Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Logo used since 2018 | |
ABC headquarters in Ultimo | |
| Formerly | Australian Broadcasting Commission (1932–1983) |
|---|---|
| Company type | Statutory corporation |
| Industry | Mass media |
| Predecessors | Australian Broadcasting Company |
| Founded | 1 July 1932 |
| Founder | Lyons government |
| Headquarters | 700 Harris St, Ultimo, New South Wales, Australia |
Area served | Australia and worldwide |
Key people |
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| Products |
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| Services |
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| $100.363 million (2024) | |
| –$2.205 million (2024) | |
| Total assets | $1.953 billion (2024) |
| Total equity | $1.169 billion (2024) |
| Owner | Australian Government |
Number of employees | 4,682 (2024) |
| Divisions | |
| Website | www |
| Footnotes / references Annual Report 2024 | |
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's principal public service broadcaster. It operates across television, radio and the web to provide news and current affairs, emergency information, and original entertainment and factual programming to regional and metropolitan Australia. The ABC is funded by taxpayers and receives grants from the federal government, though it also generates its own funding via ABC Commercial. It is a publicly-owned statutory organisation with a government-appointed board of directors, and has a remit to be politically independent and accountable.
The ABC was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. It effectively replaced the Australian Broadcasting Company, a private company established in 1924 to provide programming for A-class radio stations. The ABC was given statutory powers that reinforced its independence from the government and enhanced its news-gathering role. It was originally financed by a license fee from households with a broadcast receiver, but the Chifley government saw this as insufficient due to Australia's small population and vast area to service, and decided in 1949 the ABC would be publicly-funded. The Commission was renamed to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation in 1983.
Its news division, ABC News, provides factual programming to its television, radio and online platforms. ABC Television operates five free-to-air channels, including ABC TV and ABC Entertains, while ABC Australia broadcasts to the Asia-Pacific. It has an expansive radio presence, with ABC Local Radio operating 45 regional and eight metropolitan stations, along with its four national networks, Radio National, ABC Classic, ABC NewsRadio and Triple J. It also provides the free streaming services ABC iview and ABC listen.
The postal address of the ABC in every Australian capital city is PO Box 9994, as a tribute to the record-breaking Test batting average of Australian cricketer Sir Donald Bradman.