation-wide television outfit with a mandate to educate, inform and entertain the Fijian people. Looking back at the huge amount of work involved, I’m surprised they didn’t run for the hills. Or maybe at that point they just didn’t know better (smile).

Well, thanks to their hard work, long hours, and complete dedication to the project, they pulled it off in a big way. When FBC TV went live in November, 2011, it had 90 per cent coverage across Fiji right off the bat.

But for me, the most remarkable achievement has been how the CEO and his team have been able to translate the broad scope of their mandate into a vibrant and modern line-up of programming. I think when most people think about public service broadcasters, they think about formal programs that have high informational and educational value, but little or no entertainment value.

With Government’s support, FBC has found a way to operate as a public broadcaster in a commercial world. They have managed to strike a balance between information, education and entertainment that is commendable and unique.

And the Fijian people certainly seem to agree. FBC is now the most watched network in the country and the appreciation for the content they are providing is widespread.

I think perhaps the thing that people are responding to most is the effort FBC has put into making its programs accessible to all, through subtitles, as well as its focus on developing local programming. Whether it’s joining in the laughs with the cast of the wildly popular Bati ni Tanoa, learning iTaukei and Hindi from Wasea Bhasha, or following the debate on 4 the Record, these programs are resonating with ordinary people.

As Prime Minister, I’ve also been impressed with the short segments FBC has created to promote national pride, unity and love for our country. I’ve found that these little things – like the “I love Fiji” ads – can have a big impact. I know I’m not alone in feeling a huge sense of pride every time I see a young person look into the camera and say, “I’m proud to be a Fijian.”

In fact, I’ve been told that one of the first times a crew went out filming these segments, they were in a community that had never considered themselves “Fijian” before. A little boy was speaking into the camera, clearly quite shy, when his father interrupted and said, “Speak up son, how else are you going to say that you are proud to be a Fijian.”

FBC’s continued success is also down to its prudent financial management. They have never defaulted on a loan repayment and have made shareholder returns a priority. And I understand that their audited accounts will be ready by September.

And, of course, the development hasn’t stopped. FBC is currently working with the Japanese Government to enhance its AM service, which will be able to cover all of Fiji from one site. AM frequencies can reach outer islands that FM can’t, and will be indispensible during times of natural disaster for communicating essential information if FM frequencies go down.

Ladies and Gentlemen,

I would also like to take this opportunity to briefly reflect on the world of television in Fiji. 2014 has been a busy year. The new TV Decree was introduced in May, which has put an end to the old system that allowed a single broadcaster to purchase exclusive rights for coverage of important designated events.

The problem is that not many Fijians have access to all three free-to-air television stations, and even fewer have access to satellite. That meant if an important event was showing on a station you didn’t have, you’d miss out. No longer. I’m pleased to say that the feedback so far has been outstanding; thousands of Fijians were able to watch the recent World Cup in Brazil who wouldn’t have been able to otherwise. And I know that many are now more eagerly awaiting the beginning of the Sevens series knowing that the matches will air on all stations.

But it’s important to remember that this decree does not just cover sporting events. It also covers the budget address, parliamentary proceedings and state funerals. And perhaps, most important, it covers election results too. That means people will be able to tune in to any free-to-air station and see the results as they come out on the night of elections. You will quite literally be able to see democracy in action.

But there’s more still to come. We are also planning the migration from analogue to digital television.

Plans have been finalised for the creation of a National Digital Television Platform that will greatly improve the picture and sound quality of television programs and expand the coverage of all broadcast television channels.

The digital platform will offer consumers better reception, more channels, and access to High Definition and pay per view programming. The new platform will initially extend the coverage of all broadcast channels to 94 per cent of the population, marking a drastic improvement over the current levels of coverage.

Also, digital television will work on current television sets and no satellite dish is required. All that is needed is a low cost set top box, which will give you greater control over programming, including the ability to choose what channels are available in your households if you have children.

The Department of Communications will oversee the creation of this government-owned national platform. Once complete, the platform will be handed over to FBC to manage and FBC will form a new transmission company for this purpose.

Broadcasters will then lease one or multiple digital channels for fixed annual fees. The system will be completely transparent and the cost to lease channels will be the same for all broadcasters, including FBC.

The fixed fees will replace the need for ongoing investment in new equipment and infrastructure, as well as costs for repair and maintenance. This means that broadcasters will be free to focus on providing content and leave all the work related to transmission to the platform manager.

This is good news for Fijians and we expect to have an update on progress soon.

With those words, ladies and gentlemen, I would like to extend a special thanks to the CEO and his management team for their strong leadership and vision over the past six years. I would also like to acknowledge all the staff who make FBC the successful, exciting and vibrant place it is.

It is now my pleasure to wish FBC a happy sixtieth birthday. And here’s to the next 60 years.

Vinaka Vakalevu. Thank you.