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ABC Television Network


Australian Broadcasting Corporation - ABC Television

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Countdown ABC Good Game Andrew Denton ABC Sunday Arts

Quentin Dempster ABC Australian Story ABC Island ABC NOW

Millionaires Mission

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ABC official website

 

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's national public broadcaster, known previously as the Australian Broadcasting Commission. With a budget of AUD$823 million, the corporation provides television, radio and online services throughout metropolitan and regional Australia, as well as overseas through the Australia Network and Radio Australia. Through its commercial arm, ABC Commercial, the corporation runs a chain of retail outlets, selling books, audio and video recordings, and other merchandise related to its programs.

Founded in 1929 as the Australian Broadcasting Company, it was subsequently nationalised and made a state-owned corporation on July 1, 1932, becoming the Australian Broadcasting Commission. Following this, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 changed the name of the organisation to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation effective July 1, 1983. The corporation produces programmes and information services, broadcasting nationally on television, radio, and the Internet. The ABC is often referred to informally as "Aunty", the origin of this name derives directly from a nickname of the ABC's cousin, the BBC.

2000s

In 2001, digital television commenced after four years of preparation. In readiness, the ABC had fully digitised its production, post-production and transmission facilities - heralded at the time as 'the greatest advance in television technology since the introduction of colour'. The first programs to be produced in widescreen were drama series Something in the Air, Grass Roots and In the Mind of the Architect.

At the same time, the ABC's Multimedia division was renamed 'ABC New Media', becoming an output division of the ABC alongside Television and Radio. Legislation allowed the ABC to provide 'multichannels' - additional, digital-only, television services managed by the New Media division. Soon after the introduction of digial television in 2001, Fly TV and the ABC Kids Channel launched, showing a mix of programming aimed at teenagers and children.

In 2002, the ABC launched ABC Asia Pacific - the replacement for the defunct Australia Television channel operated previously by the Seven Network. Much like its predecessor, and companion radio network Radio Australia, the service provided a mix of programming targeted at audiences throughout the Asia-Pacific region. Funding cuts in 2003 led to the closure of Fly and the ABC Kid's Channel.

ABC2, a second attempt at a digital-only television channel, launched on March 7, 2005. Unlike its predecessors the new service was not dependent on government funding, instead running on a budget of AUD$3 million per year. Minister for Communications Helen Coonan inaugurated the channel at Parliament House three days later. Genre restrictions limiting the types of programming the channel could carry were lifted in October, 2006 - ABC2 was henceforth able to carry programming classified as comedy, drama, national news, sport and entertainment.

A high incidence of breast cancer in female staff working at the ABC's offices in Brisbane led to the closure of the site, based in Toowong, on December 21, 2006. Sixteen women were diagnosed with the disease in a period spanning 1994 to 2007. A progress report released in March, 2007, by an independent panel formed to investigate the occurrences found that the rate of occurrence for breast cancer rate at the offices was eleven times higher than elsewhere - since the closure of the site, the ABC's Brisbane-based television and radio operations were moved to alternate locations around the city, inclued Ten Brisbane's studios at Mt Coot-tha. The ABC's Managing Director, Mark Scott, announced in August, 2007 that new studios would be built on the site, following the final release of the Review and Scientific Investigation Panel's report.

At midday on February 8, 2008, ABC TV was rebranded as ABC1, complementing the existing ABC2 digital-only channel which was launched on March 7, 2008 (Credit: Wikipedia).

 

 

The ABC Charter

The functions of the ABC are:

To provide within Australian innovative and comprehensive broadcasting services of a high standard as part of the Australian broadcasting system consisting of national. Commercial and community sectors and, without limiting the generality of the foregoing, to provide:

broadcasting programs that contribute to a sense of national identity and inform and entertain, and reflect the cultural diversity of, the Australian community; and

broadcasting programs of an educational nature.

To transmit to countries outside Australia broadcasting programs of news, current affairs, entertainment and cultural enrichment that will:

encourage awareness of Australia and an international understanding of Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

enable Australian citizens living or traveling outside Australia to obtain information about Australian affairs and Australian attitudes on world affairs; and

To encourage and promote the musical, dramatic and other performing arts in Australia.

In the provision by the corporation of its broadcasting services within Australia, the corporation shall take account of:

The broadcasting services provided by the commercial and community sectors of the Australian broadcasting system;

The standards from time to time determined by the Australian Broadcasting Authority in respect of broadcasting services;

The responsibility of the corporation as the provider of an independent national broadcasting service to provide a balance between broadcasting programs of wide appeal and specialized broadcasting programs;

The multicultural character of the Australian community; and

In connection with the provision of broadcasting programs of and educational nature - the responsibilities of the States in relation to education.

The corporation shall take all such measures, being measured consistent with the obligations of the corporation under paragraph (a), as, in the opinion of the Board, will be conducive to the full development by the corporation of suitable broadcasting programs.

The ABC's obligation to the Australian people as set down by Federal Parliament in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ACT 1983.

Change is in the air: (the below is no longer the case)

ABC Television provides a national analogue service, which reflects the diversity of interests and perspectives in the community nationally, through a wide range of distinctive programs of broad and specialist appeal. ABC Television commissions, produces, purchases and schedules all general programs as well as local and regional services and news and current affairs programs. It has production and transmission centres in all States and Territories.

The ABC also provides digital television services. It currently offers its viewers a choice of two different program streams. While one program stream features the same content as its analogue service, the second stream offers access to one of two digital exclusive channels, ABC Kids, and Fly. (as of mid 2003, not any more. ABC digital FLY and Behind The News have been given the chop!

ABC Kids goes to air from 6am to 6pm. Fly is a youth channel broadcasting from 6pm to 6am. ABC Kids, the first of the national broadcaster's digital multichannels commenced transmission on 1 August 2001. ABC Kids was the first wholly Australian owned children's television network and both it and Fly run a mix of Australian and overseas programming. Fly is unique given its philosophy to create television for young people made by young people.

...end.

*For up-to-date information on ABC go to their official corporate website at: www.abc.net.au/corp

ABC content on Media Man Australia

Personality Profiles

Andrew Denton

Phillip Adams

Quentin Dempster

Jake Lloyd-Jones


Interviews, by Greg Tingle

Peter Clancy, National OH&S Advisor - 10th March 2003

Phillip Adams (audio), Radio National, Late Night Live, Broadcaster - 3rd April 2003

Tim Richie, Radio National, Sound Quality, Producer & Broadcaster - 15th May 2003

Quentin Dempster, Stateline, Presenter, Friend of the ABC & Author of Death Struggle - 28th September 2003

*Media Man Australia has been interviewed on ABC Radio and television a number of times, in addition to successful media pitches

Article

Andrew Denton: Aussie talk show king

ABC cameraman Australia's first casualty in Iraq, by Greg Tingle - 23rd March 2003

 

Profiles

Countdown

The New Inventors

ABC Good Game

ABC Sunday Arts

ABC Australian Story

ABC Island

ABC NOW

ABC Radio, Adelaide

ABC Resources

 

Website Review

ABC: Capturing the web for everyman, by Greg Tingle

 

Press Release

ABC Friends Hold Forum To Support Embattled Broadcaster - 28th September 2003

ABC Grandstand

 

*For up-to-date information on ABC go to their official corporate website at:

www.abc.net.au/corp

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ABC Shop official website

Media Man Australia does not represent the Australian Broadcasting Corporation