24 international broadcasting then... The opening transmission of Radio Australia in December 1939, known then as “Australia Calling”. “Australia Calling… Australia Calling”, diminishing series of transmission “hops” announced the clipped voice of John Royal around the globe. For decades to come, through the crackle of shortwave radio. It was listeners would tune their receivers in the a few days before Christmas 1939. Overseas early morning and dusk and again at night broadcasting station VLQ 2—V-for-victory, to receive the clearest signals. Even then, L-for-liberty, Q-for-quality—had come alive signal strength lifted and fell repeatedly, to the impending terror of World War II. amid the atmospheric hash. The forerunner of Radio Australia broadcast Australia Calling/Radio Australia based itself in those European languages that were still in Melbourne well south of the wartime widely used throughout South-East Asia at “Brisbane Line” and safe from possible the end of in the colonial age—German, Dutch, Japanese invasion. Even today, one of Radio French, Spanish and English. Australia’s principal transmitter stations is located in the Victorian city of Shepparton. Transmission signals leapt to the ionosphere —a layer of electro-magnetic particles By 1955, ABC Chairman Sir Richard Boyer surrounding the planet—before reflecting summed up the Radio Australia achievement: down to earth and bouncing up again in a “We have sought to tell the story of this section 2 25 country with due pride in our achievements international broadcasting with Australia and way of life, but without ignoring the Television. Neither the ABC nor, later, differences and divisions which are inevitable commercial owners of the service could in and indeed the proof of a free country”. secure its financial viability. Today Radio Australia delivers content in Five years after the closure of that first service, English, Indonesian, Chinese, Vietnamese, the ABC won an Australian Government Khmer and Tok Pisin. Although it still contract to launch and operate what is now broadcasts via shortwave, increasingly, called Australia Network. It is available audiences access the service via satellite, in 41 different countries and reaches local re-broadcasts, FM relays and the internet. 10.2 million homes. As satellite-delivered television services Almost seven decades on, Australia is emerged throughout the Asia-Pacific region, still calling. in the early 1990s, the ABC expanded its ... and now Radio Australia’s breakfast team bring lively and insightful commentary to regional issues. 26 Average Weekly Radio Reach—Five City ABC Audiences Source: Nielsen Media Research ABC Local Radio Audience Trends The media landscape in Australia is in a ABC Radio National state of rapid change marked by increased 2002–03 competition among content providers 2003–04 triple j for fragmenting audiences. The ABC is 2004–05 responding to these challenges and new 2005–06 2006–07 audience expectations by augmenting its ABC Classic FM position as a national media content provider, offering diverse, quality programming across ABC NewsRadio multiple platforms. 0.0 0.5 1.0 1.5 2.0 2.5 Millions The ABC is in a unique position in the Australian media marketplace with significant Aggregate ABC Radio Audience Share % experience in television, radio and online. Source: Nielsen Media Research By tracking audiences across all platforms Sydney and understanding the shifts in their expectations as they increasingly utilise Melbourne 2002–03 on-demand content, the ABC will continue 2003–04 Brisbane to remain relevant to all Australians. 2004–05 2005–06 Adelaide Australians are adopting new entertainment 2006–07 and media technology at different paces. The Perth ABC recognises the importance of maintaining strong core audiences for television and radio Newcastle while satisfying the demands for developing Canberra and evolving media such as online and 0 10 20 30 40 50 mobile services. % In 2006–07, the ABC maintained significant Radio radio and television audiences, while achieving The Changing Radio Landscape growth for ABC Online and developing new Listening to the radio used to be a pretty audiences for its content distributed through straightforward proposition: listeners turned online services such as streaming, podcasting on their “radio” and tuned to a station on and vodcasting. either the AM or FM band. Now, radio listeners are confronted by a range of options: should The ABC’s combined reach across television, they listen to AM, FM, satellite or digital radio? radio and online was 72% this year. This was Should they do