ABC Australia (Asia-Pacific TV channel)
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Australia Television International, ABC Asia Pacific, Australia Network, Australia Plus |
| Founded | February 17, 1993 |
| Headquarters | Sydney , Australia |
Area served | East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, Pacific Islands |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | abc |
ABC Australia, previously known as Australia Television International, ABC Asia Pacific, Australia Network, and Australia Plus, is an Australian pay television channel that commenced operations in 1993. It is managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation as a segment of the ABC television network. The channel delivers programming that includes lifestyle, drama, sports, English language education, children's shows, and news to audiences across East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands.
Unlike ABC’s domestic free-to-air channels, this service receives partial funding from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade, supplemented by advertising revenue.
Origins
Since 1939, Radio Australia had been operated by the ABC, and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983 provided the legal framework for the corporation to initiate an international television channel. The service was proposed by directors Mark Armstrong and David Hill with the goal of strengthening Australia's media presence throughout the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrating ABC’s technical expertise.
The channel, originally named Australia Television International, was officially launched by Prime Minister Paul Keating on 17 February 1993. It broadcast live to 50 countries from ABC’s Sydney studios, with transmissions uplinked from Darwin. Program Director Dominic Stone alongside ABC managing director David Hill oversaw the inaugural broadcast. This launch was supported by a government grant of . Initially, the channel was part of the "Gang of Five" consortium competing with Star TV, sharing satellite transmission capacity with networks such as CNN International, HBO, ESPN International, and TVB.
Funding came through a combination of government support and commercial sponsorship, marking ABC’s first introduction of advertising in its international services. As a result, editorial guidelines were revised to ensure that ABC maintained full editorial control over its programming.
Following budget reductions in 1997–1998 and recommendations from the Mansfield Report, management of Australia Television was transferred to the Seven Network in 1998. Under Seven’s stewardship, the channel continued to receive federal funding and included some programming from ABC News.
2002–2006: ABC Asia Pacific
Despite Seven Network's attempts to expand its reach into Asian markets, financial losses persisted. In 2001, the government issued a five-year tender for operating the service, which was primarily watched by Australian expatriates interested in news, football, and children’s content. Seven did not submit a bid, and Imparja Television's application was unsuccessful. The contract was awarded to ABC, which rebranded the channel as ABC Asia Pacific on 1 January 2002. The new lineup featured programming from Seven Network, Nine Network, Network Ten, alongside original productions by ABC and news bulletins sourced from Sky News Australia.
The tender was renewed in 2005 with ABC maintaining control until 8 August 2011 after winning against competitors including Sky News Australia. Shortly after regaining full control, the network replaced Sky News bulletins with news programs produced directly by ABC’s own news division at its Southbank studios in Melbourne.
2006–2014: Australia Network
On 7 August 2006, ABC Asia Pacific was renamed Australia Network, accompanied by the launch of new programming and an increase in news and English-language education content. After an organizational restructure at ABC in 2007, Australia Network was incorporated into the corporation’s International, Corporate Strategy and Governance division.
Due to licensing restrictions, the channel was not accessible in Australia or New Zealand, although some news bulletins were broadcast overnight on ABC News 24, Al Jazeera English, and Face TV in New Zealand. Select programs were also available through ABC’s iview online platform. In December 2008, Australia Network expanded its reach by launching on Malaysia’s Astro platform (Channel 514).
In 2010, the Rudd government called for tenders to manage Australia Network for a decade. However, the tender process was halted in November 2011 following confidential information leaks that triggered an Australian Federal Police investigation. The ABC’s contract was extended until August 2012, after which the government confirmed that ABC would continue to operate the network indefinitely. The Australian National Audit Office later criticized the tender procedure for harming the government’s credibility and wasting bidders’ resources; consequently, the government compensated Sky News with millions of dollars.
