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The '''Australian Broadcasting Corporation''', shortened to '''ABC''' is a the state-owned public broadcaster in [[Australia]]. The ABC is operated on a budget of over $1 Billion (Australian) <ref>http://www.budget.gov.au/2009-10/content/bp4/html/bp4_agency_resourcing_04_bcde.htm</ref> and has been criticized for it its [[left-wing|left]] -leaning [[liberal bias|bias]] by [[conservative]] figureheads in Australia.<ref>http://blogs.news.com.au/heraldsun/andrewbolt/index.php/heraldsun/comments/column_your_abc_of_bias/</ref>

The ABC originally started out as a commercial radio station network called the Australian Broadcasting Company in 1923 and in . In 1932 , the company was nationalized under the Australian Broadcasting Commission Act.<ref>http://www.acmi.net.au/AIC/RADIO_HIST_AUS.html</ref><ref>http://www.radio.adelaide.edu.au/intro/history_OZ-radio.pdf#search=%22%22Australian%20Broadcasting%20Company%22%22</ref> It started broadcasting as a television service in1956 in 1956 and in the 2000s digital channels were added such as ABC2.

The ABC is almost completely funded by the Federal Government except for . It is also funded by a small percentage which is generated through the profit of items originally sold in the ABC shop Shop (which has since ceased operations as of 2019) such as DVD’sDVDs, which are now sold through contracted privately owned brick-and-mortar and online retailers. The operating budget for the ABC is slightly over $1 .06 Billion according to the latest Government budget data.<ref>httphttps://www.budget.gov.au/20092019-1020/content/bp4bp2/htmldownload/bp4_agency_resourcing_04_bcdebp2_expense.htmpdf</ref>

As it is not a commercial network it , the ABC does not necessarily go for high -rating programs but concentrates much of its air time on news and current affair affairs programs such as “7.30”''7:30'', “Four Corners”''Four Corners'', “Lateline” ''Lateline'' and the “ABC News” ''ABC News'' as well as many local programs , such as children’s children's programs from 6am 6 a.m. to 10am 10 a.m. every weekday.<ref>http://www.abc.net.au/news/programs</ref> It consistently polls around 15 – 20% of the overall population share every day.<ref>http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2009/12/week-52-3.html</ref><ref>http://www.throng.com.au/ratings/free-air-tv-ratings-monday-december-7-2009</ref>

 The ABC been accused by Australian conservatives over allegations of [[left -wing]] bias in its journalism , especially when it over represents overrepresents [[leftist]] issues in Australia such as [[immigration]], [[republicanism]], [[multiculturalism]], reconciliation and its support for the centre-left Australian Labor Partyover the conservative [[Liberal Party of Australia]].<ref>http://candobetter.org/node/17</ref><ref>http://www.themonthly.com.au/monthly-essays-robert-manne-new-teeth-aunty-reinvigorating-national-broadcaster-749</ref> Conservative commentators in Australia such as Andrew Bolt as well as Coalition members have stated that they believe the ABC to contain bias from the leftLeft.<ref>http://newmatilda.com/2009/08/24/small-l-liberal-not-left</ref> [[John Howard]] who was the Liberal Party Prime Minister of Australia from 1996 – 2007 had cut the funding to the ABC by close to 10% for what he believed to be left -wing bias. In a 2004 poll of journalists the ABC came in second to the question of “the "the most politically biased media organisation in Australia”Australia".<ref>http://www.roymorgan.com/resources/pdf/papers/20040903.pdf</ref>