
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's principal public service broadcaster. It was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. The ABC is a state-owned corporation that is funded by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board. Despite being government-owned and funded, the ABC remains editorially independent, with its charter enshrined in legislation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ownership | Owned by the Australian government |
| Funding | Funded by grants from the federal government |
| Administration | Administered by a government-appointed board |
| Independence | Editorially independent, with independence guaranteed by Parliament |
| Programming | Not directed by the government on programming matters |
| Accountability | Accountable to Parliament through annual reports, corporate plans, financial and performance audits, and appearances before Parliamentary Committees |
| Compliance | Complies with the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013 |
| Charter | Enshrined in the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a government-owned, public service broadcaster
- ABC is funded by the Australian government and is accountable to Parliament
- ABC was established in 1932 as the Australian Broadcasting Commission
- The ABC Board initially consisted of five commissioners, with two appointed to chairperson and vice-chairperson roles
- ABC is editorially independent, with programming free of political interference

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a government-owned, public service broadcaster
The ABC is Australia's principal public service broadcaster and is funded by grants from the federal government. It is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a state-owned corporation that is politically independent and accountable. For example, it is bound by provisions contained within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013. Its charter is enshrined in legislation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983.
The ABC's main role is to inform, educate and entertain all Australians. It reflects the diversity of interests in the Australian community through a range of distinctive programs of broad and specialist appeal. The Australian Government funds the ABC as part of the Budget each year. This funding covers normal operations and transmission costs, as well as capital works and special projects. The ABC is required to develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and lodge these with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The ABC has a wide range of operations, including radio, television, and online content delivery. It also has a media development unit, ABC International Development (ABCID), which is part of the Asia-Pacific media community. ABCID's role is to support better democratic governance by promoting public interest journalism and media that holds businesses, governments, and other institutions in the Asia-Pacific region to account.
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ABC is funded by the Australian government and is accountable to Parliament
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's principal public service broadcaster. It was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. The ABC is a state-owned corporation, funded by the Australian government and is accountable to Parliament. The funding comes in the form of grants and covers the normal operations and transmission costs, capital works, and special projects.
The ABC was initially financed by licence fees levied on households with broadcast receivers. However, due to Australia's small population and large area, these fees proved insufficient. In 1949, the Chifley government decided that the ABC would be directly funded by the taxpayer, with licence fees subsumed into general revenue.
The ABC is administered by a government-appointed board, and while it is state-owned, it maintains editorial independence. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 changed the organisation's name to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, effective 1 July 1983. The ABC has statutory powers that reinforce its independence from the government, and it is politically independent and accountable. For example, it produces annual reports and is bound by provisions contained within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
The ABC's main role is to inform, educate, and entertain all Australians, reflecting the diversity of interests in the Australian community through a range of distinctive programs of broad and specialist appeal. It is required to develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and lodge these with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ABC is accountable to Parliament through annual reports, corporate plans, financial and performance audits, and appearances before Parliamentary Committees.
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ABC was established in 1932 as the Australian Broadcasting Commission
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's principal public service broadcaster. It was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. The Australian Broadcasting Commission Act 1932 was passed to address the political unpopularity of allowing the Postmaster-General to run the National Broadcasting Service. The ABC effectively replaced the Australian Broadcasting Company, a private company established in 1924 to provide programming for A-class radio stations.
The ABC's original twelve radio stations formed the basis for the present-day ABC Local Radio and Radio National networks. The commission was initially headed by five commissioners appointed by the Governor-General. One of these commissioners was appointed chairperson, another vice-chairperson, and a board of directors was appointed to choose a General Manager.
The ABC was modelled after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is funded by a television licence. The ABC was originally financed by licence fees on households with broadcast receivers. However, due to Australia's small population and large area, these fees soon proved insufficient. In 1949, the Chifley government decided that the ABC would be directly funded by the taxpayer, with licence fees subsumed into general revenue.
The ABC's role is to inform, educate and entertain all Australians. It reflects the diversity of interests in the Australian community through a range of distinctive programs of broad and specialist appeal. The ABC is funded by the Australian Government as part of the Budget each year. This funding covers normal operations and transmission costs, as well as capital works and special projects. The ABC is required to develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and lodge these with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).
The ABC is politically independent and accountable. It is bound by provisions contained within the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013, with its charter enshrined in legislation. ABC Commercial, a profit-making division of the corporation, also helps to generate funding for content provision.
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The ABC Board initially consisted of five commissioners, with two appointed to chairperson and vice-chairperson roles
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is Australia's principal public service broadcaster. It was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. The ABC Board initially consisted of five commissioners, with one appointed to the chairperson role and another to the vice-chairperson role. These commissioners were appointed by the Governor-General. The chairperson and vice-chairperson, in turn, appointed a General Manager who did not hold the office of commissioner.
One of the ABC Board's most prominent members was Dick Boyer, who was appointed in 1940 and became chairman on 1 April 1945. He is known for the continuing series of Boyer Lectures, which he initiated in 1959. He had a good working relationship with Sir Charles Moses, the general manager from 1935 to 1965, and remained chair until his retirement.
The ABC was modelled after the British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC), which is funded by a television licence. Similarly, the ABC was initially financed by licence fees on households with broadcast receivers. However, due to Australia's vast geography and relatively small population, licence fees proved insufficient. In 1947, a proposal to increase the fee for a broadcast listener's licence from £1 to £1/5/ was rejected. As a result, in 1949, the Chifley government decided that the ABC would be directly funded by the taxpayer, with licence fees subsumed into general revenue.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 changed the organisation's name to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, effective 1 July 1983. The ABC remains funded and owned by the government, but it is editorially independent. The ABC's main role is to inform, educate, and entertain all Australians, reflecting the diversity of interests in the Australian community through a range of distinctive programs. While the Australian Government funds the ABC as part of the Budget each year, it does not direct the ABC on programming matters. Parliament has guaranteed the ABC's independence, ensuring its broadcasts are free from political interference.
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ABC is editorially independent, with programming free of political interference
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the country's principal public service broadcaster. It was established as the Australian Broadcasting Commission on 1 July 1932 by an Act of Federal Parliament. The ABC is a state-owned corporation that is funded by grants from the federal government and is administered by a government-appointed board.
Despite being funded and owned by the government, the ABC is politically independent and accountable. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 enshrined the ABC's charter into legislation, guaranteeing its independence. The ABC is bound by the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
The ABC's main role is to inform, educate, and entertain all Australians, reflecting the diversity of interests in the Australian community. It is required to develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and lodge these codes with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). The ABC is editorially independent, with programming free of political interference. The Australian government does not direct the ABC on programming matters.
The ABC has statutory powers that reinforce its independence from the government and enhance its news-gathering role. Over the years, the ABC has expanded its operations to include radio, television, and online divisions, with a presence in the Asia-Pacific region. The ABC's international development unit, ABCID, promotes public interest journalism and media that holds institutions to account.
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Frequently asked questions
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a state-owned corporation funded by the Australian government.
The ABC is funded by grants from the federal government. It also generates revenue from its profit-making division, ABC Commercial.
Yes, the ABC is politically independent and accountable. It is bound by the provisions of the Public Interest Disclosure Act 2013 and the Public Governance, Performance and Accountability Act 2013.
The ABC is required to develop codes of practice relating to programming matters and lodge these codes with the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). It is also accountable to the Parliament through annual reports, corporate plans, financial and performance audits, and appearances before Parliamentary Committees.
The ABC's main role is to inform, educate and entertain all Australians. It reflects the diversity of interests in the Australian community through a range of distinctive programs.



