The 2014–2015 federal budget under Prime Minister Abbott eliminated all funding for Australia Network and announced its closure just days before a scheduled contract with Shanghai Media Holdings to broadcast in China—a deal that would have positioned it as one of only three foreign broadcasters in that market. This termination resulted in approximately 80 job losses, mostly based in Melbourne, and compelled the government to pay ABC AUD 10.6 million for breach of contract, despite a prior commitment of AUD 196.8 million over ten years made by the former Labor government.
2014–2018: Australia Plus
After Australia Network ceased operations, Australia Plus was launched on 29 September 2014 as a multi-platform international service. It aired a variety of entertainment, sports, educational, and English language learning programs from the ABC to audiences across Asia and Pacific partner countries. The channel also showcased prominent Australian events such as the Melbourne Cup, Sydney New Year’s Eve Fireworks, and the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race.
In 2015, New Zealand established Pasifika TV, which provides Pacific island broadcasters with a continuous feed of sports, news, and other programming predominantly sourced from New Zealand.
By August 2016, Australia Plus had formed commercial partnerships with the Government of Victoria, vitamin brand Swisse, and Monash University. Operating under the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983, the ABC International Division functions on a commercial basis similar to that of BBC Worldwide.
2018–present: ABC Australia
Australia Plus underwent rebranding to become ABC Australia on 1 July 2018. David Hua, ABC’s Head of International Strategy, explained that this rebranding responded to overseas viewers’ desire for authentic Australian content delivered by a trusted media entity. This transition coincided with the removal of geo-blocking restrictions on the ABC News live stream available via the ABC website and YouTube channels.
In 2020, the Australian Government introduced PacificAus TV, offering Pacific island broadcasters access to 1000 hours annually of free Australian commercial television content.
In October 2023, ABC Australia launched distinct programming schedules tailored separately for Asian and Pacific audiences.
Description
The channel delivers a wide array of content, spanning lifestyle, drama, sports, English language education, children's programming, and news. It is accessible via subscription throughout East Asia, Central Asia, South Asia, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific Islands. Key markets served include India, Japan, Vietnam, Afghanistan, the Philippines, Papua New Guinea, and Vanuatu.
Programming
ABC Australia tailors its offerings to regional audiences with evening news broadcasts staggered every two hours for various zones. The channel produces multiple English learning series such as Study English, Living English, English Bites, and The Business of English. Its drama slate features well-known shows like Home and Away, Offspring, Packed to the Rafters, Rake, The Doctor Blake Mysteries, and The Time of Our Lives. Factual entertainment includes programs like Bondi Vet, One Plus One, and Cosmo Times. Lifestyle content is represented by titles including Big Break, Food Safari, and Poh's Kitchen. Music enthusiasts can enjoy the show Rage, while lighter entertainment is provided by series such as Gruen Planet and the gaming-centric Good Game franchise. For younger viewers, offerings include Play School, Blue Water High, Totally Wild, A gURLs wURLd, and Scope.
News segments are created and aired from ABC News’ headquarters located in Sydney.
