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Pacific IslandsCommunication Newsletter

PEACESAT DEVELOPMENTS

Submitted by Dr. John Bystrom

The PEACESAT (Pan Pacific Educationand Communication Experiment by Satel-lite) network using a NASA satellitehas been expanded since it was firstused by the East-West Center in August1971. At that time, a receiving terminalwas placed aboard the ocean liner,President Wilson and used for advanceorientation activities for studentsarriving from Hong Kong, Philippines,and Japan.

Now the network includes two-waycommunication with Wellington Poly-technic at Wellington, New Zealand,and the University of the South Pacificat Suva, Fiji in addition to the originalground terminals located on the Manoaand Hilo campuses of the Universityof Hawaii. Arrangements are being madefor additional terminals in Papua andNew Guinea, American Samoa, and on theIsland of Maui, (Hawaii). Beingdiscussed also are ground terminals atSaipan and Truk.

The project features a low costground terminal whose cost averages$5,000. This terminal provides two-waycommunication via satellite by voice,facsimile, and teletype.

As the nine to eleven member demon-stration network develops, uses willvary according to the needs of the loca-tion. Six locations will probably servehigher education institutions, fourwill serve medical facilities and threethe elementary and secondary levels ofeducation. Exchange centers withstudio facilities are being designed andconstructed at the Manoa, Hilo andSuva locations. These centers will beready to provide any type of communica-tion service.

The demonstration has been financedby a grant of $30,900 from the Universityof Hawaii Innovative Fund and from$62,700 appropiated by the HawaiiLegislature-. In addition the CarnegieCorporation of New York has granted

OCT16 1972

EAST-WEST COMMUNICATION INSTITUTE

$15,000 to the University of the SouthPacific for development of the PEACESATproject. The project is under the Direc-tion of Dr. John Bystrom, Professor ofSpeech-Communication, University of Hawaii.Dr. Paul Yuen, Professor of ElectricalEngineering is Technical Director.Design and development of the low costground stations has been headed by KatashiNose, Associate Professor of Physics.Satellite service is provided by theNational Aeronautics and Space Administra-tion using the ATS-l satellite.

Experiments in various uses of thenetwork have been carried on since April1971. Educational demonstrations werecarried on between Manoa and Hilo. Thebeginning Speech-Communication classtaught simultaneously in Manoa and Ribis probably the first class ever taughtvia satellite relay. The classes usedboth voice and facsimile transmission.Experiments using slow scan televisionin this long distance education areplanned.

In the medical field, the potentialfor use in diagnosing, identifying andresearching diseases and epidemics on anemergency basis has been illustrated.In one instance, the director of thePacific Research Section of the NationalInstitute of Allergy and Infectious Diseasesconsulted with doctors at the ColonelHospital in Fiji on the subject of denguefever, an infectious disease moving intoFiji from New Caledonia. PEACESAT isplanning a pilot medical consulting serviceand proposing ground terminals in Saipanand Truk.

The facsimile broadcast capabilityof the network has been used for rapidsharing of library resources. Exchangeof materials between Hamilton Library andHilo faculty members used to take threeto nine weeks. With the PEACESAT systemit was demonstrated that magazine articlescould be supplied by Xerox within 48 hoursand books by mail within 96 hours. Ex-change among libraries in Hawaii and atthe University of the South Pacific inFiji will soon be involved in this exchangeprogram.

For agriculture, the Hawaii Agriculture

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Experiment Services used the system tohold weekly seminar meetings throughoutthe State of Hawaii. PEACESAT is beingconsidered for linking "hunger fighters"in the Pacific Basin engaged in programsto improve food production.

In other areas, PEACESAT can be usedto link the East-West Center with thoseareas of the Pacific from which theirgrantees are arriving, to enhance educa-tional programs throughout the Pacific,to provide emergency communication andinformation, and to share the ideasand life styles of the many various cul-tures of the Pacific.

EDITOR'S NOTE

This issue of the Pacific IslandsCommunication Newsletter was put toge-ther by Cuyler E. Shaw, assisted byCharlyn Iyo and Lynn Yamashiro. TheCommunication Institute began publishingthe newsletter as a follow-up to a1970 Journalism Workshop and a 1971Radio Seminar for Pacific Islands partici-pants.

Upcoming programs for Pacific Islandsinterests are detailed elsewhere in thisnewsletter, and include an EditorialWorkshop in June and July, and a RadioStation Management Seminar in Septemberand October. A Communication in thePacific conference is under considera-tion for early August. In addition, theInstitute is actively seekingcommunica-tion-mindedPacific Islanders for degreestudy and Fellow and Senior Fellow re-search programs. The 1972 JeffersonFellowship program has for the first timea representative from the Pacific Is-lands (see the interview with AustinSapias of Papua-New Guinea in thisissue).

So, the Communication Institutehas a long and active interest incommunication in the Pacific Islands,and hopes this newsletter can serve asa link among Pacific communicators. Weseek articles and items from anywhere,as long as the subject is communicationin the Pacific Islands.

Please send any comments, pictures, orcontributions to me or Cuyler Shawat the Communication Institute.

An article describing the broad-casting facilities and plans in theTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands(Micronesia) is reprinted in this issue.The article, by George Callison, describes

the hopes and frustrations of broad-casting in the Pacific.

I was able to visit Saipan inFebruary on the final leg of a trip toAsia, and found a great deal of interestand activity in communication. Hosts orguides during my two day visit wereElias Thomas, deputy chief of broadcasting,and Rudy Sablan, manager of station KJQR.The two showed me the broadcastingfacilities for Saipan as well as TrustTerritory Headquarters for broadcasting.

Almost from the beginning, one ofthe common problems of Pacific broadcastingbecame evident--the out-of-commission signon much equipment. When something breaksdown, it often means weeks or monthsbefore it can be repaired, for a numberof reasons well-understood by Pacificcommunicators.

Thomas told me that Micronesia hadjoined the Asian Broadcasting Union, andthat he felt that kind of support wasimportant.

Jon Anderson, public informationspecialist at Trust Territory Headquartersand a former Honolulu radio and televisionnewsman, said that sometimes the trainingatmosphere in Honolulu is unrealistic forPacific Islands programs, and suggestedhaving programs on Guam or similar places.He said there was a need for a broaderunderstanding of the news media, the roleof the news media, freedom of the press,and how to use the news media.

Anderson wasn't very optimisticabout advertising revenues in Micronesia--he said advertising isn't needed becauseeveryone knows what's going onwithout it.

Anderson estimated there were 1,500television sets on Saipan. He saidSaipan might be a good place for tele-vision research, given the newness of themedium there.

There is a news program on the localtelevision station, WSZE. The newscame on at 7 p.m., and was presented byDave Mirakita. Some advertising wascarried. The format was generally tohave the newscaster present the items.

With this issue of PICN, we are usingan offset process instead of mimeograph,and thus can use pictures as well as text.The changeover and other matters resultedin a delay of a few months in this issue,and we apologize to those who sentmaterial in many months ago. We edited thematerial but the delay may result in someerrors. If so, we apologize, and hope tokeep on a tighter schedule.

Jim Richstad, Editor

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Interview with Austin Sapias Jefferson Fellowfrom Papua-New Guinea

Q. Do people living in Papua-New Guinea considerthemselves Pacific Islanders?

A. To a great extent we do. People in Fiji aremuch the same as people in New Guinea andNew Hebrides, also the Solomon Islands. Ithink culture is the big thing which makes usfeel part of the Pacific world rather thanAsia.

