Special Broadcasting Service

The Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) is a hybrid-funded Australian public broadcasting radio, online, and television network. SBS operates four TV channels (SBS, SBS 2, NITV and Food Network) and five radio networks (SBS Radio One, TWO & Three, SBS Chill and SBS PopAsia). SBS Online (sbs.com.au) is home to SBS On Demand video streaming service. The stated purpose of SBS is "to provide multilingual and multicultural radio and television services that inform, educate and entertain all Australians and, in doing so, reflect Australia's multicultural society". SBS is one of five main free-to-air networks in Australia.

History

In 1975, concerns that minority communities might require details in their own languages of the new Medibank health care scheme (renamed Medicare in 1984) led to the establishment of two ethnic-minority radio stations, 2EA in Sydney and 3EA in Melbourne. These started broadcasting in June 1975, with pre-recorded messages in seven and eight foreign languages, respectively.