Screen Australia

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In the archive
free-to-air programming 

Hours of various types of programming and proportion of Australian content broadcast by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), 1996/97–2008/09

2007/08–2008/09 | 2005/06–2006/07 | 2000/01–2004/05 | 1996/97–1990/00

2007/08–2008/09

ABC Television’s main channel was renamed ABC1 in February 2008. ABC2 – a digital-only, free-to-air channel – started broadcasting for the first time in 2005. In 2008/09, ABC1 programmed a total of 8,760 hours, compared to 6,205 hours on ABC2. In total, both channels programmed 14,965 hours with a combined Australian share of 52.4 per cent (7,844 hours).

On ABC1, children’s programs recorded the highest number of hours at 1,966, followed by entertainment at 1,317 hours and current affairs at 1,106 hours. Of these, the Australian share was 24.2 per cent of children’s, 93 per cent of entertainment and 99.9 per cent of current affairs. Drama increased by 192 hours from last year, with the Australian share rising from 7.6 per cent to 39.5 per cent.

Children’s programs and entertainment made up the largest number of hours broadcast on ABC2, at 2,006 and 698 hours respectively. News followed with 655 hours. The Australian share of these genres was 14.7 per cent of children’s, 55.7 per cent of entertainment and 100 per cent of news.

The Australian share of all programs on ABC1 was up by 5.3 percentage points on 2007/08. After drama, local comedy saw the next biggest rise, from an 11 per cent share to 32 per cent.

On ABC2, the overall Australian share was down by 12.2 percentage points. The decrease in hours of local programming from 3,656 hours in 2007/08 to 2,687 hours in 2008/09 can be largely attributed to current affairs, which fell from 969 to 312 hours (although the Australian share of that genre remained at 100 per cent), and factual programs, which fell from 521 to 232 hours. However, Australian-produced news more than tripled in hours from 195 to 655. The local share of drama on ABC2 fell from 46.5 per cent in 2007/8 to 40.2 per cent in 2008/09. The local share of comedy increased by 9.3 percentage points.

While the total number of hours broadcast by ABC1 remains consistent, it has varied considerably for ABC2 since its launch in 2005/06, from a total of 6,458 hours, which increased to 6,824 in 2006/07 and then fell in 2007/08 to 6,591 and again in 2008/09 to 6,205.

See Archive: ABC hours broadcast for the actual hours of local and imported programming broadcast in each category.

Type of programming1 2007/08 2008/09
ABC1 ABC2 ABC1 ABC2
Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%)
Total 8,784 53.6% 6,591 55.5% 8,760 58.9% 6,205 43.3%
Arts and culture 346 56.9% 294 55.4% 304 50.3% 394 34.0%
Children’s 1,956 27.1% 1,808 10.3% 1,966 24.2% 2,006 14.7%
Comedy 127 11.0% 196 2.0% 128 32.0% 274 11.3%
Current affairs 1,094 99.9% 969 100.0% 1,106 99.9% 312 100.0%
Documentaries 572 32.0% 503 35.8% 566 32.7% 425 14.1%
Drama 732 7.6% 144 46.5% 924 39.5% 351 40.2%
Education 200 67.0% 23 100.0% 201 73.6% 0 0.0%
Entertainment 1,233 91.0% 783 59.4% 1,317 93.0% 698 55.7%
Factual 397 83.6% 621 83.9% 417 89.2% 484 47.9%
Features     39 100.0%     4 100.0%
Indigenous 65 100.0% 34 100.0% 59 100.0% 23 100.0%
Movies 938 0.4% 182 7.7% 615 0.3% 165 3.6%
Natural history and environment 101 19.8% 25 88.0% 100 27.0% 6 66.7%
News 366 100.0% 195 100.0% 393 100.0% 655 100.0%
Religion and ethics 94 36.2% 42 100.0% 85 31.8% 32 100.0%
Science and technology 38 89.5% 76 97.4% 40 100.0% 29 75.9%
Sport 314 100.0% 248 100.0% 305 100.0% 134 100.0%
Other2 211 100.0% 409 100.0% 234 100.0% 213 100.0%

Source: Compiled by Screen Australia from Australian Broadcasting Corporation annual reports.

