Weekly news programme ‘The Pacific’ is returning to ABC Australia, with hosts Johnson Raela and Alice Lolohea connecting audiences with the latest in news, politics, sports, culture and entertainment in the Pacific.

‘The Pacific’ delivers extensive on-the-ground coverage from a trusted network of reporters: Marian Kupu in Tonga, Lice Movono in Fiji, Chrisnrita Aumanu-Leong in Solomon Islands, Belinda Kora in Papua New Guinea, Adel Fruean in Samoa, Vonia Vieira in Timor-Leste and stories from Vanuatu filed from the newsroom of partner Vanuatu Broadcasting and Television Corporation (VBTC).

Raela said: “In the short time the show has been on air it’s heartening seeing the positive responses from audiences across the Pacific. This reassures us that we are on the right track, but also motivates us to keep pushing boundaries in our content making and storytelling for our audience and you will see that this year.”

Lolohea said: “Our talented team of regional correspondents add the extra spark to our show. We visited some of them recently in Solomon Islands, Samoa and Tonga to gather content for this year and we look forward to telling more diverse stories from all parts of our great Blue Pacific continent.”

ABC Head International Claire M. Gorman added: “We’re thrilled to have ‘The Pacific’ returning for 2024. The team has continued to produce a high-calibre programme that is committed to delivering trusted reporting of Pacific-focused stories from the region to audiences across the Pacific and Australia.”

‘The Pacific’ is an ABC flagship programme under the expansion of the ABC’s international services in the Asia-Pacific region following funding from the Australian Federal Government.

(Source: ABC)