Tahiti's Radio Maohi Partially Shut Down French Polynesia's Radio Maohi has been shut down in the west of Tahiti because of debts to the state owned TDF company that provides radio transmission services.
The station is linked to the Tahoeraa Huiraatira party which was the dominant political force in Pirae, west of Papeete, until municipal elections in March. Pirae now has a mayor from the ruling To Tatou Aia coalition, leading to accusations that the new mayor is muzzling opposition radio media. Radio Maohi continues to broadcast in other parts of Tahiti where it owns the transmission equipment. In a backgrounder, Jason Brown of Avaiki News, says that Radio Maohi isn't the only station suffering funding problems. Longtime anti-nuclear radio Te Reo Tefana limps along on just one phone line for all calls and faxes for their onair studio, newsroom, administration and advertising offices. A skeleton crew of staff use their own mobile phones, bikes and cars to cover stories for Te Reo Tefana, one of the oldest but most badly resourced radio stations in the Pacific. Given French enthusiasm for good quality coffee, it's a measure of tough times when even the instant coffee jar at the newsroom at Tefana is empty. It's been this way for about two years according to Tefana workers. By comparison, state broadcasters like RFO get roughly US$50m a year, in French Polynesia alone. [According to the WRTH 2008, Radio Maohi operates on 5 FM frequencies throughout French Polynesia, with just 2 on the main island of Tahiti. Te Reo Tefana uses 7 FM frequencies, of which 3 are on the main island. There are over 30 private FM stations in French Polynesia, as well as two state owned radio networks.] David Ricquish Radio Heritage Foundation www.radioheritage.net ---[Start Commercial]--------------------- Order your WRTH 2008: http://www.hard-core-dx.com/redirect2.php?id=wrth2008 ---[End Commercial]----------------------- ________________________________________ Hard-Core-DX mailing list Hard-Core-DX@hard-core-dx.com http://montreal.kotalampi.com/mailman/listinfo/hard-core-dx http://www.hard-core-dx.com/ _______________________________________________ THE INFORMATION IN THIS ARTICLE IS FREE. It may be copied, distributed and/or modified under the conditions set down in the Design Science License published by Michael Stutz at http://www.gnu.org/licenses/dsl.html