Q. Do you have more relations with the PacificIslands than with mainland Asia?

A. Not at present. We trade more with Japan, HongKong and other Asian countries than the Pacific.

Q.

A.

Q.

A.

What is Papua-New Guinea's present status withrespect to Australia?It's a trust territory. Australia has beengiven the mandate by the United Nations tolook after it and administer it.The Australiangovernment has conveniently attached Papua toNew Guinea, and is now trying to develop bothsections to make up the new emerging nation ofPapua-New Guinea. Though the Papuans areAustralian citizens, they do not enjoy the samebenefits as Australians.

What is the significance of the recent electionsin your country?The recent elections were the third generalelections for the House of Assembly. Onehundred members were elected into the newHouse. There were three main political partiescontesting the elections -- the United Party,the Pangu Party and the People's ProgresParty.

Q. Will an independent government be established ?A. It's a step toward an independent government.

This will be home rule. But foreign affairs andthe army will still be in the hands of theAustralian government.

Q.

A

Can you tell us a little more about thepolitical parties you have mentioned?The party system is new to Papuans and NewGuineans. They do not appeal to any particulargroup. The United Party appears to have wonabout 40 seats in the recent elections, thePangu Party about 20 and the People's ProgressParty 5. The new House will have 100 seats, andthe rest of the members are either independentor belong to some regional party. None of thethree main political parties has emerged withthe required majority to form a government sothere has to be a coalition government. It ismost probable that the Pangu Party may form

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Austin Sapias chats with Jefferson FellowsKanji Shibata (Japan), John Hoffman (Australia)Ahmad bin Mohd Noor (Malaysia) and programcoordinator Paul Grimes. The EWC offers tenJefferson Fellowships per year to mid-careerjournalists from Asia, the Pacific and theU.S. The 20-week program offers Fellowparticipants an opportunity to participate inEWC programs, University of Hawaii courses,as well as pursue individual research.

a government by having a coalition with theindependent meubers who may be supportersand sympathizers of Pangu. There is a strongpossibility that the People's Progress Partymay also be in the coalition with Pangu, thusgiving it a majority of 52 seats. The UnitedParty is sponsored by the European planterswhile the People's Progress Party is sponsoredby other business people. The Pangu Party wasstarted by educated New Guineans with certainbacking by Europeans who wished to see thatNew Guinea should be ruled by the New Guineansthemselves.

Q. What about your relations with the Indonesianportion of New Guinea -- West Irian?

A. I think we have to concentrate on developingour own areas first, and then see if we canbe on good terms with Indonesia. I don't thinkthat our side would be interested -- once weachieve independence -- in obtaining the otherhalf and trying to unite New Guinea. This isn'tthe thinking of the people of Papua-New Guinea.

Q. Are the West Irians happy with Indonesia?A. I think some dissatisfaction with Indonesia

exists, because we have people from the otherside crossing our border all the time. Wehave established a refugee camp at a placenear Vanimo where refugees come across andare screened. If they haven't got a goodreason they are sent back.

Q. Is there presently or will there be anational language?

A. This is still debatable. English willcertainly be a national language in termsof government, and also I would like to seepidgin English become a national languagebecause it's easy communication for themajority of people. There might be two ormore national languages. No single indigenousdialect is spoken by a majority of thepeople.

Q. Is there any feeling of unity among thevarious peoples of New Guinea?

A. That's a hard question, you know. Unity isgradually building up, not amongst the oldpeople, but amongst the educated Papuansand New Guineans. Also,home rule willstrengthen the feeling of unity.

are literate.

Q. Are the radio broadcasts actually having animpact on rural areas?

A. They are having a great impact. There are manyprograms -- health, education, agriculturalextension, women's programs and others includesocial and economic development and politicaleducation. I have been to the villages andnoticed people listening to extension programs.They are very attentive. After the program theyfrequently leave the village and come into thesub-district office or agriculture station foradvice.

Q. Are the villages changing fast? You mentionedpreviously that the economy was changing fromsubsistence to cash.

A. The pace of development is very rapid. Thevillage people are not satisfied with thingsas they are. They are tired of making theirhouses out of bush materials and changing theroof every three to five years.There's a lotof virgin land being cleared for villageplantations.They vary from between 5 acresand more than 40 acres, and are planted withcoconuts, coffee, cocoa and rubber.Many peoplein the West New Britain district are taking tooil palm. All these cash crops are for export.

Q. Is there much communication among the varioustribes in Papua-New Guinea? Q. Do you feel the mass media in your country

A. There is more than before, mostly through should be controlled by the government?trading in markets. The economy is changing A. I think it should be much the same as thefrom a subsistence to a cash economy, Australian set-up -- ABC. ABC is not answerablegradually. to the government -- it's autonomous -- but

it's financially supported by the government.Q. What model will Papua-New Guinea follow in In New Guinea we don't have the private

its development, if any? resources, capital, to develop the mass media.A. Whether we like it or not, I think we are

being sort of forced into accepting the Q. What about the newspaper situation?Westminster type of government. Unless one A., We have the Post-Courier, but that isof the political parties can come up with controlled by an Australian organization. Wea new idea work out a different model -- have one government newspaper -- well sort ofwhether they design it themselves or use a government propaganda.And there's the Wantokcombination of existing models -- there in pidgin sponsored by the Catholic Mission.won't be any alternative other than just tofollow the Westminster type government. Q. Could an indigenous group start up a newspaper

in Papua-New Guinea?Q. What is the role of the mass media in Papua- A. Not at present. The big thing is that our

New Guinea at this time? people have not been caught up in the news-A. Entertainment and education with emphasis, paper world yet. Most of the newspaper readers

however, on education. My newspaper(Post- are Europeans. Not many of our native peoplecourier) is geared toward development have taken to buying and reading the newspapernews -- schools starting up, new businesses, regularly, though the number is increasingall aspects of development, each year.

Q. Do the media penetrate outside the urban Q. What do you feel the role of a journalist inareas? your country should be?

A. Radio, but not newspaper. Only about 20% of A. He should inform the people -- about thePapua-New Guinea's three million people advantages of National Unity, government and ,)

its functions, about the outside world andwhat role they should play to make thecountry good and strong.

Q. Do you have any special interests which youplan to pursue on your trip to mainlandUnited States next month?

A. Firstly I would like to know more about mywork as a journalist and, where possible,learn something about the American way oflife, the struggles between blacks and whitesin America. I'm interested also in all thatis offered by American cities.

Q. How are race relations in your country?A. I think they are getting worse. There seems

to be more anti-European feeling in Papua-New Guinea than there ever was before.

Q. Why is this? Is there discrimination againstPapuans and New Guineans?

A. Certainly discrimination does exist, thoughwe had a recent law which forbids any typeof discrimination at all. But I'm afraid it'svery ineffective. The biggest discriminationtoday is that of a two salary scale-- one payfor the Europeans, one for the blacks, and infact the blacks receive only one third ofthe European salary even though they may beperforming the same job.Many Papuans and NewGuineans in the Public Service also resentthe fact that there are Europeans in theService who are just there exploiting theAdministration. Sort of extracting what theycan out of the territory administration, thenleave the country when the time comes, with-out giving a damn about what happens afterself-government.

