ABC and SBS radio

The bulk of Australia's population is able to access Government funded national broadcasting radio services provided by the ABC and SBS.

The ABC and SBS national radio networks are also available from the satellite for:

• self-help retransmission by a local Council or community group; or
• direct-to-home reception.

These transmission arrangements make their networks potentially accessible by 100 per cent of the population.

ABC radio

As at 30 June 2007, the ABC had established:

• four national radio networks comprising Radio National, Classic FM, Triple J and ABC NewsRadio.
• an Australia-wide reach of Local Radio through nine metropolitan radio stations in capital cities and Newcastle, and 51 regional radio stations throughout Australia.
• Radio Australia, an international radio service broadcasting by shortwave and digital satellite to Asia and the Pacific

ABC radio services

Radio National presents in-depth information and analysis of international and national issues and specialist fields, as well as performance and music. Its diverse programming explores the capabilities of the radio medium in a wide range of forms, including features, documentaries, panel discussions, performance and music.

Classic FM is a national stereo FM network devoted to classical music, jazz, drama and acoustic art and is a major cultural force in Australia.

Triple J is the ABC's national youth radio network, broadcast on stereo FM. Its programming highlights new, innovative and adventurous music, with a strong commitment to Australian music, as well as news information and entertainment for young Australians.

NewsRadio is Australia's only continuous news and current affairs radio service. Its comprehensive and innovative programming is based on immediacy, accuracy, impartiality and reliability. It is broadcast on the Parliamentary and News Network when Federal Parliament is not sitting.

Local Radio serves the needs of individual local communities through the production of local news and weather reports—of particular importance during local emergencies—together with an entertainment mix including sport, music and regional or rural issues.

Penetration rates: As of 30 June 2001, the ABC estimated that its 632 Government-funded national radio services had achieved the following penetration rates:

• 99.40% of the Australian population had terrestrial access to Local Radio
• 98.66% of the Australian population had terrestrial access to Radio National
• 95.92% of the Australian population had terrestrial access to Classic FM
• 95.43% of the Australian population had terrestrial access to Triple J and
• 80.34% of the Australian population had terrestrial access to NewsRadio.

Radio Australia

Radio Australia is an international service broadcast by shortwave, online, satellite and local rebroadcasts to the Asia-Pacific region in six local languages—Indonesian, Tok Pisin (Pidgin), Chinese, Vietnamese and Khmer (Cambodian) and French—as well as English. Aside from news and current affairs, English lessons, sport and music from Australia, Radio Australia's programs cover the events and issues of the region with a particular emphasis on key areas of interest such as health, the environment, science and technology, agriculture and education.

SBS radio

SBS Radio is the world's most linguistically diverse radio network, broadcasting a total of 650 hours each week in 68 languages. Programs are based on language not nationality—i.e. the same Arabic and Spanish programs are listened to by people from many different countries and cultures.

The amount of program time devoted to each language group is guided by the size of the community, its needs (for example language proficiency, age, employment, etc) and its geographic distribution within Australia. Programming content comprises homeland, international, local and community news as well as current affairs, arts, culture, sport and music.

Residents of all Australian state and territory capital cities, Canberra, Newcastle and Wollongong have terrestrial based access to SBS radio via 13 Government-funded services.

Self-help retransmission arrangements

In addition to the reach of the Government-funded services outlined above, there is a tradition of smaller or more isolated Australian communities funding the provision of broadcasting services that would not otherwise be provided.

Self-help services significantly add to the reach of national broadcasting radio networks. As at 30 June 2006, there were 304 ABC radio and 4 SBS Radio self-help services supplementing the reach of Government-funded services across Australia.
 

• Document ID: 8697 |
• Last modified: 6 February 2008, 2:16pm