ABC Radio National 792 AM

Radio National is the ABC’s specialist journalism & arts radio station

Read the interview with Anthony Frangi, Industry Consultant

Radio National is an Australian Broadcasting Corporation station offering over 60 distinct programs each week. Its purpose is to provide content that is important and relevant to all Australians, with programs covering a vast array of topics in what is known as an information and ideas network. Radio National presenters discuss the latest in science, film, books and publishing, religion, social history, the arts and current affairs. Programs such as Big Ideas and The National Interest also broadcast a range of recorded lectures, debates and speeches, including the annual Boyer Lectures. Comedy, book readings, radio drama and poetry readings are also broadcast on Radio National.

Radio National is broadcast on 260 transmitters and reaches 98 per cent of the Australian population, making it the largest single network in the country. The station’s listening audience covers many age groups, with 20 per cent between the ages of 10 and 39. Over one million Australians tune in to Radio National each week.

Further to regular broadcasting, Radio National podcasts over 66 hours of content on a weekly basis, with an average of 1.4 million podcast downloads per month. Listeners also have the option of listening online through the Radio National website. This website receives approximately half a million page visits each week. It is used not only by core listeners, but also as a source of information and research by school and university students.

Radio National is broadcast Australia-wide, with programs recorded in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide. Brisbane listeners can tune-in via the frequency 792 AM.

ABC Radio National was created as part of the ABC’s program reshuffle in 1985.

Since its conception, Radio National’s presenters and producers have won a variety of major Australian and international awards. These include; the New York Festivals, Prix Italia, and the 3rd Coast Audio Festival and Documentary Competition in Chicago.

In May 2005, Radio National launched the ABC’s first podcasting trials with four programs, and is now Australia’s largest podcaster.

On July 1, 2009, ABC Radio National was introduced as a digital radio station.

Last updated by Nicole Ferguson (2009-10-23)