ABC Online

Infobox Website
name = abc.net.au
favicon =



caption =
url = http://www.abc.net.au
commercial = No
type = Portal
registration = 1994
owner = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
author = ABC
launch date = 1995
current status = Active
revenue =

ABC Online is the brand name in Australia for the online services of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, managed by ABC Innovation. It covers a large network of websites including those for ABC News, television, radio, and video-on-demand through ABC iView.

ABC Online is one of Australia's largest and most-visited web sites, according to Alexa the eleventh-most popular in the country. It currently contains over 5 million pages [ [http://www.abc.net.au/corp/pubs/documents/mark_scott_npc_address_10.09.08.pdf Address to National Press Club 10 September 2008] ] .

History

The ABC established its original Multimedia Unit in 1995, cite web
title = About the ABC - The 90s
publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
url = http://abc.net.au/corp/history/hist7.htm
accessdate = 2007-10-01 ] to manage the Corporation's website (launched in August that year). Although the unit at first relied upon funding allocation to the Corporation's television and radio operations, in subsequent budgets it began to receive its own. The ABC provided live, online election coverage for the first time in 1996, although it was not until 1997 until limited news content was provided.

ABC Online became a part of ABC New Media and Digital Services when the Multimedia division was renamed and changed to an 'output division' similar to Television or Radio. cite web
title = About the ABC - The 2000s
publisher = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
url = http://abc.net.au/corp/history/hist8.htm
accessdate = 2007-10-04 ] 'Broadband news' services were introduced in 2001.

In 2008, Crikey reported that certain ABC Online mobile sites in development were planned to carry commercial advertising. [cite |author=Andrew Dodd |title=New ABC Mobile service to include advertising |url=http://www.crikey.com.au/Media-Arts-and-Sports/20080908-ABC-advertising.html |publisher=Crikey.com.au |date=2008-09-08] Screenshots, developed in-house, of an ABC Grandstand sport page include advertising for two private companies. Media Watch later revealed that the websites were to be operated by ABC Commercial and distinguished from the main, advertising-free, mobile website by a distinct logo. [cite |title=ABC Designs for the future |url=http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s2365258.htm |date=2008-09-15 |author=Media Watch|publisher=ABC Online]

References

ee also

* Australian Broadcasting Corporation
* ABC Innovation
* ABC iView
* ABC Rural