Q. What difference to you personally will yourJefferson Fellowship here at the East-WestCenter make?

A. Going back to New Guinea, I may be able toexplain things better -- having beenexposed to the situation in America. Thedifficulties we are experiencing in Papua-New Guinea exist elsewhere -- many of thecountries represented here at the East-WestCenter have the same problems. So we are notalone. I'll be writing articles with adifferent perspective.

REPORT FROM SPC RADIO BUREAU SUVA FIJI

Submitted by l.A. Johnstone,Educational Broadcasts Officer

It must have seemed like one ofthose chain letters: "If you will sendme a tape containing 5 items of musicfrom your country, within a month youshould receive in return 9 tapes containing45 items of music from Pacific countries."It was in fact an early letter to Broad-casting Directors in the SPC area abouta new tape and script exchange service.The general idea is for BroadcastingServices to exchange, through the SPC'sRadio Bureau, broadcast material whichmay be useful to other Pacific countries.Music is an obvious starter for such ascheme, and so far, tapes from WesternSamoa, Gilbert & Ellice Islands and theNew Hebrides have been circulated, withthe Solomons, Fiji, Papua-New Guinea,the Cook Islands and several others tofollow. Gradually, the Exchange willcover other programme areas. Withproducers and writers in most countriesfully stretched to meet demanding nationalschedules, the Exchange could be mostvaluable to School and other educationalbroadcasters, particularly those con-cerned with health, agriculture, co-operatives, women's interests, news support.

A list of the 50 or so programmesand series offered so far is being sentto all interested agencies. Regionalseries being compiled at the Bureauinclude simple food talks, written andrecorded in mother tongue by the studentsof the SPC's Community Education TrainingCentre in Suva, and in English a regionalnews background 'Pacific Magazine' com-piled from material sent in by SPC radiostations, and due to go into regularmonthly production in January 1972.(Note: The producer of Pacific Magazinewould be delighted to receive from Pacificradio stations any 3-4 minute voicereport, interview, or similar cover ofanything of general Pacific interest, fordistribution from January onwards. Justsend it to SPC Radio Bureau, P.O. Box5082 RAIWAQA, Post Office, SUVA, Fiji.In return you should receive a 15 minuteregional magazine... chain letters canbecome a habit!)

I.

The Bureau's first attempt at aregional news support was the small"Conference Report" series--5actuality/narration taped programmessent to 10 countries from the SouthPacific Conference at Noumea inSeptember. It had its problems. NewCaledonian technicians performed wonderswith instructions delivered in strangledFrench (OK--just try an on the spottranslation into French of "I want tocut him at 'economy', bring up theapplause, hold it for five seconds, thenhit the theme, which is recorded at3 3/4 inches per second, or is it 9.5centimetres per second?"). Distributionwasn't easy, either, and after someabortive attempts to delay the take offof Boeings and DC8's, sundry innocentpassengers were persuaded to carry anddeliver small brown packets round thePacific. They accepted assurances thatthe packets contained neither bombs nordrugs, and, thanks to their help, moststations were broadcasting the reportswithin a couple of days of recording.

Over the next 6 months, the Bureauwill expand copying facilities at Suva,and begin to convert an office into asmall studio, for production and adap-tation of regional programmes. There'san acute shortage of recording anddubbing facilities in Suva, so the Bureauhopes to pool resources with theCommunications Director of the PacificConference of Churches, and the SchoolBroadcasts and Agricultural InformationSections of the Fiji Government, andthere may be other groups who would liketo come in. By March 1972, the studioshould be able to handle small scale radiodrama and feature production, copyreel and cassette programmes, and act asa centre for training and experimentsfor use by broadcasters in the SPC area.

The Radio Bureau and its ExchangeService resu from a recommendationby last year's South Pacific Conferencethat co-operation between Pacificbroadcasters be encouraged. We'd bepleased to communicate with anyone who hasa programme, a plan or a problem-- toshare.

SMALL ITEM ON SCHOOL BROADCASTS

Two Pacific countries plan to in-troduce School broadcasts during 1972/73.The British Service in the New Hebrideswill confer with the SPC's EducationalBroadcasts Officer in November, 1972

and the Gilbert & Ellice Islands hope toget regular programmes to schools on airby mid-1972. The scattered and isolatedgeography of the group's islands meansmany problems for Education and Broad-casting departments; but also underlinesthe valuable cohesive influence thatgood school broadcast programmes couldhave. Gilbert & Ellice officials hopeto attract production and technicalhelp from Australia.

The Australian Government has alsobeen approached for expert help in theproduction of a series of broadcasts tosupport the teaching of Tate Oral Englishin Pacific Primary Schools. The TateCourse is used in most SPC countries, andits reinforcement by excellent radioprogrammes could dramatically improvestandards of spoken English in the Pacificover the next 5 or 10 years.

RADIO VILA NEW HEBRIDESSubmittedBy John McNeil, Broadcasting OfficerNew Hebrides

one of the south-west Pacific'sinfant voices, Radio Vila (New HebridesBroadcasting Service) is about to entera period of expansion. Broadcasting inthe three major languages of the jointly-governed Condominium--English, French andPidgin--Radio Vila celebrated its fifthbirthday in August last year.

The service began in 1966 withminimal equipment, but benefited a yearlater from a surplus studio donated byORTF in Noumea. Since then, it hasdisseminated local news, service messagesand a small amount of recorded music tothe 80-odd islands in the New Hebrides.Population of the archipaelago is estimatedat around 80,000, and the number of radiosets in the villages is "guesstimated"at 10,000.

As the station has had no transmitterof its own, it has borrowed time from amarine transmitter, and this has limitedbroadcasting time to 2 1/4 hours a day,weekdays (an hour at lunch time and 1 1/4hours early evening).

Programmes are provided by theFrench and British Information Officestaff.

A new AWA 2KW short-wave trans-mitter has now arrived thanks to thegenerosity of the Australian Government,and is being installed. Another earlygift from ORTF Noumea, a 1KW medium-wave transmitter, has been overhauled

and run up, but awaits erection of, its150-foot vertical radiator. Former air

__traffic control buildings overlookingVila harbour are to be converted to studiosso the station can shift from its pre-sent cramped quarters nearby, and newstudio gear is on order.

Since the beginning of 1972,Volunteer Service Abroad worker JohnMcNeil from the NZ Broadcasting Corpor-ation has been assisting development onthe British side, and a local juniorproducer, Joe Bomal Carlo, has justcompleted a three-month producers coursewith the BBC in London. An ORTF- trainedbroadcaster from France is expected early1972 to strengthen the French team.

Hopes are for a date around April1972 when all the new equipment isfully in operation, and longer hours andexpanded programmes take the air. Thenthe infant's voice should start to provea lusty one!

THE SOUTH PACIFIC IS CITIFYING TOO FAST

By Alan ChalkleyDEPTHneW5, Honolulu

Even on the dreaming islands ofthe South Pacific, the peopleare flocking to the main townson the main islands--and turningthem into shanty cities.

Rapid and large-scale urbanisation...a steady stream of migrants flowing fromthe rural areas... towns that are ill-equipped to house them.

Those who do not know the area mightnever guess that these phrases describethe myriad islands of the South Pacific,the chain of volcano and coral that seemsto bask in the ocean "down where thetrade winds play", as a song of the1930's described them.