Notes:
Figures reflect hours broadcast from the Sydney transmitter, comprising national and local New South Wales transmissions. Figures may differ slightly in other states and territories as a result of varying levels of local content. Hours have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
Includes repeats.
1. Over the years some of the program categories identified by the ABC have been changed, added or dropped. Blank cells in the table indicate where a category has been dropped or has not yet begun.
2. ‘Other’ comprises program announcements, promotions, ABC announcements and community service announcements.

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2005/06–2006/07

Type of programming1 2005/06 2006/07
ABC1 ABC22 ABC1 ABC22
Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%)
Total 8,760 52.2% 6,458 67.6% 8,760 54.9% 6,824 67.9%
Arts and culture 254 60.0% 482 33.4% 316 66.1% 340 40.3%
Business             11 100%
Children’s 2,033 28.4% 1,709 15.0% 1,941 26.2% 1,721 10.7%
Comedy 149 22.8% 2 100% 139 15.1% 22 18.2%
Current affairs 895 100% 1,584 91.8% 1,095 99.9% 1,373 100%
Documentaries 476 29.6% 230 70.9% 588 30.1% 358 82.1%
Drama 841 15.1% 0 0% 697 6.6% 0 0%
Education 241 63.9% 56 100% 199 66.3% 34 100%
Entertainment 1,172 95.9% 303 100% 1,320 88.6% 689 66.9%
Factual 332 64.8% 779 89.5% 385 83.9% 662 93.1%
Features             72 100%
Indigenous 66 100% 47 100% 62 100% 48 100%
Movies 1,062 1.3% 0 0% 767 0.7% 58 3.4%
Natural history and environment 88 22.7% 18 72.2% 103 14.6% 26 88.5%
News 358 100% 92 72.8% 365 100% 144 100%
Religion and ethics 101 29.7% 76 100% 113 24.8% 55 100%
Science and technology 38 89.5% 82 100% 42 88.1% 118 79.7%
Sport 304 93.4% 853 100% 384 96.6% 1,008 99.2%
Other3 349 100% 145 91.7% 244 100% 84 100%

Source: Compiled by the Australian Film Commission (AFC) from Australian Broadcasting Corporation annual reports.

Notes:
ABC2 – a digital only, free-to-air TV channel – started broadcasting in 2005 with the first full year of results available for 2005/06.
ABC’s ‘main channel’ was officially named ABC1 in February 2008.
Figures reflect hours broadcast from the Sydney transmitter, comprising national and local New South Wales transmissions. Figures may differ slightly in other states and territories as a result of varying levels of local content. Hours have been rounded to the nearest whole number.
Includes repeats.
1. Over the years some of the program categories identified by the ABC have been changed, added or dropped. Blank cells in the table indicate where a category has been dropped or has not yet begun.
2. Figures as reported in the ABC annual report in 2006/07. These totals are different to the sum of local and imported hours reported: see Archive: ABC hours broadcast.
3. ‘Other’ comprises program announcements, promotions, ABC announcements and community service announcements.

