Photos of The 40s

With the outbreak of World War II, strict censorship was imposed and most programs had to be submitted to censors three weeks before broadcast. For the first few months of the war, even weather reports were not broadcast due to the censorship restrictions. At the end of June 1940, the Department of Information took control of the 7.00pm nightly national news. However, after listeners expressed their preference for independent news presented by the Commission, control of the news was returned to the ABC in September 1940.

With Japan's entry into the war, the June 1942 Commission Report said Australia was now 'a vital centre of war' and, 'in response, radio became a major instrument of national policy'. Over the previous 12 months, 20 per cent of the total program time had been occupied by items associated with the war. Sporting broadcasts were reduced, but religious, cultural and instructive talks, as well as features and general war talks, were increased. In 1942-43, there were 1544 such 'War Effort' talks. Drama production also began to include 'Dramatised Propaganda'. The Early Morning Session ran a series titled It All Depends on Me and programs on music and the arts of the allied nations. Light entertainment programs were increased, and Listening Groups established to discuss Allied war aims.

A new kind of daily program for very young children, Kindergarten Of The Air, began in Perth in 1942. After its initial success in Western Australia, it was produced nationally, becoming one of the ABC's most successful programs. Many ABC staff members joined up as the war continued, giving the opportunity for women to become announcers, supervisors, and musicians. The first woman announcer, Margaret Doyle, was appointed in 1940, and by 1942, there were 19 women announcers. During the war, women also became sound effects officers, technicians and journalists.

The ABC's extensive war effort included arranging concerts for troops in camp and broadcasting special programs designed to assist in maintaining civilian morale. The Commission cooperated with other organisations in arranging concerts to raise funds for the war effort. News staff also prepared special news bulletins for transmission to the forces overseas.

There was, however, some difference of opinion between the ABC and the Government on material broadcast. Early in March 1942, the ABC began broadcasting a Department of Information/ABC series titled The Jap As He Really Is. After continued protests it was discontinued. In its 1942-43 Report, the Commission referred to its 'difference of opinion' with certain Government departments on the manner in which some types of propaganda should be handled, using that series as an example, and said 'serious loss to the war-time effectiveness of our national stations would result from any undermining' of public confidence in the ABC's 'impartiality and integrity'.

Early in the War, the ABC established a mobile recording unit based in Gaza, Egypt, reporting and recording in the Middle East and Greece. In 1939, the ABC had also bought a cable news service and the right to re-broadcast all BBC News Bulletins. National news bulletins to all stations were then broadcast three times a day. In December 1941, another mobile unit was sent to Darwin. Correspondents were sent throughout the south-east Asia/Pacific war theatre and a third mobile field unit was established in Papua New Guinea in 1942.

Early in 1942, it was agreed that, in view of the serious war situation, all national and commercial transmitters would relay the first part of ABC news bulletins (Australian news from Canberra) at 7.45am, 12.30pm and 7.00pm, and the Commission also offered the overseas section of these bulletins free to those commercial stations wishing to take them. The arrangement was discontinued in 1944, but a large number of stations, particularly in the country areas, continued to take the ABC news service.

The Australian Broadcasting Act was passed in 1942. The Commission was given the power to decide when, and in what circumstances, political speeches should be broadcast. Directions from the Minister to broadcast, or refrain from broadcasting any matter, now had to be made in writing, and any exercise of the power had to be mentioned in the Commission's Annual Report. That power has been used only once, in 1963, when the Postmaster General, on the advice of the Prime Minister, directed the ABC not to broadcast an interview with the former Prime Minister of France, Georges Bidault.

Under 1946 amendments to the Broadcasting Act, the ABC was required to 'secure its news for broadcasting purposes within the Commonwealth by its own staff, and abroad through such overseas news agencies and other overseas sources as it desired', together with its own overseas staff. The ABC expanded its news department, building on the talent and expertise already developed during the war years. On 1 June 1947, the ABC's independent national news service was inaugurated. It is now the largest, most comprehensive, independent news gathering body in Australia with full-time staff correspondents around the world.

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