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1: The role of national broadcasting
The functions of national broadcasting in Australia have been legislated by the Australian Parliament.
- The Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 (the ABC Act) and the Special Broadcasting Service Act 1991 (the SBS Act) include charters setting out the roles and functions of the two organisations.
- Section 3 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 sets out objectives for all broadcasting, including the national broadcasters.
An overview of the ABC and SBS is provided at Appendix B.
A set of primary objectives for national broadcasting is contained in these statutes, as summarised below.
| Objectives of national broadcasting |
| Universality—enabling all Australians to access broadcasting services, regardless of geography or capacity to pay, to allow them to participate in society and its institutions. |
| Localism—allowing people with similar interests to communicate and participate in local communities. |
| Australian content—strengthening Australian identity through the provision of programming that reflects Australia's unique character and characteristics, and promotes diversity and understanding of other cultures. |
| Comprehensive and diverse programming—ensuring Australian audiences have access to a comprehensive range of content that is relevant to, and representative of, the range of groups within society. |
| Diversity of news and information—ensuring an informed public debate about key issues affecting Australian society and the nation, free from commercial or other interests. |
| Education—enhancing the intellectual and creative capacity of Australian society and supporting the development of Australia's human capital. |
| Innovation and quality—providing informative and thought-provoking content that enriches society, and encouraging creative endeavour and the development of new talent. |
These objectives and the regulations that give them effect were formulated by government and agreed by Parliament in an analog broadcasting environment.
Up to the 1980s, many Australians in regional areas only had access to ABC television and a single commercial television station. In the capital cities, the ABC and (more recently) SBS have been two of just five free-to-air television services for many years.
The FM and AM radio services of the ABC and SBS have also played an important role in ensuring that a range of local programming is available for audiences, and that ethnic and migrant communities have access to content in their preferred languages. ABC radio has traditionally played a major role in broadcasting to regional and remote communities.
As noted in Appendix C, the advent of digital broadcasting has changed the environment in which the ABC and SBS operate.
By 2020, even without changes to the ABC and SBS, Australian audiences are likely to have access to a significantly greater number of digital television channels (both free-to-air and subscription). New wireless mobile communication services can also be expected to emerge as broadband take-up increases.
With the expected proliferation of internet-based services, traditional broadcasting may not continue to hold the same degree of influence it had in an analog world. However, there is still much debate about the extent and speed of these projected changes.
The need to consider these issues was noted by participants in the Australia 2020 Summit:
A new broadcasting charter would need to reflect the roles and responsibilities in the digital media era and all future platforms. (Australia 2020 Summit: Final Report)
Subsequent sections of this discussion paper ask questions about specific aspects of the role, functions and objectives of national broadcasting in the lead-up to 2020.
Questions: The role of national broadcasting
- A traditional function of the ABC has been to provide 'comprehensive broadcasting services'programming that appeals to a wide range of tastes and interests.
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- How should the ABC fulfil this function in a multichannel, multiplatform media environment? Should this function be reconsidered?
- The principal function of SBS is to provide multilingual and multicultural broadcasting services for all Australians, reflecting our multicultural society.
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- Is this an appropriate function for SBS in a 2020 media environment and, if so, how should it harness the available digital technologies to fulfil this function?
- Should the Australian Government consider amending the charters of the ABC and SBS to ensure they provide a contemporary and relevant guide for the organisations on the path to 2020? If so, how?