Classic FM live concert, Canberra Theatre; Artists: Dominant SEVEN
ABC Classic FM is an Australianclassicalradio station available in major centres around the country. Formed in the 1970s as ABC-FM (also known as ABC Fine Music), it was the ABC's first experiment in FM broadcasting. FM broadcasting became a necessity in Australia as broadcasters were fast running out of AM frequencies on which they could broadcast. Classic FM, based in part on BBC Radio 3, broadcasts classical music, operas, recitals, live concerts and music analysis programmes. Like all ABC Radio stations (except Triple J, which operates its own service), it also broadcasts ABC News's bulletins. On 19 December, 2005, to move in line with other ABC Radio networks (except Triple J and Radio Australia), its bulletins changed from national news bulletins to state-based bulletins. On weekdays, the news bulletins can be heard at 5.00am, 5.30am and hourly from 6.00am to 1.00pm and 4.00pm to 7.00pm, including an extended 10-minute bulletin at 7.00am (all other bulletins are 5 minutes in duration). On weekends, there are news bulletins hourly from 5.00am to 10.00am and at 12noon, 5.00pm and 7.00pm.