Broadcasters
| Country | Broadcaster(s) |
|---|---|
| Afghanistan | Ariana Television Network |
| Brunei | Kristal Astro |
| Cambodia | SingMeng Telemedia, WeWatch |
| Cook Islands | Cook Islands Television, Niu TV Limited, Sky Pacific |
| East Timor | Rádio e Televisão de Timor-Leste, RaphVision Electrics Unipessoal Lda |
| Fiji | Fiji Broadcasting Corporation, Fiji TV, Mai TV, Sky Pacific |
| French Polynesia | Sky Pacific |
| Hong Kong | Hong Kong Cable Television, PCCW |
| India | Jio TV, Jio TV+, Tata Play among others |
| Indonesia | MNC Vision, PT Biznet Multimedia, PT Digital Sarana Bersama, PT LinkNet, PT Telkom, Transvision (Indonesia), Vidio, VNT Networks |
| Japan | Aruji Co Ltd, Japan Cable Cast Inc., NHK, SET International, Tokyo Cable Network, World on Demand, Wowow |
| Kiribati | Sky Pacific |
| Macau | Macau Cable TV Ltd |
| Malaysia | Astro (television), Enjoy TV, Long TV, Sirius TV, TMNET |
| Maldives | Dhiraagu TV, Medianet Pvt Ltd |
| Mongolia | Skytel (Mongolia), Unitel (Mongolia) |
| Nauru | Canal+ Calédonie, GoTV, Sky Pacific |
| Nepal | Net TV Nepal (Net TV) |
| New Caledonia | Canal+ Calédonie, GoTV, InternetNC |
| Niue | Sky Pacific, Television Niue |
| Palau | Palau National Communication Corporation |
| Papua New Guinea | Click TV, Digicel, Hitron, Media Niugini Limited, National Broadcasting Corporation of PNG, Sky Pacific |
| Philippines | Asian Vision Cable Holdings, Cignal Digital TV, Kalibo Cable TV, SkyCable Corporation |
| Samoa | Digicel, Moana TV, Samoa Broadcasting Corporation, Sky Pacific |
| Singapore | SingTel Global Private Ltd (Singtel TV), StarHub Cable Vision Ltd (StarHub TV) |
| Solomon Islands | Satsol TV , Solomon Telekom Company Limited |
| South Korea | D'Live , Olleh TV , Seokyung Cable Television , Ulsan Joongang Cable Network Co Ltd |
| Sri Lanka | ASK Cable Network , Dialog TV , PEO TV |
| Taiwan | Digidom , Hulien Cable TV , T.Y Cable TV , Tai Tung Cable TV , Tung Tai Cable Television |
| Thailand | Triple T Network Co. Ltd., TrueVisions Group Company Ltd |
| Tokelau | Sky Pacific |
| Tonga | Digicel , Sky Pacific , Tonga Broadcasting Corporation |
| Tuvalu | Sky Pacific |
| Vanuatu | Canal+ Calédonie , Digicel , Sky Pacific , Telsat Pacific , Vanuatu Broadcasting & Television Corporation |
| Vietnam | Audio Visual Global JSC , FPT Telecom , Ho Chi Minh City Television , MYTV , Saigon Tourist Cable Company Television , VEGA Corporation (Vietnam) , VieON , Viettel , VOTV , VTVcab |
| Wallis and Futuna | "Canal+ Calédonie" |
Funding
ABC Australia receives partial financial support from Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs & Trade as well as revenue generated through advertising, distinguishing it from the ABC's domestic television operations.
Since the 1996 Howard government, funding for the channel has been progressively reduced, particularly under successive Liberal administrations. Notable cutbacks occurred in 2014 during the Abbott government, accompanied by a continuing freeze on indexation.
By 2019, the budget allocated to the ABC's international services remained steady at , a figure unchanged since the 1980s. This stands in contrast to the considerably higher funding of designated for China Central Television (CCTV) and for the BBC's international broadcasting.
Other ABC international services
Established in 1939, ABC Radio Australia still transmits throughout the Asia-Pacific region; however, it has discontinued its use of short-wave radio, which has limited its ability to reach more isolated islands.
The ABC has also broadened its international digital footprint. Its iview streaming service is accessible via a dedicated app, while ABC News Online provides content in both Chinese-language and Tok Pisin.
Since 2022, ABC Pacific has functioned as the central digital platform showcasing premium Pacific Islands programming sourced from across the ABC’s online offerings.
Slogan history
- ABC Asia Pacific for Everyone (2002–2006)
- A New Perspective (Australia Network, 2006–2010)
- Connecting Our World to Yours (Australia Network, 2010–2014)
- One World: Your World, Our World (Australia Plus, 2014–2018)
- Yours (2018–present)
See also
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
- Radio Australia
Further reading
External links
- (Asia–Pacific)
- (Pacific)