Australia Broadcasting Comporation report - Essay Example

?Table of Contents Sl. No. Page No Introduction 2 2 Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 2 3 ABC- A History 3 4 Roles of Australian Broadcasting Corporation 4 4.1 ABC Radio 4 4.2 ABC Television 5 4.3 ABC Online 6 5 ABC at National Level 7 6 ABC at International Level 8 7 ABC- Role in Mass Communication 9 7.1 Radio 9 7.2 Television 10 7.3 Online- Network Service 10 8 The Effective Means of Mass Communication 10 9 Conclusion and Recommendation 11 Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) 1. Introduction: Communication is one of the major tools in the modern world, for all business firms as well as other organizations. At present there are many ways by which the process of communication is undertaken. The means of communication can be a two way like telephone or one way like news papers. Mass communication is a significant element of the communication process in any society. The process of mass communication occurs in many ways and it is essential for creating awareness about the social, political, economical as well as various other factors occurring both within the nation and outside of its borders. Starting from news papers to the modern online network of mass communication encompasses a wide variety of means to ensure the seamless flow of communication. The mass media at present has evolved developed enormously from the earlier stages. The accuracy and speed of communication through various media have remarkably advanced. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is a key player in the field of mass communication, and the national broadcaster of Australia they have a long, successful presence of eighty years in this field. 2. Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC): Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), informally known as ‘Aunty,’ is a publicly owned national broadcaster of Australia. ABC has been providing various communication services to the country since last eighty years. It started its journey with radio service at national level and has enlarged its broadcasting service to global level with ABC online services. ABC provides radio, television, mobile and online services to national as well as global customers. The services of ABC are available in all regions of the country and they have played major role in various emergency and important situations. ABC also performs a variety of other functions. “The ABC also operates network of retailing outlets (24 shops and 119 ABC centres) known as ABC enterprises. Operations include the production of books, classical and contemporary recordings, audio cassettes, videos, multimedia and licensed products, and music and magazine publishing” (2000 Year Book Australia No. 82 2000, p. 349). This paper discusses the history of ABC in the following segments. The services provided by ABC- radio, television and online are analyzed separately. The national and global coverage of the ABC services are also examined and the most effective means of communication service provided by ABC is identified. 3. ABC - A History: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, formerly known as Australian Broadcasting Company, was established by the government of Australia on 1st July 1932 to run the National Broadcasting Services as the Postmaster General’s Department failed to do the operation. The first broadcasting service of Australian Broadcasting Company was Radio service and ABC had 12 radio stations in major cities of the country at its beginning. Inspired from BBC, the working of ABC was done accordingly. The period of World War II (WW- II) and the period following it, were crucial in the history of Australian Broadcasting Company. During WW- II, considering the importance of communication and providing information to the people, the Australian Broadcasting Act was passed in 1942. This gave the company the power to make decisions to broadcast political speeches without external interferences. In 1948, ABC was given complete government appropriation through amendments made in the Broadcasting Act. The next major mile stone of Australian Broadcasting Company was the ABC television which was commenced on 5th November 1956. “Television broadcasting started in Australia in September 1956 - although it took about ten years for TV to reach all areas of Australia. Each regional center had at least one commercial station and one national station (run by the ABC) per market” (Mishkind 2000). The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act was passed in 1983, which changed the name of Australian Broadcasting Company and it came to be known as Australian Broadcasting Corporation from 1st July 1983. During 1990s ABC stepped into the international broadcasting area and subsequently the digital world with online network. 