Commercial radio is a free-to-air service, making its profits from advertising revenue.
There are almost 300 commercial AM and FM licensed radio stations in Australia. Together, they make about $1 billion each year, most of which comes from the larger cities.
Licences are issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992. ACMA also issue apparatus licences under the Radiocommunications Act 1992.
Commercial radio broadcasters must follow any rules set out in their licence conditions, the ACMA program standards or the relevant code of practice when broadcasting content. These rules include requirements about what can be broadcast and how complaints are handled.
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