Back to MEDIA
Television
The Channels
Free to air channels in Australia include two government networks which are the ABC (Australian Broadcasting Corporation) and SBS (Special Broadcasting Service). Other commercial free to air networks include Channels Seven, Nine and Ten.
 |
ABC is a publicly funded broadcaster operating in metropolitan and regional areas. It has been shown that successful governments have tried to influence ABC’s political coverage by threatening funding costs. |
 |
SBS aim is to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services. On this channel, you will be able to find some overseas films with subtitles and the news from many different countries such as France, Italy, Spain, Taiwan… |
 |
Channel 7 is considered to be Australia’s most successful commercial network. The 7 network also includes two other channels: 7Two and 7Mate, broadcast on the free to air digital network. |
 |
Channel 9 is a commercial station which imports a lot of American content such as Two and a Half Men. This channel is also known for producing popular current affair programs « infotainment ». |
 |
Channel 10 is the third ranked commercial station in Australia. It is the home of many reality shows such as Bondi Vet or Masterchef. |
Other Information
The most watched broadcasts in Australia are the sports events such as the 2005 Australian Open final between Lleyton Hewitt and Marat Safin (more than 4 000 000 viewers). The reality shows are also in the top watched broadcasts thanks to Masterchef and Australian Idol.
Until 2010 all the networks were providing these channels on analog services, however, the new digital television is being phased in from 2010, so that by 2013, the analog services will be switched off. The advantages of this include not only higher quality broadcasts in terms of both sound and picture quality, but also the creation of new channels and more interactive usage with the viewers. While many cable TV providers have been offering their services throughout Australia, the major providers remain Foxtel for metropolitan areas, and Austar for regional areas. Just for your information, be aware that advertisements on television appear quite often, roughly every 5 to 7 minutes, and last between 1 minute 30 seconds, and 2 minutes 30 seconds.