4. Roles of Australian Broadcasting Corporation 4.1. ABC Radio: ABC radio started its functioning with the establishment of Australian Broadcasting Company in 1932. Initially, ABC radio had 12 stations in the capital cities of the country. In the initial stages, ABC Radio broadcasting was for 11 hours a day and the main programs included live music, sports news and other informative programs. Within seven years the ABC increased its broadcasting hours to 16 and the number was also enhanced to 26 stations around the country. In the late 1930s ABC started ABC News Service, which played a crucial role during WW- II. The live coverage of the post war conditions was done by ABC radios which were instrumentally in apprising the general public, of the situation prevalent on war affected regions. This contributed significantly to the popularity of ABC. By 1935, ABC School broadcast was started and by 1953 80% of the schools utilized the service. In 1945 ABC began its first broadcast in the regional areas with the ‘Country Hour’. In 1950, Radio Australia was returned to the control of ABC and was made available 24 hours in 9 languages within and outside of Australia. The company grew in a steadfast manner and, subsequently, “ABC radio also underwent massive changes. In September 1974, ABC to announced 14 new AM and 14 FM Stations. By 1974, two new AM stations had begun, dedicated to new forms of programming. 2JJ in Sydney started in 1974 and was a new style of radio in Australia, playing rock music, interspersed with comedy and chat about the rock scene, 24 hours a day” (History of ABC Radio 1932). By the end of the 1980s, ABC had 92 AM radio stations and an FM service in five major cities. ABC radio had done a special broadcast in 1988 in the Fiji coup and in 1989 of the Tiananmen Square crisis in China. “In August 2008, ABC radio continued the unbroken tradition of Olympic Games radio coverage begun in 1936, with over 170 hours of the Beijing Olympic Games broadcast on ABC Local Radio around Australia, with the exception of 702 ABC Sydney where Rights were not available” (ABC Divisions: Radio 2009). Presently ABC radio has seven subsidiaries: ABC Local Radio, ABC Classic FM, ABC Radio National, ABC Radio Australia, ABC News Radio, ABC Triple J and ABC Radio Grandstand. ABC Local Radio stations have the function of broadcasting within the country and presently there are 60 such local radio stations. ABC Classic FM, established in 1976, is a classical music radio station providing service all over the country as well as globally through online network. ABC Radio National is a non commercial radio networks. ABC Radio Australia is the international undertaking of ABC, which provides services internationally through online. ABC News Radio, started in August 1994, is a radio service devoted for news. ABC Triple J, which commenced broadcast in 1974, is a radio service that targeted youth between 18 and 30. ABC Radio Grandstand was set up for live sports commentary. Other than these, there are three ‘digital only’ radio channels: ABC Dig Music, ABC Jazz and ABC Country. 4.2. ABC Television: ABC Television was launched after the passing of Federal Television Act, on 5th November, 1956 in Sydney and Melbourne. It is the only national commercial-free public television broadcaster of the country. ABC “launched its first TV station, ABN-2 Sydney, on 5 November 1956. ABV-2 Melbourne followed on 18 November 1956, just in time for the 1956 Olympic Games. In 1959, expansion continued with the launch of ABQ-2 Brisbane, and in 1960 with ABT-2 Hobart, ABS-2 Adelaide and ABW-2 Perth. ABC-3 Canberra (now ABC-9) followed in 1962. Darwin was the last capital city to receive ABC, with ABD-6 launching in 1971” (Australian Broadcasting Corporation 2005). On 1 March 1975, ABC television began colour broadcasting in colour. The year 1980 saw the company achieve another milestone in terms of transmission via international Intelsat satellites, enabling access to the station in remote and outback areas in Australia not covered earlier by normal terrestrial television. Yet again, in 1986, this switched to the new domestic satellite AUSSAT. ABC commenced digital transmission in 2001 and new digital channels were launched in 2002. The ABC TV telecasts a variety of programs related to various fields like sports, politics, entertainment, comics etc. ABC television network has eight stations within the country and operates four channels: ABC 1, ABC 2, ABC 3 and ABC News 24. ABC 1 is the original channel formed at the beginning, which was renamed in 2008. ABC 2, the digital channel of ABC was launched in 2005 and telecast its program in two parts- ABC 4 kids during 6 am to 7 pm and other shows during 7 pm to 2 am. ABC 3 became a full fledged channel in 2009 and telecast program targeting young audience. ABC News 24 is a 24 hour news channel. 4.3. ABC Online: Australian Broadcasting Corporation entered the digital world during 1990s. The online history of ABC is not so old but has a strong hold in the communication sector. “The ABC lead the way into the digital age with its hugely successful ABC Online presence, and various innovations such as streaming, broadband programs, digital radio and broadcasting” (Australian Broadcasting Corporation History 2005). ABC online was launched on 14 August 1995 and in 1996 ABC done its first election coverage by providing election results online. This considerable enhanced its image in public.The ABC News Radio site was launched in the year 1996 and in 1998 ABC News was launched online. Broadband services was commenced by ABC online in 2001 and in 2002 ABC’s first internet radio station- Dig Radio was launched. Online health site of ABC- Health Matters- started functioning in the year 2002 which included health news and features. Net Classics, an internet based music request program commenced in 2005 but it was ceased in 2006. ABC launched Video on Demand site in 2006 and in 2007 an interactive documentary portal- A Place to Think- was launched. ABC online provides services of all kinds to national as well as international audience. The digital world of ABC is mainly constituted of ABC online. ABC online provides media services of the corporation as well as other services like ABC shop, ABC commercial etc. ABC online mainly consists of three segments: ABC News, ABC Radio and ABC TV. ABC Radio online provides all channels to the national audience. The four channels of ABC TV is available on ABC online and it covers news both national and international levels. ABC also provides its services through Face Book, Twitter and other online social network sources. 