Broadcast area | Australia: FM, DAB (where available), DVB-T Ch-27 & internet Worldwide: Internet radio |
---|---|
Frequency | Various |
Programming | |
Language(s) | English |
Format | Classical music |
Ownership | |
Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
ABC Classic 2 | |
History | |
First air date | 24 January 1976 |
Former names | ABC-FM (1976–1994) ABC Classic FM (1994–2019) |
Technical information | |
ERP | 100 kW |
Links | |
Webcast | Live stream |
Website | abc |
ABC Classic, formerly ABC-FM (also ABC Fine Music), and then ABC Classic FM, is an Australian classical music radio station available in Australia and internationally. Its website features classical music news, features and listening guides. It is operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
ABC Classic was established in 1976 as "ABC-FM", and later for a short time was known as "ABC Fine Music" (a play on the letters FM). [1] It became known as ABC Classic FM in 1994, [2] before adopting its current name in January 2019. It was the ABC's first experiment in FM broadcasting – which had become a necessity in Australia as broadcasters ran out of AM frequencies on which to transmit. [3] This was before most commercial stations had started using FM, and the ABC was first to use satellite transmissions. The creation of ABC Classic FM was inspired partly by the example of BBC Radio 3, and its focus was on fine music and the arts. [4]
ABC Classic FM's studios were established at the ABC studios in Collinswood, a suburb of Adelaide, South Australia. The ABC's decision to establish ABC Classic FM in Adelaide was significant because most of the ABC's radio and television national program original infrastructure was and is located in Sydney. However, staffing has been progressively cut over the years, from the starting base of 60 down to just five by 2015, a particularly savage round of cuts which included the loss of popular presenter Julia Lester when her job moved to the Sydney studios. [4]
On 24 November 2018, the ABC announced that ABC Classic FM would undergo a major rebrand in 2019, and change its name to ABC Classic. [5]
ABC Classic broadcasts classical music, operas, recitals and live concerts. Former "Classic Breakfast" producer Greg Keane has been critical of changes that were made to programming methods in 2016. He says that the use of G-Selector software has led to a "loss of thoughtful, varied and original programming devised by experienced producers". [6] Around half of the music played is performed by Australian musicians, and the ABC Young Performers Awards are a way of supporting a younger generation of musicians. [1]
Live music is an important feature of the programming, [1] and past concerts are available online afterwards. [7] but has reduced over time owing to budget cuts. [4]
A number of special events are held throughout the year, including: [8]
Since 2001, ABC Classic FM has organised a number of Classic 100 Countdown surveys. [9] The results of each survey are decided by votes cast by the listeners of the radio station. The works are broadcast in reverse order of popularity over three days. The countdown culminates in the broadcast of a live concert featuring the most popular pieces and finishes with the number one listener choice. A feature of the countdown is that each piece is kept secret until just before its broadcast (including the pieces featured in the final concert).[ citation needed ]
Classic 100 themes have included Love, Beethoven, Music in the Movies, Composers, and Dance. [8]
Each November on ABC Classic is AusMusic Month, where Australian artists are heavily promoted. This includes more Australian composition broadcast every day; some free, limited-entry concerts around the country; all-Australian albums of the week; and many live Australian concerts. [10]
In common with all ABC Radio stations (other than Triple J, which operates its own service), it also carries news bulletins produced by ABC News. On 19 December 2005, in line with the policy applied at every ABC Radio network (except Triple J and Radio Australia), these news bulletins became state-based rather than national.[ citation needed ]
ABC Classic is broadcast in stereo FM across Australia on over more than 30 frequencies. [11] Broadcast frequencies of the major Australian capital cities are listed below. [12]
ABC Classic 2, a music-only talk-free streaming station, was established in June 2014. Programmed by the ABC Classic team, it broadcasts only via an online stream and is available on the ABC's Android and iOS apps. Classic 2 specialises in streaming popular styles of classical music. The music on Classic 2 is performed exclusively by leading Australian orchestras, ensembles and soloists. [13]
The monthly arts magazine Limelight was, under its former name ABC Radio 24 Hours (1976–2003), originally owned and published by the ABC. It is now independently owned and published, but continues a strong, albeit unofficial, affiliation with the ABC and with ABC Classic in particular.[ citation needed ]
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the national broadcaster of Australia. It is principally funded by direct grants from the Australian Government and is administered by a government-appointed board. The ABC is a publicly-owned body that is politically independent and fully accountable, with its charter enshrined in legislation, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983. ABC Commercial, a profit-making division of the corporation, also helps to generate funding for content provision.
