History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

The history of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation spans from its origins as regulatory body to its expansion as a content provider in radio, television and new media.

Origins

The first public radio station in Australia opened in Sydney on 13 November 1923 under the call sign 2SB. Other stations in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and Hobart followed. A licensing, scheme administered by the Postmaster-General's Department, was soon established allowing certain stations government funding, albeit with restrictions placed on their advertising content.

In 1924 the licencing system was changed. The Postmaster-General's Department collected all licence fees and broadcasters were funded as either A-Class or B-Class stations. By 1925 many of the A-Class stations were in financial difficulty.

A 1927 Royal Commission into wireless broadcasting recommended that radio licence fees be pooled to fund larger A-Class stations. The government established the National Broadcasting Service to take over the 12 A-Class licences as they came up for renewal from 1928.<ref...
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