5. ABC at National Level: Since the establishment of Australian Broadcasting Company in 1932, ABC has become the national broadcaster of Australia. Every undertaking of ABC has been started at national level. ABC Radio has been launched with 12 stations in the capital cities of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Perth, Adelaide, Hobart, Newcastle, Corowa, Rockhampton, Crystal Brook. The local radio channels of ABC in the country i.e. ABC Local Radio has 60 stations around the country. ABC Television, commenced in 1956, also plays a key role at the national level. It provides four channels at national level. The ABC TV provides the people of Australia with all types of entertainment and knowledge oriented programs. ABC television has eight stations within the country and their channels have great appeal among every category of national audience- children and old, male and female etc. ABC Radio and ABC Television have as history of accurate reporting of national and international events and happenings on time. ABC has, thus, played a major role in strengthening the national integrity. Besides, it has shouldered its part in making people of Australia aware about the national as well as international environments. In the phase of globalization, ABC has been successful in making its own place. 6. ABC at International Level The Australian Broadcasting Corporation has been integrating with the global economy since its inception. During WW- II ABC reported the situations and conditions of the world through ABC Radio. The ABC Radio started its first global office in 1956 in London, New York and Port Moresby. Presently ABC operates in Singapore, Moscow, Hong Kong, Johannesburg, Berlin, Beijing, Amman, Nicosia and Brussels. “The ABC's International Relations department facilitates interaction between the ABC and public broadcasters and broadcasting associations around the world” (International Projects n.d.). In 1950, after ABC regained the control of Radio Australia, aiming at the South East Asia, it ran a general short wave service based at Melbourne. Radio Australia presently broadcasts in 9 languages including English, French, Thai, Indonesian, and Mandarin in over 17 countries which includes Singapore, Malaysia, Hong Kong, Fiji and New Caledonia. ABC operates with the Australia Network, which is an international satellite television service that connects ABC to the global economy. ABC Television has started its telecast in other countries with the help of satellite. “Australia television, an international satellite television service broadcasting to over 30 countries and territories in Asia and the Pacific” (Year Book Australia, Volume 84 1998, p. 391). ABC online has increased ABC’s role in the global economy. ABC online, which provides ABC News, ABC Radio and ABC TV to the global economy, has increased the overall global participation of ABC. This participation has led to a close relation of the country with the rest of the world. 7. ABC- Role in Mass Communication: The term mass communication projects a relationship between the communicator and audience. “Mass communication is often used loosely to refer to the distribution of entertainment, arts, information, and messages by television, radio, newspapers, magazines, movies, recorded music, and associated media” (Mass Communication 2011). Mass communication is the foundation of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. In earlier times, radio, television, newspapers etc were seen to be the prime means of mass communication. But in the present world of technology, online network also forms a major means of mass communication and is highly becoming widespread. The role of ABC in the field of mass communication can be found out through an evaluation of the functions it performs. All three major means radio, television and online, can be evaluated to understand what role ABC plays in each. 7.1. Radio: In earlier days when technology was not much developed, radio was the major means through which the government or the public authority or other organizations communicated their messages or decisions to the masses. Until the invention of television, radio was the ultimate mass communication device as radio services were provided live at national level and were available at cheap price, thus, listened to by almost everyone. Radio was the first undertaking of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation with 12 stations operating in the capital cities of the country. As a means of mass communication, ABC Radio has programmed many events of national as well as international importance. During the Second World War, ABC Radio effectively performed its role as a mass communicator and carried the news of war live to the people. The other major events covered and broadcasted by ABC news include the Fiji coup and the Tiananmen Square crisis in China. Therefore, as a mass communicator, ABC Radio had effectively brought news of important events to the Australian people. 