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Regional television is the term given to the industry of providing local television services to areas outside of the five main Australian cities (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth).
Three Station Markets
There are four main markets, along the Australian east coast. These markets have three stations each, with each station affilated to either the Seven, Nine or Ten networks. They are: - Southern New South Wales
- Prime Television (Seven Network affilate)
- WIN Television (Nine Network affilate)
- Southern Cross Ten (Ten Network affilate)
- Victoria
- Prime Television (Seven Network affilate)
- WIN Television (Nine Network affilate)
- Southern Cross Ten (Ten Network affilate)
Two Station Markets (aggreated) Aggreation was also implemented in Tasmania and remote parts of eastern and central Australia, with only two stations instead of three. Those markets are: - Remote and Central Australia
- Seven Central (Seven Network affilate)
- Imparja Television (Nine and Ten Network affilate)
Two Station Markets (non-aggreated) Areas that were considered too small to be aggreated were left untouched until the mid-1990's, when supplementary licenses, often awarded to the existing operator (similar to the Canadian twin-stick operations in smaller markets). Those markets are: - Griffith, New South Wales
- Prime Television (Seven Network affilate) α
- WIN Television (mainly a Nine Network affilate, takes some Ten Network programs)
- Mildura, Victoria
- Prime Television (Seven Network affilate)
- WIN Television (mainly a Nine Network affilate, takes some Ten Network programs)
- Spencer Gulf, South Australia and Broken Hill, New South Wales
- Central GTS/BKN (mainly a Seven Network affilate, takes selected Nine Network programs)
- Southern Cross Ten (Ten Network affilate)
- South-Eastern South Australia
- WIN Television (mainly a Nine Network affilate, takes selected Seven Network
programs) -
- WIN Ten (Ten Network affilate)
- Darwin, Northern Territory
- Seven Darwin (Seven Network affilate)
- Channel Nine Darwin (mainly a Nine Network affilate, takes some Ten Network programs)
Digital Licenses In some of the smaller markets, in order to stimulate growth in digital television, a digital-only station license was granted. At this stage, they are operated as joint ventures between the two existing licensees. The first station to go to air, Tasmanian Digital Television, a joint venture between Southern Cross and WIN went to air in late 2003, and broadcasts mainly Ten Network programming not seen on the main Southern Cross station.
In Mildura and Griffith, WIN and Prime have combined to apply for digital-only licenses in those markets, under the names Mildura Digital Television and Griffith Digital Television respectively.
Differences between Metropolitian and Regional Television The differences between stations based in the capital cities and the regional areas differ in terms of local content, advertising, broadcast schedules and news coverage. Regional stations produce and air programs that reflect the areas of which they serve that aren't aired on the metro stations. Examples of this include: -
- State Focus (Southern Cross Ten): regional current affairs
- The Saturday Club (Prime Television): children's program
- Fishing Australia (WIN Television): fishing program
- Destinations (WIN Television): travel program
- Advertising
In addition to nationally-advertised products, local stations produce their own advertising. As a result, regional stations have longer adbreaks to fit all the commercials in. Some programs aired in metropolitian markets are aired at different times in regional areas, often to fit in local news. For example, NBN and WIN air A Current Affair at 7pm, instead of 6.30pm. Prime Television stations that have 30 minute news bulletins do not air Today Tonight, and Prime stations that do not have 30 minute news bulletins air the capital city's news bulletin at the same time. All regional stations have local news of some sort. -
- NBN: 60 minute news bulletin Monday-Friday, 30 minute bulletin Saturday and Sunday
- WIN: 30 minute local news bulletin Monday-Friday followed by National Nine News, 30 minute bulletin Saturday Sunday (Tasmania only) (all markets except Western Australia).
- Southern Cross Ten: two minute bulletins during the ratings period, Monday-Friday
- Prime Television
- Newcastle, Canberra, Wollongong, Victoria: two minute bulletins during the ratings period, Monday-Friday
- All other areas: 30 minute local news bulletin Monday-Friday, followed by Seven News.
- Southern Cross Tasmania: 30 minute bulletin, 7 days a week
- Imparja: 30 minute news bulletin Monday-Friday
- GWN: 30 minute local news bulletin Monday-Friday
History
1960's In December 1961, the first regional television stations were launched, with GLV-10 Traralgon, GMV-6 Shepparton and BCV-8 Bendigo the first stations to commence operations.