The phrases are in a report, publishedin Nouniea, New Caledonia, the seat of theSouth Pacific Commission. The reportis a summary of the findings and recom-mendations of a seminar held in Papeete,French Polynesia, to discuss the healthand social planning crises that are buildingup in the islands--the coming of the shantycity, and the breakdown of the old islandway of life.

The overall finding is that the islandshave "citified" too fast. The localauthorities have not been geared, for the

most part, to the new life (some of themhave never put in a sewerage system, orhad to build a modern road).

But the rural people, especiallythe young folks, are flocking into thebig towns of the big islands. They cometo "enjoy" wages instead of living on

local crops and small farming income. Theycome to "enjoy" city foods (and citydrinks).

Appalled

And they catch city diseases, adoptcity morality, and take to city crime.The old chieftain society is appalled anddistressed.

Here is a run-down on some of theproblems in the patchwork of islandgroups that make up the South PacificCommission's bailiwick:

---In French Polynesia, Papeete isattracting the young migrant.Result: Shanty towns, and about2,000 adolescents every year wholeave school with an incompleteeducation and no work for themin sight.

---Fiji has more towns than FrenchPolynesia to absorb the new city-dwellers. But nevertheless,squatter colonies are growing up,and health problems are arising.

---Papua-New Guinea now has shantytowns, with overcrowding,risingrents and unemployment.

---Guam finds its housing standardsfalling, death and disease ratesrising, youthful criminalityincreasing--and "the limits ofnatural resources will soon bereached" for water supply, refusedisposal and sewerage.

---The U.S. Trust Territory (whichincludes such islands as Ponape,Truk and Yap) reports that "thepeople have moved to the townswith high expectations which havenot been realised." Result: Youth-ful crime.

Excessive

---New Hebrides have been spared theworst problems of rapid citifica-tion so far, but shanty towns aremaking their appearance. Thereport especially notes "excessivealcohol consumption."

---New Caledonia is booming economi-cally--the nickel mining project

there has led to an acute shortageof labour, and migrants are being"sucked in." Result: "An acuteshortage of houses in Noumea(estimated to be 4,000 houseunits in 1969)." So great is theshortage of workers that migrantsare coming from Indonesia, Austra-lia, and even Europe.

rightly so. Or the booming economy ofJapan--rightly so.

But from many islands of the SouthPacific the smell of rotting cities(cities which rot as soon as they arebuilt!) is already rising.--DEPTHnews.

(DEPTHnews Release, July 9, 1971)

The report calls for a thorough over-haul of the old planning systems. Muchof the laws and regulations are just copiesof the laws and regulations of the oldcolonial power--building regulations meantfor New York instead of Noumea, Parisinstead of Ponape. Educational curriculain the U.S. Trust Territory are copiesof the American system.

And everywhere, there is lack of housingfinance for city-type construction. Theold village co-operative hut-buildingsystem did not need it; the new town-dwelling-construction system does.

Unbalanced

The break-up of society itself leadsto an unbalanced population pattern. Theyoung men go to the towns, leaving behindthe girls and the old folk. In AmericanSamoa, Cook Islands, Fiji, Guam, NewHebrides and Papua-New Guinea, between40 and 50 per cent of the town-dwellersare aged under 15.

Result: the education system cannotcope. They you do not work. They turnto crime. There are no respected "chiefs"in the towns any more.

Even the diet of the new town-dwellers is deteriorating. The cost offood is always rising, because in effectless is being produced per head withinrange of the big town on the big island.

So the town-dweller turns to cheaperfoods--and "fills in" with cereals, bis-cuits and soft drinks. Result: defi-ciency diseases, and dental decay.

To keep up household income, the townwoman works. Result: less protectionand control of children.

The report goes on in this strain--hard-headed, factual, realistic. But ittells a threatening story, and one whichwill shape the future of the islands forgenerations to come.

Changes are sweeping over the millionsof square miles of the South Pacific, butthese changes get little publicity becausethe islands look so small, and are soscattered. The world's attention goesto the pitiful story of East Pakistan--

PACIFIC DIRECTORS OF EDUCATION WORKSHOPAND SEMINAR March 12-19 1972

In an educational workshop andseminar co-sponsored by the South PacificCommission and the Culture LearningInstitute, program officers, culturaladvisors, and education directors from15 Pacific Islands and territories metwith EWC staff members and University ofHawaii specialists to discover a basisof closer cooperation and to identifyfuture projects in which personnel fromparticipating islands, the University ofHawaii, and CLI could work together.

Highlight of the workshop-seminarwas a demonstration of the satellitecommunication program run by Dr. Bystromand his colleagues of the University ofHawaii's Department of Physics. Toemphasize the extraordinary potential ofthe use of the satellite in the fieldsof medicine, education, health andagriculture, Dr. Bystrom arranged to haveseveral of the participants use the satel-lite to talk to friends or colleagues inMaui and Fiji.

That the conference was successfulin meeting its objectives is attested toby the agreements and recommendations putforth in the final session.

1. That the Pacific Islands Directorsof Education would meet annually,convening in Papua-New Guinea inMarch 1973; in the Trust Territoriesin 1974;and in the Solomon Islands in1975. Possibly alternative spon-sorship should be with the SouthPacific Commission and CLI, and thelatter, if unable to participate,at least should be represented at allmeetings.

2. That a study and educationproject in museology, ethnomuseco-logy and archivology will be under-taken with particular emphasis uponthe classification of historicalletters and documents, of which thePacific Islands have a large treasure.

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Nominees from participating countrieswould be brought together for sixmonth periods of study. The program,already funded for 1973, will pro-bably continue for three years.

3. That the satellite communicationproject now in existence between theUniversities of the South Pacificand Hawaii be extended to includeparticipation of additional terri-tories, particularly in the inter-ests of education.

4. That there be closer coordinationof tertiary educational programsbetween the various universities inthe Pacific, the South Pacific Com-mission and the East-West Center.

5. That there be some interchange ofteaching staff between the Universityof the South Pacific and the Universityof Hawaii, East-West Center.

A more eloquent summary of the accomplish-ment of the seminar was expressed by Dr.Fanaafe Larkin in her closing address tothe members. She felt that "like thefisherman sent out by their chief tofetch loads of fish, the directors werereturning home with a valuable catch."

Seminar participants from thePacific Islands and territories were:

Cook Islands: George R.G. Gerrard,director of education, and RangitukuaMoekaa, chief inspector of schools.

American Samoa: Milton DeMello,director of education, and Mrs. MereBetham, deputy director of educationalservices.

Gilbert and El-lice Islands Colony:Henry Urquhart, director of education,and Atanraoi Baiteke, education officer.

Fiji: Joseph D. Gibson, secretaryof education; Han Ram, chief educationofficer; and Bruce Palmer, museum director.

British Solomon Islands Protectorate:Alan G. H. House, director of education,and Mostyn Habu, school teacher.

Western Samoa Fanaafi Larkin,director of education.

U.S. Trust Territory: Burl Yarberry,director of education, and David Ramarui,deputy director of education.

New Hebrides: Justin J. How, direc-tor of education.

Papua-New Guinea: V. En, directorof education.

Tonga: Robert McNurdo, director ofeducation.

Republic of Nauru: Robert Matchett,director of education.

