Eric Kisch raised the idea of a subscription CM station and Don Satz
outlined the kind of programming he would like.  I thought a brief
rundown on what we have in Australia might be useful.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) is the publicly-funded
body which runs a national TV network and four radio networks.  It's
responsible, in general, for the six state symphony orchestras.  It also
markets CDs, videotapes, cassettes, books etc through its own shops.  All
of this is funded from taxes.  There used to be a television licence fee
as in the UK but it was scrapped and never re-introduced.  Our current
government has cut funding to the ABC quite drastically but it still
manages to provide good service although, despite profits from its
commercial operations, it has had to curtail making TV programs quite
severely.  Even thinking about our minister for communications makes me
angry, so I'll spare listers the awful details.

In particular, our concern is ABC Classic FM which is on air for 24 hours
a day.  6am-9am and 4pm-7pm on weekdays are for short works or excerpts
from longer ones.  Karl Haas is on weeknights at 7.  One hour each weekday
morning is an interview with a visiting musician, author, etc, interspersed
with bits of music.  Another hour is for new releases.  One night there is
a one-hour play.  Another night has a program about new Australian music
and its composers and performers.  Sunday night is opera night - recently
we've had a series of Met productions.  Concerts, both local and overseas,
are broadcast.  There are a couple of four-hour request programs, one of
them on Sunday morning.  There are two two-hour jazz programs, two hours
of religious music, for want of a better term, and a band music program.
There are also extended programs for re-releases.

The rest of the time is wall-to-wall music.  There are five-minute news
bulletins during the busier times of the day and the only commercials are
for the station's own programs, CM concerts or releases on the ABC's CM
label.  The presenters are knowledgeable and in the main don't promote
themselves at the expense of the music.  Night owls are especially well
catered for when two of the best presenters often play unusual music.

The monthly magazine, 24 Hours, provides full details of each work
including performers, label and number except for the programs devoted
to short pieces and the overnight sessions whose details are added to
the other program information on the ABC's web site
http://www.abc.net.au/classic/default.htm.

It would be possible to quibble about some aspects of the station but I
think the fundamentals are as they should be.  Personally, I'd like to see
more unusual music broadcast, but then I remind myself that each of us once
heard Beethoven's 5th for the first time.

Richard Pennycuick
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