The MP for Papua New Guinea's Manus Island Ronny Knight estimates 90 percent of his people will be impacted by the ABC chopping its shortwave service to the Pacific.
PNG MP Ronny Knight Photo: PNG Parliament website
The ABC ends shortwave to the region this afternoon with plans to beef up FM and services via the web.
Mr Knight said the local public broadcaster's FM service only covered a tenth of the province and people on remote islands and villages will now probably only get their news when they come into town.
He said it was a sad day for them.
"That's the only meaningful, one of the most meaningful things I should say, that the Australian government does give to the Pacific islands people and for it to close down will deprive a lot of people of current affairs and the news and the situation as day to day events unfold in and around the world and the Pacific region."
Mr Knight said expanded FM services would not be much use unless new equipment was provided and expanded online services won't work because the remote areas have no network coverage.
