SBS: NO COMMENT ON ASIO PHONE TAP

Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) becomes shy!

SBS: NO COMMENT ON ASIO PHONE TAP

by Sasha Uzunov

Australia's public multicultural broadcaster, The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), has declined to comment on revelations that an SBS radio journalist was being monitored by Australia's Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) and that an SBS telephone may have been tapped.

TEAM UZUNOV broke the exclusive story on December 10, 2012.

Jessica Harris, official spokeswoman for SBS, and acting on behalf of SBS's Managing Director Micahel Ebeid, responded to questions from TEAM UZUNOV:

"As this is a matter which dates back some years we have no further comment to make and suggest any further enquiries are directed to ASIO."

SBS's reluctance to elaborate comes as a great surprise as its much vaunted News and Current Affairs department boasts of following stories intensely both here in Australia and abroad, and SBS documentaries regularly shout from the rooftops about being edgy and unafraid to discuss touchy subjects.

BACKGROUND

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December 10, 2012


ASIO MONITORED SBS JOURNALIST – BORIS TRAJKOV
By Sasha Uzunov

Australia’s domestic counter-intelligence service monitored a Melbourne SBS Radio journalist before and during his tenure at the multicultural public broadcaster because of his association to Yugoslav diplomats during the 1970s and 80s, newly de-classified files reveal.

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO) opened a file in 1971 on Mr Boris Trajkov who joined SBS Radio (then known as 3EA) in 1975 as a Macedonian language program newsreader and journalist until his departure in 2000 from SBS.

ASIO took an intense interest in Trajkov because of his association with Yugoslav diplomats, including Dr Georgi (George) Trajkovski, the Yugoslav Consul General in Melbourne from 1975-79.


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December 18, 2012


EX-SBS RADIO BOSS UNAWARE OF ASIO PHONE TAP
by Sasha Uzunov

Mr Peter Horton, the former Melbourne radio station manager of Australia's multicultural public broadcaster SBS, has told TEAM UZUNOV of his surprise that Australia's domestic counter-intelligence service was tapping SBS telephones.

"If I had known, I would have let the management in Sydney know about," he said. "I would ask why was ASIO tapping the phones? I don't think that SBS office receptionists or staff knew about it."

The Australian Security Intelligence Organisation (ASIO), according to newly de-classified files, monitored an SBS radio journalist and newsreader with the Macedonian language program, Mr Boris Trajkov, before and during his tenure at SBS (1975-2000). TEAM UZUNOV broke the story in a previous blog.


The 66 page file on Mr Trajkov has surveillance notes and transcripts of tapped (bugged) telephone conversations, including a 1983 phone call made by a member of the public, a listener, to what is believed to be the SBS Radio (3EA) Melbourne Croatian language program.

Because of the 30 year rule relating to the release of government documents, it is unknown if ASIO kept monitoring SBS telephones or if any other SBS staff member had their phone bugged.

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