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From Tim Fischer, Federal Member for Farrer and Triple J icon

A Millennium Salute to ABC Radio First and Foremost

Recent surveys show that free-to-air television continues to dominate all. However, I want to go against the trend and highlight the role of ABC Radio and its big future.

In fact, I boldly predict as outgoing deputy Prime Minister that there will be a growing onward role for free-to-air radio and that ABC Radio is already catching this wave and is set to expand further.

The case for radio is often overwhelmed by the success of television in recent decades, with the huge and immediate impact of reporting, such as the Switzerland canyoning tragedy, the rail tragedy in India, or the latest royal wedding from the United Kingdom - or 'royal divorce' as the case may be.

At the same time, radio and especially morning radio is powering along. The lives of many people who find themselves having to run faster and faster just to survive and who are more and more mobile, are a key priority for radio, and radio is a key tool for them. Furthermore, as modern receivers show their flexibility and ability to overcome background noise and static, means that radio dominates the abattoir processing floors, tractor cabins, right through to car factory floors and assembly lines. For these and other reasons, but particularly because of the increasingly busy lifestyle, radio is going to bounce into the 21st century and beyond.

There is no doubt that ABC Radio with its nation-wide networks gives outstanding service to people across Australia. For the young brigade there is Triple J - while some of the language of their music is ordinary, it has been successful in boosting Australian groups such as silverchair and more recently Spider Bait. Triple J gives good bang for the bucks and helps balance up the culture imbalance with the domination from overseas sources.

At the other end of the spectrum, excellent radio shows such as AM and PM often allow the ABC to break stories in a quick hit way but also in a very authoritative and accurate way.

Even as late as 30th June I had not realised how quickly that ABC moved that Wednesday afternoon to cover comprehensively the ten minute speech I made in Parliament when I stepped down as Deputy Prime Minister, Leader of the National Party and Minister for Trade. And on the entertainment side of things, on Saturday nights there is John Nutting with the Townsville country music show and on Sunday mornings Macca's Australia All Over, attracting listeners in their millions. This now extends through web sites right around the world.

So as we look to a new millennium I strongly support the role of radio, and the ABC radio role especially, and I see it being a very valuable medium, essential to the community fabric of Australia.