Photos of The 80s

The 1980s saw enormous change for the ABC as it moved into satellite broadcasting, changed from a Commission to a Corporation and began important re-structuring to make its operations more relevant and cost-effective. 1982 saw the retirement of Sir Talbot Duckmanton as General Manager, the ABC's hosting of the Brisbane Commonwealth Games and celebrations around the country for the ABC's 50th anniversary.

The following year the new Australian Broadcasting Corporation was established and Geoffrey Whitehead was appointed as the first Managing Director.

Since the Corporation was established the ABC has not only forged ahead in the areas of radio and television broadcasting, it has expanded its base to include the introduction and growth of a number of other functions. Major restructuring of the organisation occurred with radio and television being split into separate divisions. Senior management was reorganised and an overhaul of management, finance, property, engineering and equipment areas began.

In 1986, following the resignation of Geoffrey Whitehead, the then Chair of the ABC Board, David Hill, was appointed Managing Director.

In March, 1981, ABC Radio began carrying Aboriginal and Islander broadcasts in Alice Springs and in May 1983, the service was extended to north Queensland. New radio Comedy and Social History units were established and current affairs was expanded.

1985 saw important changes to the program formats of the ABC Radio networks. Radio 1 became the Metropolitan network and Radio 2 was re-named Radio National (in 1990 all Radio National transmitters were changed to the standardised RN callsign).

Popular new programs introduced on metropolitan and regional stations included The World Today, early editions of AM and PM, Australia All Over and The Coodabeen Champions. Radio National introduced provoking and lively programs such as Late Night Live, Arts National, Earthworm and Offspring. ABC-FM Stereo, as part of its commitment to showcase Australian Music created the Australian Music Unit in 1989 to produce Australian composition and performance tapes for broadcast in Australia and overseas.

The Second Regional Radio Network, a major Government initiative to upgrade ABC Radio services beyond the capital cities commenced in 1987. Nineteen new studios have been built and 16 studios have been upgraded in regional areas and over 300 new transmitters have been installed to enable country listeners to hear not just their local ABC Regional service but ABC-FM Stereo and Radio National as well.

In 1988, broadcasting of Federal Parliament was moved to a new network of eight transmitters to establish the Parliamentary Broadcasting Network. Broadcasts of Federal Parliament can now be heard in all capital cities and Newcastle. ABC Radio's ninth Metropolitan station 8DDD was launched in Darwin in 1989.

The Sydney based youth station 2JJJ was expanded into the Triple J network in 1989, and by 1990 was available in all State capitals, Canberra, Darwin and Newcastle.

In 1983 ABC-TV introduced a teletext service in Sydney and Melbourne for hearing impaired viewers.

Current Affairs programming continued to evolve. Nationwide, which replaced This Day Tonight in 1979 ran until 1984. It was superseded by The National, an hour long program which combined News and Current Affairs programs. In 1986, it was changed to the ABC news at 7.00pm followed by State based 7.30 Reports at 7.30pm. Throughout the eighties 4 Corners continued as Australia's most authoritative and respected current affairs program, while the new programs Lateline and Mediawatch added extra dimensions to current affairs coverage.

The ABC contributed to a revival in Australian comedy with programs like The Gillies Report, Mother and Son, The D Generation, Australia You're Standing In It, Blah, Blah, Blah and The Big Gig. Programs for young audiences included Beatbox, which was prepared by Sydney's youth and simulcast on 2JJJ-FM and the long running Countdown which ended its 12 year run in 1987. Other music programs such as Rock Arena and Rage were popular innovations with youth audiences.

A major initiative in arts programming was Sunday Afternoon with Peter Ross, a comprehensive four and a half hour program.

In 1984, new Board guidelines for ABC-TV required it to increase Australian content, particularly in prime time, and to increase its audience share. Prime time information programs and documentaries such as The Investigators, Bush Tucker Man and Quantum attracted large audiences.

Australian made documentaries have become a feature of the television schedule. Documentaries such as Out of Sight, Out of Mind and Nobody's Children stimulated public debate on important social issues. In 1987, The First Australians, the first extended season of Aboriginal programs was broadcast. An Aboriginal Programs Unit was formed and began producing Blackout, a prime-time documentary series. Nature of Australia, an award winning natural history series, that was five years in the making, was one of several major documentaries broadcast to mark Australia's bicentenary in 1988.

In 1987, an initiative to ensure a major increase in Australian drama on ABC-TV was announced. ABC produced drama ranged from the mini-series The Alien Years and The True Believers to series like G.P. and Police Rescue and the docu-drama Police State. Captain James Cook, a major international co-production was shown in the lead-up to the Bicentennial. Costs of producing drama were reduced by seeking co-production, co-financing and pre-sale agreements wherever possible. Between 1986 and 1991 production of Australian drama trebled.

In 1985, a new Concert Music Department was formed. Each Orchestra was given greater autonomy of management to be more responsive to local needs. The coordinating national office seeks the best Australian and international conductors and soloists to perform with the Orchestras, and promotes the composition and performance of Australian music. The ABC has become one of the largest and most diverse entrepreneurs of orchestral music in the world. A high priority in the eighties was to extend the Orchestras' audience reach through education activities, open air free concerts and tours by the Orchestras and joint ventures with other music entrepreneurs.

Radio Australia increasingly developed an Asian Pacific focus. Its primary target areas became the South West and Central Pacific, South-East and South Asia and North Asia. Radio Australia played an important role with special broadcasts during the Fiji coup in 1988, the Tiananmen Square crisis in China in 1989 and to Australian hostages and expatriates in the Middle-East during the Gulf crisis in 1990. Since 1988, segments of Radio Australia programs have been broadcast for domestic audiences on Radio National.

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