Ten Network logo

Network TEN so called because it broadcasts on Channel TEN in most cities, is Australia's third but possibly most profitable television network. Canada's CanWest Global Communications Corp. is the largest shareholder of the network's holding company, The Ten Group Pty Ltd ('TEN'). The floating shares are traded at the Australia Stock Exchange.

The network, formed in 1965, was initially dubbed the Independent Television Network but quickly adopted the name the 0_10 Network which reflected the (VHF) channel 0 and 10 frequencies that it broadcast at the time. In the early 1990s TEN also referred to itself by the acronym "The Entertainment Network" in network promos.

The call signs for the Network TEN stations are:

• TEN-10 Sydney
• ATV-10 Melbourne (originally ATV-0)
• TVQ-10 Brisbane (originally TVQ_0)
• NEW-10 Perth
• ADS-10 Adelaide (originally ADS_7. Transferred frequency and network affiliation to 10 in 1987)

Canberra and Hobart are serviced by regional affilates (see below). There is no Channel TEN station in Darwin.

In 1980, the 0_10 Network became known as Network TEN to reflect ATV_0's transition to ATV_10 _ although the Brisbane station continued to broadcast as TVQ-0 until 1988.

It was nearly folded into the Seven Network in the early 1990s, but due to the lobbying power of billionaire Kerry Packer owner of the Nine Network, this was successfully resisted.

It was recently revealed that CanWest were in discussions with John Fairfax Holdings about Fairfax possibly buying into, or taking over the network, should the current media ownership laws change, of which, under the Coalition government, is likely to happen. Currently, newspaper owners cannot own television stations in the same city. Fairfax owned the Seven Network until the mid 1980's, and has been looking for a way back into television for a long time.

A graph showing how CanWest Global owns the Ten Network

Marketing itself towards a more youthful audience than the other larger stations, Ten's programming is heavily dominated by American shows. It does carry three very successful local shows: the internationally exported soap opera Neighbours, and the local versions of Big Brother and Australian Idol. It runs a staple of Fox and other American sitcoms and cartoons. Ten caught on early to the reality television craze, and currently its programme line-up features several such shows, with varying degrees of success. It runs an hour of national news on a considerably smaller budget than most of its competition. More than any other commercial network, financial pressure causes Ten to be run with ruthless efficiency. It screens few movies and makes heavy use of re-runs, particularly of The Simpsons. Network TEN programming is also carried by the following affiliate stations:

Southern Cross Broadcasting owned:

• Southern Cross Ten - Queensland, New South Wales Northern & Southern, Australian Capital Territory, Victoria, South Australia (Spencer Gulf, and Broken Hill, New South Wales areas)
• Southern Cross Television - Tasmania (non-exclusive)

WIN Television owned:

• WIN TEN - South Australia (Mt Gambier and Riverland areas)
• WIN WA - Rural Western Australia (satellite) (non-exclusive)

Southern Cross and WIN jointly owned:

• Tasmanian Digital Television - Hobart, Tasmania - this is a digital only channel

Imparja owned:

• Imparja - remote central Australia (non-exclusive)