Australia
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Population: | 21,262,641 |
| Capital: | Canberra | |
| Language: | English | |
| Literacy Rate: | 99% | |
| GDP/PP: | $38,100 | |
| Joined Commonwealth: | 11 December 1931 (one of the original dominions at the time of the Statute of Westminster 1931) |
Media
Australia's media scene is creatively, technologically and economically advanced. There is a tradition of public broadcasting, but privately-owned TV and radio enjoy the lion's share of listening and viewing.
2006: Australian media set for shake-up
Ownership of print and broadcast media is highly-concentrated. For example, four major media groups own 80% of Australia's newspaper titles.
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) runs national and local public radio and TV stations as well as Australia Network, a TV service for the Asia-Pacific region. The other main public broadcaster is the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), whose radio and TV networks broadcast in many languages.
National commercial TV is dominated by three large networks. Commercial broadcasters have to carry a minimum percentage of Australian-made programming. Pay-TV services have gained a substantial foothold. Digital TV is available via satellite, cable and terrestrially.
Sport, news, game shows, imported and home-made dramas top the TV ratings in Australia. The industry has successfully exported some of its productions to English-speaking markets overseas.
More than 70% of Australians use the internet.
The John Howard government changed the regulations governing media ownership. The rules, introduced in 2007, allow for greater cross-ownership of press and TV outlets as well as higher levels of foreign ownership.
Newspapers
The Sydney Morning Herald - daily
Herald Sun - Melbourne-based daily
The Australian - national daily
The Daily Telegraph - Sydney-based daily
The Courier-Mail - Brisbane-based daily
The West Australian - Perth-based daily
The Age - Melbourne-based daily
The Advertiser - Adelaide-based daily
Australian Financial Review - business daily
Regulatory Body for Newspapers
Australian Press Council - the self-regulatory body of the print media
Television
ABC - national public network
Australia Network - international channel, run by ABC
SBS TV - national multicultural public broadcaster, programmes in English and 60 other languages
Seven Network - national, commercial
Nine Network - national, commercial
Ten Network - national, commercial
Foxtel - pay-TV operator, owned by Rupert Murdoch's News Corporation, the Packer group and telecommunications giant Telstra
Optus - pay TV operator
Radio
ABC - public, operates speech-cultural network Radio National, news station ABC NewsRadio, youth-oriented Triple J, classical and contemporary music network ABC Classic FM and local-regional services
Radio Australia - ABC's external service, targeted at Asia-Pacific region via shortwave and internet
SBS Radio - national multicultural, multilingual public network, broadcasts in 68 languages
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) - licenses and regulates radio stations; station lists available
Regulatory Body for Broadcast Media
Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) - licenses and regulates TV stations; station lists available
News agency/Internet
AAP - Australian Associated Press
ABC Newsonline - public broadcaster ABC's news site
