The ABC as Art World,1932-2000: A Public Service Broadcaster’s Role in the Making of Australian Classical Music

Despite the current identification of the ABC with news/current affairs, the original purpose of the ABC was support for musicians. Using Howard Becker's conceptualisation of art worlds, this thesis employs data analysis of archival collections to investigate the ABC’s support for classical music in the twentieth century. This demonstrates the national broadcaster’s foundational role in creating audiences for classical music and developing skills among performers and composers. In particular, the ABC’s use of in-house recordings extended access to Australian classical music both nationally and internationally via competitions and exchange programs and enables analysis of changing aesthetic values within the ABC.