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ABC Radio National

The ABC's unique public funded national radio station

Read the interview with Anthony Frangi, Industry Consultant

ABC Radio National is a public funded radio network (with live online streaming) run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It is a network of ideas, allowing people to listen to the latest information ranging from science, books and publishing, religion, social history, the arts to current affairs. Radio National has 60 distinct programs every week, with over 40 different presenters. Comedy, book readings, radio drama and poetry reading are also broadcast on Radio National. Radio National varies across at least four time zones and 10 different regions. A daily program schedule page is available via the website to inform listeners as to “what’s on”.

The website includes features such as; past programs in transcript and downloadable audio format, podcasts and feeds, special features, programs, a program guide and live streaming. Radio National is broadcast Australia-wide, with programs recorded in Brisbane, Melbourne, Sydney, Darwin, Perth, Canberra and Adelaide.

Brisbane Listeners can tune-in to Radio National via the frequency 792AM

In 1928 the National Broadcasting Service, as part of the federal Postmaster-General’s Department, gradually took over all existing stations that were sponsored by public license. From 1947 until the mid 1980s, “Radio 2” was broadcast to the major metropolitan centres. It contained most of the ABC’s national programming. In the 1970s, the program’s format took on a more serious tone, which continues to this day. In the early 1980s, the broadcast was extended with the construction of the first of over 300 regional transmitters. In 1985, the ABC renamed “Radio 2” as “Radio National”.

Last updated by Kristina Sariyiannis (2011-10-29)