Communications Fiji Limited, the parent company of FM96, LegendFM, VitiFM, Navtarang, Radio Sargam and fijivillage, is the only organization in Fiji that maintains an independent broadcast network and their reach, particularly on Viti Levu and Vanua Levu, is superior to any of their competitors.
CFL Chair, William Parkinson highlighted this at the company’s Annual General Meeting saying despite this advantage over other broadcasters, CFL has in recent years, only been allowed limited access to Government related advertising revenue.
Parkinson says prior to the change of Government in late 2022, this was politically motivated.
He says they were promised a change by the incoming Coalition Government, but CFL is still waiting for significant revenue to come from the public broadcasting funding.
The Board Chair says while maximizing a return to shareholders is of course a priority to both board and management they are conscious of the need to continue to invest in their products and brands so as to guarantee long term profitability.
He says while they have seen increases in revenue, this has struggled to keep pace of the increasing expenditure and this is reflected in their bottom line.
Parkinson says this year’s Fiji Showcase has shown a return to levels of attendance and profitability that they last saw pre the pandemic.
He says they have continued to invest in online presence via fijivillage and other products as they see fijivillage as a sixth media brand for the organisation servicing the news and information requirements for their entire audience not just in Fiji but the diaspora as well in partnership with the radio stations.
Parkinson says we live in exciting times, and he strongly believes that CFL’s long-term strategy built around CFL’s radio broadcast and online “brands” is the way of the future.
He adds the recent audience surveys in both markets reinforce this showing clearly that marginal declines in radio listenership have been more than being matched by increases in online reach via fijivillage.
The CFL Chair says in addition, the rapid increase in migration and subsequent impact of remittances on the Fiji economy has seen huge changes in the Fijian marketplace.
He says with the Fiji diaspora now able to purchase directly via various digital money facilities, this means marketing just to Fiji based consumers is no longer sufficient.
Parkinson firmly believes that CFL is uniquely positioned, with the radio products streaming globally and fijivillage established as the number one source of news and information, to be able to meet the needs of this new “global” marketplace.
He says he has also just returned from a visit to Port Moresby where the team at PNGFM are settling into their brand-new purpose-built studio and office complex.
Parkinson says this project has been a long-term dream that started with the purchase of land, at a very favourable price, in the middle of the pandemic.
Construction commenced mid last year and was completed on time and within budget.
PNGFM Haus Ples, as it is known, is designed to accommodate growth in the PNG market in both the broadcast and online markets.
Parkinson says they have invested in the very latest in audio visual equipment to allow PNGFM to maximise its potential as the biggest broadcaster in the Papua New Guinea market.
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