PMA MEMBERS’ EXCLUSIVE
Our latest PSM Unpacked roundtable event explored public service media’s responsibility for disaster preparedness. The event featured two speakers from public broadcasters who ensure that when crises occur, the organisation is best prepared to respond quickly, accurately and calmly. Both speakers’ presentations are available to watch below.
Anthony Frangi, Manager, ABC Radio Brisbane, Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC)
In the first presentation, Manager of ABC Radio Brisbane Anthony Frangi, outlined the steps taken by the ABC to keep the population informed at times of emergency or climate catastrophe particularly reflecting upon Brisbane’s experience during Cyclone Alfred. With natural disasters more frequent and destructive, the ABC has an extensive emergency broadcasting strategy.
Read more: News 5 Belize: Journalism’s vital role in tackling the climate crisis
From pre-emptively raising awareness to collaborating with national institutions, keeping ABC’s staff safe or working in tandem with the different ABC departments to ensure the wide distribution of emergency broadcasting, the strategy involves all spheres of the organisation. During times of crisis, an incident management team is brought together, with members from across the ABC, to set up the priorities, ensure the safety of the staff, plan ahead and make the vital decisions.
Through this experience of several years o emergency broadcasting, Anthony emphasised how important the place of Radio remains among people, as one of the first mediums they turn to in times of crisis. While the ABC makes it a point of using all its broadcasting platforms, radio remains essential, not least because of its resilience and structure, but also because of the comforting effect of familiar and trusted voices.
Fabian Randerath, Chair, Resilience Committee, Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC)
Fiji in the South Pacific is particularly vulnerable to natural disasters, such as cyclones, tsunamis, earthquakes, flooding and drought – disasters that often trigger disruption such as power failures, internet outages, water supply disruptions, computer and software failure, broadcast failure, fires and lightning strikes.
In the face of all these hazards, the Fijian Broadcasting Corporation (FBC) has been a pioneer in the Pacific region in setting up a Resilience Action Plan for times of emergency.
Fabian Randerath, who oversees the FBC’s strategy, presented the key steps they elaborated in collaboration with the UN Office for Disaster Risk Reduction, UNDRR, and the Asian Broadcasting Union (ABU), as well as its challenges. From the cooperation with national institutions to the training of their staff and the implementation of standard operation procedures (SOPs) for covering natural disasters, the action plan also encompasses what comes after. FBC has also set up Occupational Health and Safety Standard Operation Procedures (OHS SOPs) for its staff.
One of the key challenges outlines by Fabian regarding the resilience action plan is to motivate further preparation of raising awareness before the return of the cyclone season. Fabian emphasised how crucial the timing of raising awareness was: “We are fulfilling that role, to raise awareness on a national level”. To do so, the FBC broadcasts awareness content dedicated to different audiences along the year. But he also stressed that awareness also has to be raised internally. As such, they are constantly assessing and improving FBC’s staff’s internal resilience, mechanisms, preparedness and safe practices.
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