Australian Broadcasting Control Board
{{Short description|Former Australian government agency}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=July 2019}}
{{Use Australian English|date=January 2022}}
The Australian Broadcasting Control Board was an Australian government agency formed in 1949 whose main roles were to regulate commercial radio and television broadcasting.{{Citation
| author1=Australian Broadcasting Control Board.
| title=Annual report of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board.
| year=1950
| section=29 v. ; 34 cm.
| series=Parliamentary paper (Australia. Parliament)
| issue=1949, PP no. 9 of 1950
| location=Canberra
| publisher=Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by L.F. Johnston, Commonwealth Govt. Printer
| url=http://nla.gov.au/nla.obj-2141195117
| id=nla.obj-2141195117
| access-date=30 November 2021
| via=Trove
}} It was also the introducer and regulator for FM broadcasting.{{Cite book |url=https://www.worldcat.org/oclc/1323062 |title=Frequency modulation broadcasting: report of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board. |date=1972 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Control Board |isbn=0-642-94991-3 |location=Melbourne |oclc=1323062}}
The agency held public hearings, issued commercial broadcasting licenses, and performed the technical planning for the national and commercial broadcasting networks.{{Citation | title=Annual report of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board | publication-date=1950 | publisher=Printed and published for the Government of the Commonwealth of Australia by L.F. Johnston, Commonwealth Govt. Printer | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/21647149 | access-date=19 April 2020 }}
The Postmaster-General's Department was responsible for the engineering functions for the national transmitter facilities. Commercial broadcasters were responsible for their own construction and installation.{{Citation | author1=Australian Broadcasting Control Board. Engineering Services Division | title=Report | publication-date=1975 | publisher=The Board | url=https://trove.nla.gov.au/work/22219770 | access-date=19 April 2020 }}
The Australian Broadcasting Tribunal took over the functions of the Australian Broadcasting Control Board in the 1970s.
The engineering function in some cases was handled by the National Transmission Authority, when the Postmaster-General's Department ceased being responsible for the national broadcasting service. The {{clarify span|ABC|reason=If this is the Australian Broadcasting Commission/Corporation, says so explicitly|date=February 2025}} always handled the studio section of the national network.
The Australian Broadcasting Authority took over the functions of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal.
On 1 July 2005, the Australian Broadcasting Authority and the Australian Communications Authority were merged to create a new agency, the Australian Communications and Media Authority.