Guam: Lagrimas Untalan, programcoordinator.

Tahiti: P. Krault, vice rector ofthe education departments.

The South Pacific Commission delega-tion was headed by Dr. Frank Mahony,Director of Social Development and formerUniversity of Hawaii professor. Othersfrom the Commission were Miss PhylissCarpenter, English language specialist,and Richard A. King, education consultant.

Observers at the meeting includeSister Eustelle, Catholic directress ofeducation from the Gilbert and ElliceIslands Colony; James E. Ritchie, pro-fessor of psychology at the University ofWaikato, New Zealand; and Keith Oakes,administrator for the Church of JesusChrist of Latter-Day Saints, from theUnited States.

Representing the Cultural LearningInstitute were Dr. Bickley, Dr. BaronGoto and Mr. Gregory Trifonovitch.

EAST-WEST COMMUNICATION INSTITUTE NEWS

PACIFIC ISLAND MEDIA CENSUS

A census of the print media in thePacific Islands is under way, with about25 questionnaires completed by April 1.The purpose of the survey is to put toge-ther for the first time a complete direc-tory of thL print media in the Pacificislands, as a help to advertisers,practitioners and researchers.

The project is being undertakenjointly by Dr. Ralph D. Barney ofBrigham Young University and the East-West Communication Institute. JimRichstad is handling the Instituteaspect.

Barney and Richstad hope to havea directory ready by August, and willsend copies to all those who cooperatedin the survey. The two hope to puttogether a more complete publicationnext year, building on this year'ssurvey.

Broadcasting facilities will beincluded in the next project.

Any publications that have not re-ceived a questionnaire are asked to writeto Richstad at the CommunicationInstitute. And those who received buthaven't returned a questionnaire are askedto do so soon.

COMMUNICATION IN THE PACIFIC SEMINAR

A proposal has been made for aCommunication in the Pacific seminar inearly August or September. The seminaridea is being circulated by the East-West Communication Institute for reac-tion.

The concept, as developed by Dr.R. Lyle Webster, director of the Institute,and Dr. Jim Richstad, associate researcher,is to explore the wide range of journa-lism and communication activity in thePacific, and try to see where the Communi-cation Institute would fit in.

In the past, the Institute and East-West Center have conducted many trainingprograms geared to broadcasting, journa-lism, audio-visual methods and othercommunication means. The seminar couldimmensely help the Institute determinetraining and research needs.

The tentative plan is to hold aone or two-week meeting in Hawaii, Fiji,Western Samoa or some other appropriateplace and to invite communicators fromvarious Pacific Island areas to presentdiscussion papers on the status ofcommunication. These papers would formthe basis for the seminar, although someoutside resource speakers would be invited.

)ne of the difficulties a communicatorin the Pacific faces is isolation fromhis colleagues. The seminar would providea setting for exchange of ideas and pro-blems, and perhaps some ways to meet thoseproblems.

Anyone with suggestions or reactionsto the general concept outlined aboveis invited to write to Dr. Webster at theCommunication Institute.

EWC COMMUNICATION DOCUMENTATION CENTER

Communication research materialsdealing with the Pacific Islands arebeing sought by the Document Collectionof the Communication Institute. Pre-liminary surveys show little of thiskind of material on Pacific Islandscommunication activities.

Material sought includes readership,viewership and listernrship surveys, ad-vertising surveys, effects studies andsimilar materials. Any kind of statisti-cal or descriptive material on communi-cation media is also sought.

The Document Collection catalogssuch materials and then makes them availa-ble upon request to administrators,

practitioners and researchers. Thecollection is also used by Universityof Hawaii students and East-West Centergrantees.

Persons with such materials cancontact Sumiye Konoshima, ResourceMaterials Specialist, at the Communi-cation Institute.

JIM RICHSTAD TO VISIT PACIFIC ISLANDS

Professional study and trainingprojects in communication will be themain discussion item when Jim Richstadof the East-West Communication Institutestaff visits several Pacific Islandcountries April 10-27.

The itinerary includes AmericanSamoa, Western Samoa, Tonga, Fiji, andNew Caledonia. The purpose of the tripis to discuss Professional Study andTraining programs coming up in the nextyear. These include such things as anEditorial Workshop in the summer, aseminar on Communication in the Pacificin the late summer, a Radio StationManagement Seminar beginning in August,and an Agricultural Communicationworkshop later in the fall. In addition,the Institute is tentatively planninga Government Information Officers Seminarearly 1973 and a Teaching by TelevisionSeminar in early 1973.

Other purposes are to gain familiaritywith the communication media in thePacific, to contact prospective degreestudents and Senior Fellows, to esta-blish institutional ties, and to seekcommunication research material.

Persons wishing to contact Dr.Richstad may do so through the followinghotels on the dates specified:

Apr. 11-14 Amer. Samoa Intercontinental Hotel

14-19 W. Samoa Aggie Grey Hotel

19-22 Tonga Int'l. Dateline Hotel

22-24 Fiji (Suva) Travelodge Hotel

24-25 New Caledonia Dole de FranceHotel

25-28 Fiji25-Nandi Skylodge Hotel26-28 - Suva Travelodge Hotel

EDWARD RIPLEY ON STUDY TOUR

Mr. Edward Ripley, InformationOfficer of the Western Samoan Departmentof Agriculture, visited Hawaii and theEast-West Communication Institute aspart of a study tour which will take himto Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Australiaand other Pacific Islands.

While here Mr. Ripley conferred withEWC Communication and Food Institutestaff members briefing them on his workin Western Samoa and discussing futureEast-West Center training programs inthe area of agricultural communication.Ripley also met with College of TropicalAgriculture directors and publicationofficials to review their activities.

Highlight of Mr. Ripley's Hawaiistay was a trip to Rib in the outerislands to attend a College of TropicalAgriculture Open House celebrating thetenth anniversary of the Waiakea FieldStation. The field day featured a tourof seven stations each of which exhibitedcurrent College of Tropical Agricultureresearch projects.

There was something for everyoneduring the day-long event, whether it wasa slide show developed by the AgriculturalEngineering Department, two operatingtrickle irrigation systems, samples ofcorn and sorghum, displays of grassessuitable for Hawaii ranges and pastures,

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Edward Ripley and Leslie Swindale, atWaiakea Field Day. Swindale is AssociateDirector of Hawaii Agriculture Exper-imental Station.

or a walk through the USDA Fruit FlyLaboratory, where research is carriedout to develop methods to control and/oreradicate the melon fly and the Orientaland Mediterranean fruit flies.

Researchers demonstrated thehydroponic method of growing plants withcucumbers planted in a bed of volcaniccinders. Also on display were two easily-constructed plastic greenhouses. Thesestructures are based on arches of locallygrown bamboo and strawberry guava,covered by a sheet of plastic, and costingless than $10.

Mr. Ripley's trip was sponsored bya joint Government of Western Samoa-UNDP/FAO Agricultural DevelopmentProject.