7.2. Television: The creation of television proved to be a milestone in the history of electronic discoveries. Television helped to bring real visual images to the people and it became possible for the people to view events that occurred in any corners of the world. The launching of ABC Television in 1956 has resulted in the rise of ABC as a visual mass communicator. ABC television brought visual images of every field- entertainment, sports, politics etc. This channel brought to the Australian citizens the visual images of important events that took place within and outside the country. 7.3. Online Network Service: The advancement in technology has resulted in the development of online network service. The ABC Online was a key development witnessed by the corporation. The online services connected the corporation with the rest of the world. This system helped ABC to impart the events and happenings within the country to the wider world outside as well as showcase the outside events to the people of Australia. 8. The Effective Means of Mass Communication: The ABC as a mass communicator has helped the country in many ways. The effectiveness of each means is different from one another. The most effective means of mass communication of ABC is identified to be the online network service. The ABC online service plays a mixture of roles when compared to radio and television. ABC online has both national and international access. The online network provides the services of ABC like radio and television to the audience at an international level with the help of internet. The ABC Online covers ABC News, ABC Radio, ABC Television and many other services of the corporation to the people. It is also seen to provide other services like ABC Commercial and ABC shop. “Recent research by Web Trends suggested that the ABC has one of the largest online offerings in the world from a media organization- smaller than BBC of course, but larger than The New York Times” (Scott n.d., p. 2). Other than the ABC Online, ABC is also available in social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. These social networking sites help in the development of ABC as they are used by all people irrespective of cast, creed or nationality. They help to link ABC to those who are unaware of the site. ABC Online is thus, an effective means of mass communication and a mass media. Even the common man gets a chance to convey his opinion about any matter using ABC online and, thus, it forms a two way medium of communication. 9. Conclusion and Recommendation: The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, which is the national broadcaster of Australia, plays an important role in the mass communication and media services of the country. The services provided by ABC were effective since its inception. The development of the corporation had been a major achievement of the Australian government. The ABC Radio, ABC Television and ABC Online have equal importance in the history of ABC and each had played their respective roles at different periods. ABC Online network service has emerged as the most effective means of communication. Today, even though the importance of radio and television has declined in terms of online network services, they still have a consecutive number of audiences. For further development of ABC following recommendations are made: ABC should spread its network to other parts of the world, especially to middle-east. It should take steps to involve or participate actively in the internal matters at the time of instability and make people aware of the situation. ABC should take proper care to protect the interest of non-residents as well as the native inhabitants. ABC should organize a separate department to collect and report global matters of highest priority. Reference List ABC Divisions: Radio. 2009. ABC. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation History. 2005. Les Simmonds. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 2005. Australian Tv. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. History of ABC Radio. 1932. ABC. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. International Projects. n.d. ABC International. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Mass Communication. 2011. The Museum of Broadcast Communications. Available at < http://www.museum.tv/eotvsection.php?entrycode=masscommunic> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Mishkind, B. 2000. Australian Broadcasting. This is the International Section of The Broadcast Archive. Available at [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Scott, M. 2008. National Press Club Address: The ABC of the Digital Media Age. ABC. Available at http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/mark_scott_npc_address_10.09.08.pdf [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. Year Book Australia, Volume 84. 1998. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Available at < http://books.google.co.in/books?id=lsXzFRk4qNAC&pg=PA391&dq=Australia+television,+an+international+satellite+television+service+broadcasting+to+over+30+countries+and+territories+in+Asia+and+the+Pacific.&hl=en&ei=uj9WTv5nivCtB8CT-cMK&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1&ved=0CDEQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=Australia%20television%2C%20an%20international%20satellite%20television%20service%20broadcasting%20to%20over%2030%20countries%20and%20territories%20in%20Asia%20and%20the%20Pacific.&f=false> [Accessed 28 Aug. 2011]. 2000 Year Book Australia No. 82. 2000. Australian Bureau of Statistics. Available at Read More