PAKAM Overview

The PAKAM Radio Network provides a satellite-delivered regional service from the network hub in Broome, switching programme feeds brought by phone line and digital CODEC from fourteen member stations and sending them by lease line to the Optus C1 satellite uplink at Imparja Television in Alice Springs. This service enables the sharing of news, information, special broadcast events, music and stories by all the indigenous radio stations in the region and is retransmitted full time in over 20 remote communities, scattered over a million square kilometres, with a total population in excess of 7,000.

PAKAM radio programmes can also be picked up and retransmitted by other indigenous networks around the country – we supply 16 hours per week to the National Indigenous Radio Service (NIRS). The hugely popular “Mary Geddardyu Show” goes right across Australia through the NIRS and PAW radio networks every Wednesday night.

BRACS operators also make and broadcast their own television programmes in their own communities with digital cameras and iMovie computer edit facilities.

The BRACS Co-ordination unit in Broome has additional digital and SP Betacam cameras, non-linear editing and multiple dubbing facilities for production of higher quality broadcast television programmes and informational messages. Video programme compilations are dubbed and sent out regularly to BRACS communities for local broadcast. PAKAM also contributes region video programming to ICTV for wider distribution to other regions and inclusion in the Jukurrpa series on NITV.

PAKAM trainers deliver the Certificate III in Broadcasting (Remote Area Operations) course to remote community operators in conjunction with Goolarri Media, holding week long residential workshops in radio and television production in Broome and various communities around the region.

PAKAM produces Video content for local community broadcast and for wider distribution on Indigenous Community Television (ICTV)

About PAKAM

PAKAM is an association of Indigenous media producers and broadcasters in the Pilbara and Kimberley regions of Western Australia. We provide ongoing support to 12 Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Services (RIBS), and other community broadcast stations in the region, including 8 larger town-based community radio stations.

Our support includes training, licensing, local production and broadcast operations, distribution and marketing, new technologies, equipment purchase and installation, funding, technical repair and maintenance of production and community licensed services’ transmission equipment.

The PAKAM Radio Network provides a VAST satellite-delivered regional service (Channel 917) from the network hub in Broome. This service enables the sharing of news, information, special broadcast events, music and stories by all the indigenous radio stations in the region and is retransmitted full time in 18 remote communities, scattered over a million square kilometres, with an audience in excess of 5,000