AGRICULTURAL COMMUNICATION WORKSHOPAWAITS SURVEY RESULTS

The East-West Communication andFood Institutes are presently awaitingthe results of a Pacific Islands

agricultural communication surveydesigned by the two Institutes toobtain information needed for planning aFall 1972 workshop. The survey sent outto Pacific Island Directors of Agricul-ture sought to determine which channelsof communication were most important inthe departments' task of communicatingwith farmers, the. number and responsi-bilities of persons in the departmentwith informational tasks, the editorialand media ;kills most essential to the

departments' effective functioning, andthe equipment--Presses, camera, recorders,

training facilities, etc.--available

locally.Responses to the survey questionnaires

will be used to determine the need, typeof participant and format for an Agri-cultural Communication Workshop tentativelyscheduled for October-November of this

year. The Workshop would be held at the

East-West Center in Honolulu with the

collaboration of the Food and Communi-cation Institutes. The proposal for this

Workshop grew out of the recommendationsof participants at a "Pacific Seminar on

Training, Research and Planning Needsin Agriculture and Fisheries" held at the

East-West Center in August of 1971.A prospectus giving full details

of the program will be sent out laterthis spring. Inquiries and comments

concerning the program should be directed

to Dr. Donald Green of the East-WestFood Institute or Mr. Cuyler Shaw of the

Communication Institute

PACIFIC ISLANDS EDITORIAL WORKSHOPJUNE 19 to JULY 28

The title of the Workshop may beconfusing to some people--it's an"editorial workshop" but it is notnecessary to be a newspaper editor toqualify for the program. The Workshopis designed to include persons in educa-tion, health, community development,etc.working with a newsletter as well asthose whose full-time interest is journal-ism. And while stressing the editorialtechniques involved in putting out smallpublications, the Workshop will devoteconsiderable attention to problems ofeffective coordination between develop-mental or educational efforts and themass media--specifically radio andnewspaper.

The Workshop schedule is being de-signed in a cumulative fashion so thatindividual skills mastered early in theprogram will have to be combined andcoordinated in the final stages of theWorkshop as participants are dividedinto publication teams to actually putout "newsletters." A program of speakersand discussants from the University, theCenter and the Honolulu community withexpertise in communication and PacificIsland problems should stimulate plentyof thinking on the content of these"team" publications.

The program prospectus indicatestraining will focus around the followingareas:

a. To provide intensive training inthese areas:

1. steps to be taken in guidingvarious smaller publicationfrom conception through distri-bution and use.

2. skills called for in suchprocesses including writing,editing layout, simpleillustrations, and publication.

3. printing and duplicatingmethods and relative costs.

4. editing written texts formaximum public impact, e.g.writing a popular bulletin orarticle form a research report.

5. camera use and picture composi-tion techniques.

6. writing a newspaper story forpublic release.

7. preparation of materials forradio, including taped inter-views, spot announcements andbrief programs.

b. To develop in Workshop participantsthe ability to plan, budget,implement and evaluate an informationcampaign. Included here wouldbe an understanding of the impor-tance of audience feedback andmatching message content with aspecific audience.

c. To examine the role informationcan play in development.

d. To familiarize participants withand discuss some of the broaderissues, alternatives and valuesimplicit in development and socialchange.

e. To prepare participants to assumethe role of trainer on return totheir home situations.

f. To encourage participant interac-tion with the wider East-WestCenter community to promote abroader understanding andknowledge of the experience ofother peoples.

Requests for program prospectusesor application forms should be addressedto Cuyler E. Shaw, Associate ProgramOfficer.

RADIO MANAGEMENT SEMINAR

In response to the difficultsituation faced by Pacific Island stationmanagers who must operate their stationswithout the benefit of local or nearby aidor advice, the Communication Institute hasscheduled a Radio Station Management Semi-nar for August-September of 1972. Tenta-tive dates for the program which willprovide station managers an opportunity toexchange experiences and advice with eachother and with outside station managementexpertise have been set at August 20 toSeptember 16.

Seminar content and emphasis will bein part by the participants themselves ininitial sessions of the program. Indivi-dual reports drawing on past participant

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Lavea Levi of Western Samoa and JackTowers during 1971 EWCI Radio Develop-ment Seminar

radio experience in the PacificIslands and followed by group discus-sion will attempt to highlight keyproblems and difficulties confronting aPacific Islands radio station manager.

Preliminary correspondence andsurvey by the Communication Institutewith Pacific Island radio sources indi-cate the following areas will receiveat least some consideration:'Development of appropriate andimaginative program policies.'Comparative study of developmentalcommunication strategies and experi-ences in the Pacific Islands and otherregions of the world.Personnel management.'Design and implementation of stationorganizational structure.'Radio station budget preparation..Anticipating station equipment needs;planning for effective maintenance.'Understanding the role of a radio sta-tion in the community.'Audience survey methods and evaluationof the community impact of a radiostation.-Discussi.en of recent developments incommunication research,

Mr. I. A. Johstone, EducationalBroadcasts Officer with the South Paci-fic Commission, has suggested theSeminar also include discussion of theproblem of the introduction of tele-vision in the islands.

Prospectuses and application formsfor the Seminar, will be mailed outwithin the next few weeks.

ASAHI SHIMBI.TN EDITORIALIST TO DIRECTCOMMUNICATION INSTITUTE

A prominent Japanese journalist andeducator has been named director of theEast-West Center's Communication Institute.Dr. MICHIO NAGAI, editorial writer forTokyo's Asahi Shimbun Press and a lec-turer on higher education at TokyoUniversity, will arrive in May to assumethe post now held by Dr. R. LYLE WEBSTER,present director of the East-West Communi-cation Institute, who is retiring.

Nagai, 48, brings with him to theEast-West Center a distinguished careerin educational and developmental commu-nication. He has authored, edited ortranslated some 16 books in Japaneseand English and has written numerousarticles and essays on Japanese culture,society and politics for academic journalsand magazines in both Japan and theUnited States.

"Dr. Nagai's appointment is a furtherstep in the internationalization of thestaff and programs of the East-WestCenter," Chancellor EVERETT KLEINJAHSannounced. "Our mandate from Congressis to carry out cooperative programs ofcultural and technical interchange tofoster mutual understanding for closerrelations between the peoples of theUnited States, Asia and the Pacific."

An active figure in Japanese educa-tional circles, Nagal is a member ofthe boards of the International Councilfor Educational Development, Japan Wonens'Universit and the International House ofJapan. He is also a member of theJapanese Ministry of Education's Commis-sion on Japanese Language and theCommission on the National Living Standardand Style of the Economic PlanningBureau.

Nagai received his B.A. degree inphilosophy from Kyoto Imperial Universityand his Master's degree in education fromOhio State University in Columbus, Ohio.In 1952 he was awarded a doctorate ineducational sociology at Ohio State,where he worked as a research associatein the Department of Sociology andAnthropology for two years beforereturning to Tokyo.

Prior to joining Asahi ShimbunPress, Nagai also held positions asvisiting lecturer at El Colegio de Mexicoin Mexico City, Hong Kong University,and at Columbia and Stanford univer-sities in the United States. He hasbeen a research associate with the Uni-versity of California and a professor of

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sociology at Tokyo Institute of Technology.Nagai has traveled extensively

throughout Asia, Europe, the NorthAmerican continent and the Soviet Union.He is married and has three children.

SECOND RETIREMENT FOR DR. WEBSTER

Dr. R. LYLE WEBSTER, first directorof the East-West Communication Institute,will retire from that post effective May 1.He will remain in the Institute duringthe month of May as Researcher and toassist the Institute's new director,Dr. MICHIO NAGAI, whose appointment wasapproved March 30 by the University ofHawaii Board of Regents.

