PAPE'ETE (Radio Heritage / Radio New Zealand International / Pacific Media Watch): Many DXers only think of radio in Tahiti (French Polynesia) as being the public radio station Polynesie La Premiere at 738 AM or have memories of listening to the long gone shortwave outlets of the same station in previous names such as Radio Tahiti, FR3 or ORTF, reports Radio Heritage.
In fact, the World Radio TV Handbook 2014 says there are more than 30 radio stations now broadcasting from Tahiti.
However, the days of Radio Tahiti, Polynesie La Premiere, FR3 or ORTF being the only stations to listen to are over, reports Radio Heritage.
"A new radio survey shows local listening habits as clearly favoring private commercial radio (48.8 percent market share) and private non-commercial radio (37 percent) over public radio (11.5 percent market share) with popular stations including Radio Te Reo O Tefana, Polynesie La Premiere, Taui FM and La Voix de l'Esperance", said Radio Heritage.
Yet more new stations would come on the air in Tahiti, Moorea and other islands, the report said.
Meanwhile, making the news in Tahiti is the French Polynesian President, Gaston Flosse, who could face a two-year prison sentence for alleged corruption.
Radio New Zealand International reported today that a verdict is expected in the trial in September, in which Flosse and five others are accused of paying inflated prices for the Anuanuraro atoll, which they bought 12 years ago with public funds.
Flosse also faces a US$110 000 fine, but has said he bought the atoll to build up a land reserve for his country.
"Flosse, who is the politician within the French system with the largest number of convictions, has been sentenced to prison in several corruption cases, some of them for crimes dating back more than 20 years. However, the veteran politician has appeals pending and remains free until any of the sentences is confirmed," RNZI reported.
Flosse also used to have his own paramilitary force, which has been implicated in the killing of journalist, Jean-Pascal Couraud, who vanished in 1997. Couraud was the editor of Les Nouvelles de Tahiti, French Polynesia's oldest daily and was fired in 1988 for being too critical of the President Flosse.
Two members of the now disbanded paramilitary are on trial for Couraud's murder.
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Pacific Media Watch
