Public Service Broadcasting in Australia

Australia is probably unique in having not one but two public service broadcasting organizations--the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) and the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS). The ABC is the older and larger of the two and was originally modeled on the British Broadcasting Commission, whereas the SBS is a distinctively Australian innovation. The ABC operates six radio networks and two television networks, and the SBS operates one radio and one television network. Both public broadcasters are funded directly by the federal government, although SBS supplements its income by limited advertising. Although both the ABC and SBS occupy eminent positions in the broadcasting system and in Australian cultural life generally, they are not able to rest on their laurels. They are currently in the process of redefining their roles in the new multichannel broadcasting environment, and at the same time responding to political pressures to become more commercially oriented. This process of change is causing difficulties and uncertainty, particularly for the ABC.