It will be Dr. Webster's secondretirement. He "retired" in 1970 afterserving for six years as a Ford Founda-tion consultant to the Government ofIndia but consented to come to theEast-West Center to organize and directthe Communication Institute programs forthe first two years.

"The Center was particularly for-tunate in persuading Dr. Webster to takeon the exacting job of organizing theCommunication Institute and getting itstarted in such successful fashion,"Chancellor Everett Kleinjans said.

"His broad background in educationaland developmental communication andinvaluable practical experience addedreal strength to the Center. AlthoughDr. Webster is 'retiring' again we hopehe will have a continuing associationwith the Institute."

Webster, 66, was born and raisedin North Dakota. He holds a B.A. degreein journalism from the University ofNorth Carolina, an M.S. degree from theSchool of Journalism at Columbia Univer-sity, and a Ph.D. degree from AmericanUniversity in Washington, D.C.

He has carried out communicationassignments in a number of foreigncountries, principally advising govern-ments on establishing agriculturalinformation systems. Foreign assignmentsfor the U.S. Department of Agriculturewere carried out in Japan and 10 coun-tries of Western Europe and LatinAmerica.

In 1960 Webster was selected to leada U.S. exchange team to the SovietUnion, to study agricultural communica-tions there.

F

MAORI PROGRAMMES

(From NZBC, ABU Newsletter, August 1971)

Although New Zealand cannot bedescribed as a multi-racial societyin the usual sense of the term, thereare besides those of European descentmany Polynesian people in the country.The largest group of these are the Maori,the inhabitants of New Zealand when itwas first seen by white men in 1642.The Maoris who are thought to haveoriginated in Southeast Asia, came toNew Zealand from Hawaiiki (their home-land in the eastern Pacific) fromapproximately the 13th or 14th century,and because of the isolation of New Zealandtheir cultural development was distinctive.The Maori had no written word, but setgreat store by their common and tribal

history and beliefs, and in their dances,chants and songs have handed down fromgeneration to generation much of theircultural heritage and folk lore.

Today there are nearly 228,000people of Maori descent in the country-approximately 97. of the total popula-tion. As equal citizens with thepakeha (or white people), subject to thesame laws and with the same rights,they have fully accepted western civi-lisation. At the same time they havekept alive many of their own traditionsand culture in which there is a great dealof interest not only among Maoris butamong the pakeha as well. To meet thisinterest, and to encourage the preservationand development of Maoritanga the NZBCbroadcasts a number of programmes preparedby its Maori Programmes Section. Maoriprogrammes and recordings of Maori itemshave been made by the NZBC for many years,but these were mainly on a local basisuntil the Maori Programmes Section wasestablished in 1964. Located in HeadOffice, the Section is responsible forfour regular programmes each week, broad-cast by the non-commercial network covering"the whole country, and some also by localcommercial stations in centres of Maoripopulation.

While many younger Maoris have onlya limited knowledge of their language,it is still common among the Maori people,and an increasing number of Europeansalso speak it. With a resurgence ofinterest in Maori, which is being taughtat some schools and at universities,NZBC broadcasts in the language arelistened to with keen interest, although

the audiences are small. One of themost important broadcasts is Te Reo ote Maori (The Voice of the Maori), aweekly programme retailing Maori history,legends, chants and music of the varioustribes. This programme is designed tointerest both the older Maori and theyounger generations who want to knowsomething of their history, and thematerial used is for the most partrecorded in the field at Maori gatherings,although commercial recordings may alsobe used. The oral tradition of theMaori creates certain problems in theretelling of ancient stories: there maybe variations both from tribe to tribeand within a tribe; Maori is a livinglanguage and subject to change. Inaddition, there are slight differencesfrom one tribal area to another--forexample, the tribes of the South Islandof New Zealand refer to themselves asKaitahu while they are called by NorthIslanders Ngaitahu although among theyounger southern people the latter isbecoming more common. In these circum-stances great care has to be taken toensure that versions of stories used areauthentic, and the Section's staff arerequired to have a high degree of scho-larship. If necessary they will consultNga Tohunga--"people with knowledge",the experts in tribal lore. The languageand pronunciation used must be impeccable,because what is broadcast becomes astandard for many people.

A weekly extended news bulletin inMaori consists mainly of items about Maoriaffairs or otherwise of interest to theMaori, while "The Maori Programme" presentshalf an hour each week of topical Maorimatters and issues, and music and stories Jpakeha and Maori. This is scripted inEnglish, but includes many items recordedon the marae or meeting place. A furtherprogramme of music only is also broad-cast. In all these the aim is to keepalive Maori heritage and language bypresenting material in an entertainingmanner.

To gather material for Maoriprogrammes the staff of the Section travelextensively throughout the country, at-tending every important Maori gathering.To be received on a tribal marae is anhonour for members of another tribe, andone may attend by invitation only. Thestaff of the Section (themselves Maoris)are held in such regard by their people,and the NZBC's relations with the Maoripeople are such that their presence at

gatherings has never been refused. TheMaori are a generous people, but jealousof their tribal prestige and traditions,and great care must be taken to ensurethat recordings made are used in the rightcontext and with responsibility.

An important function of the MaoriProgramme Section is the collection andcollation of traditional material forhistorical purposes. The NZBC has beenundertaking this work since the 1930'sand now has the greatest collection ofrecordings of music, speeches, oral tra-ditions of the marae stories, historiesand ancient chants in the country. Thiswork is undertaken at the request of theMaori people, the cost being borne bythe NZBC. As the older people familiarwith ancient folklore die it becomesincreasingly difficult to gather theseitems, but to date some 2,000 7-inch tapeshave been stored.

In 1966 and 1969 the NZBC sponsorednationwide competitions for originalcompositions for Maori cultural items,the organisation being the responsibilityof the Maori Programmes Section. Many ofthe items submitted in the competitionshave now been included in the repertoiresof Maori groups that are establishedthroughout the country, and some wereincluded in the Maori Welcome to theRoyal Family in New Zealand in 1963 and lastyear. Mr. Wiremu Kerekere, the MaoriProgramme Organiser, at the unanimousrequest of the Maori people was appointedto train and organise the party of over1,000 performers on this occasion, and wasalso the advisor and trained the Maoriparty that performed in the New ZealandDay presentation at Expo '70 in Osaka.

The Section is continually called onfor advice, information, research andannouncing for programmes involvingMaori topics prepared by other sectionsfor both radio and television. Includedamong these is the Overseas ProgrammeExchange Service, which offers at no cost23 fifteen to thirty minute radio programmesillustrating different forms of Maorimusic. Programmes may be ordered eithercomplete with commentary in English, oras music tracks with an English scriptfor translation from the:

ManagerOverseas Programme ExchangeNZBC, P.O. Box 98Wellington, New Zealand

BROADCASTING IN THE TRUST TERRITORYOF THE PACIFIC ISLANDS

By George T. CallisonChief, Broadcast DivisionTrust Territory of the Pacific Islands

(Reprinted from March, 1972 ABU Newsletter)

The only way to reach all of the100,000 residents of the farflung TrustTerritory of the Pacific Islands is byradio. The vast island territory stretchesout across the Western Pacific a fewdegrees north of the equator, covering atotal area of some 3,000,000 square miles,equal to that of the United States, yetthe 2,100 islands--only 90 of which areinhabited--have a combined land area ofjust 700 square miles.