Triple J is a government-funded, national Australian radio station that began broadcasting in 1975 as a division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC). It aims to appeal to young listeners of alternative music, and plays more Australian content than commercial networks.
Triple M is an Australian commercial radio network owned and operated by Southern Cross Austereo. The network consists of 40 radio stations broadcasting a mainstream rock music format and 5 digital radio stations.
2MBS Fine Music Sydney is a Sydney music radio station operated by the Music Broadcasting Society of New South Wales Co-Operative Limited. Launched on 15 December 1974, it is Australia's first fully licensed FM radio station and it has since reached over 630,000 listeners.
RNZ Concert is a publicly funded non-commercial New Zealand FM fine music radio network. Radio New Zealand owns the network and operates it from its Wellington headquarters. The network's playlist of classical, jazz, contemporary, and world music includes recordings by local musicians and composers. Around 15 percent of its airtime features live concerts, orchestral performances, operas, interviews, features, and specialty music programs, many of them recorded locally.
KING-FM is a non-commercial classical music radio station in Seattle, Washington. It is owned by Classic Radio, a nonprofit organization. The studios and offices are on Mercer St in Seattle. KING-FM holds periodic on-air fundraisers to help support the station through listener contributions.
Radio Adelaide is Australia's first community radio station. The signal reaches across the Adelaide metropolitan area to the Mid North, the Yorke Peninsula and Fleurieu Peninsula, the southern Barossa, Kangaroo Island, Riverland and parts of the Eyre Peninsula broadcasting at 13 kilowatts on 101.5 MHz FM. The transmitter power was only 7 kW until an upgrade on 2 November 2006.
Cruise 1323 is one of Adelaide's longest running radio stations. In its 80+ years it has changed considerably. It was the first commercial station to begin broadcasting in South Australia.
1116 SEN is an Australian radio station in Victoria, Australia. Owned and operated by Sports Entertainment Group, it broadcasts a sports radio format. It commenced broadcasting on 29 November 1931 as 3AK, the station currently broadcasts from studios in South Melbourne.
4MBS Classic FM is an Australian community radio station which broadcasts classical music from Brisbane at a frequency of 103.7 MHz, as well as on digital radio and online.
ABC Radio and Regional Content, later ABC Radio, was the division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation responsible for radio output and regional content. This was the first public radio station in Australia, which opened in Sydney at 8:00pm on 23 November 1923 under the call sign 2SB.
3MBS was the first FM radio station in Victoria, Australia, and began transmitting to Melbourne and surrounding areas on 1 July 1975. Since then it has operated successfully as a non-profit community-based organisation broadcasting classical and jazz music. 3MBS also led the way for the introduction of community radio in Australia back in 1968.
ABC Radio Hobart is the ABC Local Radio station for Hobart, Tasmania, owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
Limelight is an Australian digital and print magazine focusing on music, arts and culture. It is based in Sydney, New South Wales. Originally published in 1976 by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), as ABC Radio 24 Hours, or simply 24 Hours, since March 2018 it has been published independently by Limelight Arts Media, owned by music lovers Robert Veel and Bruce Watson.
During 2011 the Australian radio station ABC Classic FM held a Classic 100 Twentieth Century countdown.
In 2012, the Australian radio station ABC Classic FM held a Classic 100 Music of France countdown.
Christopher Lawrence is a classical musician, author, and conductor. He is most notable for his work as a broadcaster on Australian Broadcasting Corporation radio station ABC Classic FM, and previously on ABC Radio National and ABC Local Radio.
ABC Classic 2 is an Australian classical music internet radio station available internationally online. It is operated by the ABC Classic team at the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC).
Guy Noble is an Australian musical composer, conductor, pianist and broadcaster.