The ABC has been broadcasting to audiences outside Australia since 1939 when Radio Australia was launched to combat war propaganda. Radio Australia is now part of ABC International, a multi-platform broadcast, streaming and social media service directed to audiences in the Pacific and surrounding regions. ABC International is funded by the Australian government and is increasingly justified as necessary to maintain Australian influence in the shifting geopolitical allegiances of the Pacific.

Australians are paying for ABC International – but how much do we know about it? Join us to find out!

We’ve invited Claire Gorman, Head of ABC International, and Dr Phil Kafcaloudes, writer and journalist, to discuss the development of the service, its current operation and its significance for the future AND to answer your questions in the audience q & a.

Claire M. Gorman was appointed Head of ABC International in 2020, and since then, she has driven the ABC’s mission, strategy, and execution to re-engage with its international remit. She had previously been in several senior roles at the ABC, after working with the Australian Government’s international development agency, AusAID. She describes herself as passionate about supporting and promoting the role of media in building and maintaining good governance and an informed citizenry.

Dr Phil Kafcaloudes is an author, journalist and writer who presented the breakfast program on Radio Australia for nine years, including the ABC’s first English language program from the Chinese mainland. In 2022 the ABC published his book Australia Calling, a history of international broadcasting. He has taught journalism at La Trobe University and at RMIT, as well as in South Africa, Vietnam, Malaysia, Fiji, Samoa and PNG. He is also a published fiction writer.