Six AM broadcast stations provideMicronesians with eighteen hours ofmusic, news and information daily. Thestations are located in the districtcentres: WSZO, Majuro, in the MarshallIslands; WSZD, Ponape, and WSZC, Truk,in the Eastern Carolines; WSZA, Yap, andWSZB, Palau, in the Western Carolines;and KJQR, Saipan, in the Marianas.Nearly every Micronesian family has atleast one transistor radio.

Of the 72 employees of the BroadcastDivision, all but three are located at thedistrict broadcast stations and all butthree are Micronesians. The last three--all Americans--are the chief of the division,a broadcast trainer and a supervisorytechnician.

The immediate responsibility for theoperation of the six broadcast stationslies with the station managers who, inturn, are directly responsible to theDistrict Administrators. Division head-quarters, located in Saipan, the seat ofthe Trust Territory government, coordinatesand prepares the $340,000 annual programmebudget for the division as well as thebudget for capital improvement projects,which runs from $50,000 to $75,000annually. The primary functions of thedivision are to plan and supervise theterritory-wide operation and to directthe programme material for the six stations.It insures a steady flow of material,supplies and equipment to the stations;serves as a production centre, and bearsthe responsibility for training of divisionemployees, both in-station and at theheadquarters training centre, as well asat such other locations as the East-WestCenter in Honolulu. The division is a

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Elias H. Thomas, Assistant Chief, Broad-cast Division

part of the Public Affairs Departmentof the Trust Territory government and isdirectly responsible to its director.

Programming

The programme structure of theTrust Territory broadcast stations canbe divided into seven main categories:local music of the districts, locallyproduced record shows, American ForcesRadio and Television Service programmes,news, religious programmes, interviewsand Public Information programmes andprogrammes received from such sources asthe South Pacific Commission, Voice ofAmerica, and the New Zealand BroadcastingCorporation. In addition, each of thestations produces special features. Thesevary from district to district, dependingupon the availability of equipment, theprofessional level of the staff and theinterests of the listening audience.

WSZO in Majuro has a mobile vanequipped with a short wave transmitterwhich it uses to good advantage broad-casting personality interviews fromthe Majuro airport. All districtsbroadcast the proceedings of their Legis-lature. Some, as the occasion demands,broadcast special celebrations such as

U.N. Day and the Micro Olympics. Underthe direction of division headquarters,full radio coverage is given the sessionsof the Congress of Micronesia. At thespecial session, held in Truk lastMay, taped interviews and reports weretransmitted to the Broadcast Centre inSaipan via sideband radio. There, theprogrammes were duplicated and dispatchedby airline to the five other stations.Utilized for the first time, this tech-nique saved as much as five days in gettingthe news of the Congress proceedings tosome of the districts. The news directorsof the six stations currently are coveringthe regular session of the Congressof Micronesia being held in Palau.Reports and interviews are sent out inthe language of the various districtswhile the division's trainer, PaulSavercool, and David Walker, a PeaceCorps Volunteer radio aide, areproviding direction and training for thenews directors and producing reports andinterviews in English.

News

A most important segment of thedaily programming at each of the districtstations is news. World news is madeavailable through the Armed ForcesRadio and Television Service (AFRTS)and each station broadcasts severalprogrammes of Voice of America news,received via short wave radio. News ofthe Trust Territory and the more importantstories originating in the variousdistricts are prepared by the Microne-sian News Service of the Public Informa-tion Department and are sent to thedistricts daily by radio teletype, butthe bulk of strictly local news ishandled by news department personnelin each station and, with varying degreesof success, by news stringers.

Language

There are nine principal languagesin Micronesia. A tenth--and the onlyone common to all districts--is English.Conversational Japanese, although notin common usage, is practiced by someof the older residents of all districts.

The job of the translator(s) inthe district broadcast stations, thus,is a very important one,for althoughthe younger generation and those personsemployed in the district centres arereasonably fluent in English, the greatmajority of the people living in the

outer islands understand only the languageof their district.

In some districts the job oftranslation is more complex than in others.In Ponape, for example, all informationalprogrammes must be broadcast not onlyin Ponapean, but also in Kusaiean andKapingamarangi. In the Yap district,broadcasts must also be made in the"outer island" or Ulithi-Woleailanguage.

While the translation of an announce-ment of a public hearing, for example,is a relatively simple task, it can beseen that translation of the VOA newsor of the day's proceedings in Congress,becomes as difficult a task as it isimportant.

Training

As was mentioned at the outset,training of Micronesians to fill allthe positions in the division from thatof station clerk to chief of thedivision is a project of paramount impor-tance. Three of the station managersreceived training with the Voice of Americain Washington, D.C.; all of the managers,the division's assistant chief, Elias H.Thomas, as well as the programme direc-tors and news directors of all stationshave attended one or more trainingsessions at the East-West Center,University of Hawaii, Honolulu.

Lack of facilities has delayedimplementation of a training programmeat headquarters in Saipan, but the divisionwill move into new quarters shortly whichwill provide adequate space for a smalltraining centre. The first group oftrainees from all districts is expectedto come to the centre in early April.Meanwhile, training on an in-station basis,has been carried out in all stations.

The Broadcast Division islooking forward to the day when it cansend some of its more advanced personnelfor training at the new ABU RegionalBroadcasting Training Institute in KualaLumpur.

Needs

Of all the needs facing broadcastingin the Trust Territory of the PacificIslands, one of the most pressing is fortrained broadcast technicians. Onlytwo serve the entire territory now.With some 2,500 miles separating theeasternmost and westernmost districtsand with plane service between them on

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a twice-a-week schedule, it is under-standable that operations are frequentlyon a "fingers crossed" footing andmaintenance often is on a crisis basis.Except for the invaluable assistanceof communications technicians the stationsoccasionally might face prolonged "off-the-air" periods. Training of presentstation personnel in preventive maintenancetechniques and the acquiring of additionalfully-trained technicians--hopefully inthe very near future--should go a longway toward solving the problem.

Of equal importance is the need fordeveloping programmes that truly reflectthe Micronesian culture...programmesthat more accurately fulfill the educa-tional and entertainment needs of thepeople of Micronesia. As the broad-casting station staffs become more pro-fessional in their approach to radio;as government officials, community leadersand educators more readily accept thegreat potential of radio as the solemeans of reaching all the people ofMicronesia, this need will be met.

AFRTS programmes--a boon to anyoneattempting to schedule 18 hours dailywith inexperienced, untrained personnel--are gradually giving way to folk talesand legends, district historical programmesand programmes devoted to politicaleducation, health and family relations.

The Future

Within the next five years, allbroadcast stations in the Trust Terri-tory will be at their maximum transmittingpower requirements. The stations inMajuro and Ponape will be at 10KW withinthe next two to three months. Truk willhave a 5 KW transmitter in operation bylate summer; Palau, Yap and Saipan willgo from their present 1,000 watts to5KW by fiscal year 1978.

Within the next five years allpresent eXpatriate positions will bephased out and the entire division staffwill be Micronesian.

It is fully anticipated that withinthe next five years an acceptable futurepolitical status for Micronesia willbe agreed upon. Along with it the Broad-cast Division will, in a1 likelihood,be phased into a true Micronesian Broad-casting System.