Border Security: Australia's Front Line

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Border Security: Australia's Front Line

Format	Reality
Narrated by	Grant Bowler (2004-)
Country of origin	Australia
Production
Running time	Approx 30 minutes (including commercials)
Broadcast
Original channel	Channel Seven
Picture format	16:9
Original run	2004 – current
External links
Official website
IMDb profile
TV.com summary

Border Security: Australia's Front Line is an Australian television program that airs on the Seven Network. The show follows the work of officers of the Australian Customs Service, the Australian Quarantine and Inspection Service, and the Department of Immigration and Citizenship as they enforce Australian customs, quarantine, immigration and finance laws.

Most of the program is filmed at Sydney and Melbourne airports. Occasionally, the program features other locations such as Brisbane Airport, ports, international mail centres, raids on workplaces suspected of employing persons contrary to the restrictions of their visa or immigrant status and the work of Customs vessels and aircraft in the waters of Northern Australia.

[edit] Broadcast

The show premiered in Australia in 2004 and became a ratings hit. The first season was hosted by Grant Bowler, who stopped appearing on camera in subsequent seasons. The show has continued to air since then, and currently airs on Monday nights. It is classified PG.

The show is also broadcast in New Zealand on TVNZ's TV1, in the UK and Ireland on Living2 and Virgin 1 (where it airs as Nothing to Declare) and on Tele 5 channel in Poland (in Polish). It is also broadcast on the Australian Pay TV channel The LifeStyle Channel and on the Australia Network across Asia in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and Macau.

[edit] Criticism

Writer Bob Burton in his book Inside Spin: The dark underbelly of the PR industry expressed concern that the television show, by being subject to post-production editing, allows the producers to remove anything that shows any mistakes made by the government agencies concerned. Instead, Burton argues, the show gives the viewing public the sense that the government is effectively and fairly administrating border security policy.^[1]