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The ABC or Australian Broadcasting Corporation is the national, public broadcaster in Australia. It is government-funded and provides radio, television and online services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia and overseas via Radio Australia.There is also a chain of ABC Shops selling books, audio and video recordings related to ABC programming.
1 Governance and history
The ABC commenced operation in 1932 as a collection of 12 radio stations operating as the Australian Broadcasting Commission, but changed its name to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1983 with the passage of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 (ABC Act).
The ABC is run by a government-appointed board, but programming and editorial decisions are made at arm's length from the government of the day. The political bias of the ABC's news and current affairs coverage is endlessly debated. Conservatives claim that the ABC tends towards the political left wing, but the opposite view is seldom raised from those towards the left of the political spectrum.
Unlike the BBC in Britain, the ABC has been funded through a government grant-in-aid, since licence fees were abolished in 1974. In recent years there has been turmoil on the administrative front, with conflict between Boards of Directors and successive Federal governments, most recently the Howard Government. Despite government funding, the ABC is largely independent.
It has influenced many aspects of the national culture:
- The ABC is a legendary radio presenter of sport at all levels. Television was introduced to Australia in 1956, in time to cover the 1956 Melbourne Olympic Games . The ABC had exclusive Australian television and radio broadcasting rights to the Games. (A commercial TV station, TCN-9 Sydney, hosted the first Australian TV broadcast, on 16 September 1956, introduced by Bruce Gyngell .)
- The ABC has been a leader in presenting music in all its forms, studio-recorded and live: including classical, popular, jazz, world music, electronic, minimalist and folk through state symphony orchestras, live concerts, FM radio ( ABC Classic FM , Triple J), AM ( Radio NationalABC Radio National is an Australia-wide radio network with many various programs, involving news and current affairs, arts, music, society, science, drama, comedy. Some programs are mirrored on Radio Australia, Australia's shortwave service. Radio Nationa), in programs such as CountdownCountdown was a long-running popular weekly Australian music television show broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, in the 1970s and 1980s and hosted by Ian "Molly" Meldrum. Countdown commenced broadcasting in late 1974. Countdown gained a, RageRage is an all-night Australian music video program that has been broadcast on ABC TV on Friday and Saturday nights. It was first screened in April 1987. It starts anywhere between 11pm and 1am and finishes between 9am to 12pm. On Friday it plays new and, JazzTrack , Lonely Planet, Singers of Renown; TV-FM simulcasts, and generally involvement and sponsorship of live instrumental and vocal music-making.
2 Television
The ABC operates a single nationwide TV channel, ABC TV, sometimes known as Channel 2, on account of the frequency on which it operates in the state capitals.
- ABN-2 Sydney, New South WalesNew South Wales NSW is Australia's most populous and oldest state, located in the southeast, north of Victoria. It was founded in 1788 and originally comprised much of the Australian mainland. During the 19th century large areas were successively separate
- ABD-6 Darwin, Northern TerritoryNorthern Territory Territory flag ( In detail) Coat of Arms ( In detail) Capital Darwin Administrator Ted Egan Chief Minister Clare Martin Area — Land — Marine — Total 1 349 129 km˛ 71 839 km˛ 1 420 968 km˛ Population (2002) Density 197 700 0. 15/km˛ Time (known as ABC Northern)
- ABQ-2 BrisbaneThis article is about the Australian city. For other uses of Brisbane, see Brisbane (disambiguation). Brisbane is the capital city of the state of Queensland, Australia. The city's name is pronounced "BRIZ-buhn" ( SAMPA: ["brIzb@n], IPA: [bzbn]). The City, Queensland
- ABS-2 Adelaide, South Australia (known as ABC Southern)
- ABT-2 Hobart, Tasmania
- ABV-2 Melbourne, Victoria
- ABW-2 Perth, Western Australia (known as ABC Western)
- ABC-9 Canberra, Australian Capital Territory
The ABC broadcasts a wide range of content, to match the broad social makeup of Australia. On ABC Television, this ranges from British comedies such as The League of Gentlemen and Absolutely Fabulous to children's programs such as Sesame Street and its own Play School. Bananas in Pyjamas is an ABC production, now seen and enjoyed by children worldwide dubbed into their own language.
It produces specialist programs for rural viewers (such as ' Landline'), a large range of high quality current affairs programmes (notably Lateline, The 7.30 Report and Four Corners), whose number of foreign reporters is unmatched by other Australian networks. It also produces Australian drama and comedy. Recent notables have included the ratings hit Kath and Kim and Grassroots , joining the crypt of Australian TV treasures: Frontline, The Games and Mother and Son. It has also begun producing a foreign affairs program called " Hemispheres", co-produced with the CBC of Canada, and presented from both Sydney and Vancouver.