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2000/01–2004/05

Type of programming1 2000/01 2001/02 2002/03 2003/04 2004/05
Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%)
Total 8,760 59.1% 8,760 55.4% 8,760 52.5% 8,784 49.3% 8,760 51.6%
Arts and culture  316 40.8% 387 46.0% 333 73.3% 276 55.8% 305 58.4%
Children’s 1,746 28.6% 1,645 26.2% 1,777 29.1% 1,883 22.2% 1,984 27.6%
Comedy 258 31.8% 164 31.1% 182 14.3% 241 16.6% 191 11.5%
Current affairs 823 100% 817 100% 1,032 100% 845 100% 848 100%
Documentaries 563 40.9% 548 41.6% 477 34.6% 532 22.4% 442 31.7%
Drama 691 50.5% 816 47.4% 892 21.5% 904 14.7% 851 19.2%
Education 1,156 68.8% 746 65.0% 328 53.0% 310 50% 307 55.7%
Entertainment 1,004 98.3% 1,037 95.7% 925 93.7% 1,089 96.2% 1,165 94.8%
Factual 233 90.1% 333 80.8% 447 69.6% 333 82.3% 346 55.5%
Indigenous 10 100% 26 100% 40 100% 42 100% 65 100%
Movies 758  1.3% 1,147  2.8% 1,206 1.7% 1,093 0.7% 998 0.5%
Natural history and environment     33 36.4% 37 5.4% 68 17.6% 110 17.3%
News 285 100% 295 100% 348 100% 330 100% 353 100%
Religion and ethics 100 34% 114 40.4% 96 29.2% 134 33.6% 115 33.9%
Science and technology 19 100% 56 60.7% 43 86% 27 100% 39 89.7%
Sport 502 82.7% 265 91.3% 212 98.1% 224 100% 283 100%
Other2 298 100% 331 100% 383 100% 455 100% 358 100%

Source: Compiled by the Australian Film Commission (AFC) from Australian Broadcasting Corporation annual reports.

Notes:
Figures are for total programming from the Sydney transmitter. Exact minutes are calculated throughout the year; totals here are rounded to the nearest hour and, as a result, the sum of hours in each category may not equal total hours.
Includes repeats.
1. Over the years some of the program categories identified by the ABC have been changed, added or dropped. Blank cells in the table indicate where a category has been dropped or has not yet begun.
2. ‘Other’ comprises program announcements, promotions, ABC announcements and community service announcements.

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1996/97–1990/00

Type of programming1 1996/97 1997/98 1998/99 1999/00
Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%) Hours Aust. content (%)
Total 8,760 58.3% 8,760 57.6% 8,760 58.1% 8,760 58.7%
Arts and culture 673 70.7% 240 33.3% 271 29.2% 375 47.2%
Children’s 1,510 30.3% 1,630 26.4% 1,730 29.5% 1,786 25.7%
Comedy 267 21.7% 269 37.5% 264 22.0% 234 54.7%
Current affairs 806 97.4% 781 99.6% 795 100% 807 99.6%
Documentaries 322 36.0% 505 31.1% 552 35.7% 489 37.6%
Drama 572 45.5% 667 28.9% 629 25.0% 625 23.5%
Education 1,576 52.0% 1,483 53.4% 1,414 57.1% 1,364 63.4%
Entertainment 790 88.2% 999 94.8% 1,036 95.2% 997 94.4%
Features 164 99.4% 189 90.5% 176 86.9% 211 90.5%
Movies 694 0.4% 444 0.7% 473 0.2% 543 0.4%
News 492 100% 570 98.1% 486 99.8% 366 100%
Religion and ethics 93 44.1% 111 27.0% 95 30.5% 114 31.6%
Science and technology         7 100% 13 100%
Sport 439 86.1% 537 88.1% 517 98.6% 531 100%
Other2 362 100% 336 100% 317 100% 306 100%

Source: Compiled by the Australian Film Commission (AFC) from Australian Broadcasting Corporation annual reports.

Notes:
Figures are for total programming from the Sydney transmitter. Exact minutes are calculated throughout the year; totals here are rounded to the nearest hour and, as a result, the sum of hours in each category may not equal total hours.
Includes repeats.
1. Over the years some of the program categories identified by the ABC have been changed, added or dropped. Blank cells in the table indicate where a category has been dropped or has not yet begun.
2. ‘Other’ comprises program announcements, promotions, ABC announcements and community service announcements.

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