so through a traditional radio, similar to a combined reach of 73% in 2005–06, an MP3 Player, a computer or a television? but down compared to 75% in 2003–04 and Should they listen to radio programs broadcast 2004–05.1 Other research findings show that in their own city, elsewhere in their own the Australian community maintained a high country or from other countries? level of support for the ABC, with nine-in-ten Australians believing that the Corporation Within a relatively short space of time, ABC provides a valuable service to the community.2 Radio has positioned itself at the forefront 1 Newspoll, ABC Awareness and Usage Survey 2007 and ratings data analysis, conducted same month in 2004, 2005 and 2006. 2 Newspoll, Newspoll 2007 ABC Appreciation Survey. section 2 27 ABC Radio Stations Monthly Online Audience, January 2003 – June 2007 Source: Nielsen//NetRatings 800 000 700 000 ABC Local Radio Online triple j 600 000 ABC Radio National 500 000 400 000 300 000 200 000 100 000 0 Jul 03 Jul 04 Jul 05 Jul 06 Oct 03 Oct 04 Oct 05 Oct 06 Apr 03 Apr 04 Apr 05 Apr 06 Apr 07 Jan 03 Jan 04 Jan 05 Jan 06 Jan 07 Jun 03 Jun 04 Jun 05 Jun 06 Jun 07 Feb 03 Feb 04 Feb 05 Feb 06 Feb 07 Sep 03 Sep 04 Sep 05 Sep 06 Dec 03 Dec 04 Dec 05 Dec 06 Nov 03 Nov 04 Nov 05 Nov Nov 06 Nov Aug 03 Aug 04 Aug 05 Aug 06 Mar 03 Mar 04 Mar 05 Mar 06 Mar 07 May 03 May 04 May 05 May 06 May 07 of the industry in delivering its services to overall five-city share in 2006–07 was 20.5%, audiences in all parts of Australia and the a 0.4 point increase on the 20.1% share world, using an array of platforms. It has recorded in 2005–06. Local increases were embraced and adapted the technologies recorded in Sydney and Brisbane, while available to it to deliver content to audiences Perth was steady. anywhere and at any time. ABC Radio’s estimated average weekly seven- In 2001, ABC Radio commenced live radio city reach in 2006–07 was 4.02 million.4 The streaming via the internet. Since 2002, ABC’s share in Newcastle, New South Wales, audiences have been able to access ABC increased to 23.1% from 22.6% in 2005–06, Radio’s digital services via digital television and fell in Canberra to 41.0% from 42.0%. and the internet. In 2005, ABC Radio launched podcasting services, which have since become ABC Local Radio’s average weekly reach of highly successful, delivering more than two 2 175 000 was down 2.6% on the 2005–06 figure million complete radio programs each month of 2 233 000—the highest annual average on to domestic and international audiences, and record. ABC Local Radio’s share remained many more millions of program segments. steady at 10.3%, compared with 10.2% in 2005–06. While 702 ABC Sydney’s weekly Such technological developments have meant reach of 672 000 was down by 0.9% on the that radio can continue to evolve and compete record high of 678 000 in 2005–06, share was 06–07 against other media. The role of radio in the up one point to an all-time high of 9.4% (8.4% lives of Australians is as important today as in 2005–06). 774 ABC Melbourne’s reach it ever was. In 2006–07, the average weekly decreased to 755 000, down 3.7% on a record reach of radio services among the population high of 784 000 in 2005–06; its share decreased aged 10 or over in the five main Australian marginally to 11.4% from 11.9%. 612 ABC cities remained steady at 95%.3 Brisbane’s reach increased by 6.8% to 283 000, its highest reach in the past ten years, and ABC Radio’s overall five-city average weekly its share increased to 8.9% from 8.3%. 891 reach remained relatively steady in 2006–07 ABC Adelaide’s reach and share were down at 3 687 000 or 33% of the five-city metropolitan from record highs in 2005–06: reach fell by population aged 10+, down by 0.5% on its 4.8% to 197 000, while share fell to 10.8% ABC ANNUAL REPORT 20 2005–06 reach of 3 704 000. ABC Radio’s from 11.7%. 720 ABC Perth’s reach decreased 3 All five-city radio data is drawn from Nielsen Media Research. The five cities surveyed are Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne, Perth and Sydney. 4 Nielsen Media Research, radio ratings surveys 2006–07. The cities surveyed in metropolitan ratings surveys are Adelaide, Brisbane, Canberra, Melbourne, Newcastle, Perth and Sydney. 28 Focused Radio Audience Research ABC Audiences During 2006–07, ABC Audience Research continued conducted a major research project on behalf of ABC Radio and Regional Content. by 9.7% to 270 000 from a record high of The ABC Radio Listening and Behaviour 299 000 in the previous year, while share Research Pilot, conducted in November 2006 decreased to 11.1% from 12.1%.