Throughout the 1960's, station after station began operations, those being:
- 1962: BTV-6 Ballarat, NBN-3 Newcastle, TNT-9 Launceston, WIN-4 Wollongong, TNQ-7 Townsville, DDQ-10 Toowoomba, CTC-7 Canberra, RTN-8 Lismore, and CBN-8 Orange
- 1963: RTQ-7 Rockhampton
- 1964: AMV-4 Albury and RVN-2 Wagga Wagga
- 1965: SEQ-8 Maryborough, NEN-9 Tamworth, NRN-11 Coffs Harbour, CWN-6 Dubbo, MTN-9 Griffith and STV-8 Mildura
- 1966: FNQ-10 Cairns, ECN-8 Taree, SDQ-4 Southern Downs and SES-8 Mount Gambier
- 1967: BTW-3 Bunbury and GSW-9 ALbany
- 1968: BKN-7 Broken Hill, GTS-4 Port Pirie and MVQ-6 Mackay
1970's In the 1970's, some stations began to form partnerships to reduce the costs of operating and importing programming. Some of these stations include: - Midstate 6,8,9 (CWN-6 Dubbo, CBN-8 Orange, MTN-9 Griffith)
- RVN-AMV (RVN-2 Wagga, AMV-4 Albury)
- NRN-11/ECN-8 (NRN-11 Coffs Harbour, ECN-8 Taree, later broken off)
- NEN-9/ECN-8 (NEN-9 Tamworth, ECN-8 Taree)
- Northern Rivers Television (NRN-11 Coffs Harbour, RTN-8 Lismore)
The final areas to get television stations in the 1970's were: All television stations in Australia, regional stations included, were required to convert to colour transmission in 1975.
1980's Further station amalagations occured in the 1980's including: - North Queensland Television (TNQ-7 Townsville, FNQ-10 Cairns)
- The SIX Network (later Television Victoria)(GMV-6 Sheparaton, BTV-6 Ballarat, later STV-8 Mildura)
- TV8 (later Southern Cross TV8, finally Southern Cross Network) (GLV-8 Gippsland, BCV-8 Bendigo, and initally STV-8 Mildura)
- TasTV (TVT-6 Hobart, TNT-9 Launceston, TNT-9 split in 1989 to become Southern Cross)
Also in the 1980's, some stations were required to change their frequencies due to interference from metropolitian stations. Those stations were: - GLV-10 Gippsland, who moved to channel 8, so ATV-0 in Melbourne could move to channel 10 (1980)
- DDQ10 and TVQ0 switched channels, becoming DDQ0 and TVQ10, and SEQ10 became SEQ55 (1988)
In 1988, the last regional station to begin before aggreation was launched. Imparja Television, based in Alice Springs (using callsign IMP-9), began transmission via the AUSSAT satellites.
Aggreation In an attempt to gain regional votes, the Hawke Labor government of the late 1980's introduced regional equalisation, known as aggreation, which would provide regional viewers with the same choice in viewing as their metropolitian cousins.
The local stations protested at this proposal, arguing that their profits would fall, and that local content would also decrease. They offered their own proposal, where the existing operator would be allowed to operate relays of the other two networks, thereby allowing a mix between viewer choice and local content. For example, if NBN were to take the Nine affiliation, their two relays would offer Seven and Ten network programs on other channels, direct from Sydney. The proposal was rejected.
Labor's system would allow networks from nearby markets to begin to transmit into neighbouring markets, as an affilate of a metro network. For example, before aggreating, Northern New South Wales was made up of three different license areas: Newcastle, New England and North Coast, served by three different stations. After aggreation, these three areas became one large license area, with three competitors.
After realizing they had lost their battle with the government, the stations began to organize affiliations with metro networks. Stations that hadn't joined forces before hand began to merge, including:
- RTQ-7 and DDQ-0 became Vision Television, later Star Television
- Midstate 6,8,9 and RVN-AMV became The Prime Network, later Prime Television
- SEQ-55 and MVQ-6 became The Sunshine Television Network
The first area to be aggreated was Southern New South Wales. In two phases (due to problems in Orange and Wagga), beginning 31 March 1989, WIN Television became the affilate of the Nine Network in that area, with Capital Television becoming the Ten Network affilate, and Prime Television becoming the Seven Network affilate.
The next area to be aggreated was Queensland, which occured on December 31, 1990. This wasn't without controversy however, as a week before aggreation was due to take place, WIN Television purchased the soon-to-be Ten affilate, Star Television, and gave them the Nine affiliation. The former Nine affilate, QTV, was forced to change its affiliation to the Ten Network. So, when aggreation occured, QTV became the Ten affilate, Star Television became WIN Television Queensland, and hence became the Nine affilate, and Sunshine Television Network became the Seven affilate.
Northern New South Wales was the next to be affilated, occuring on December 31, 1991. NBN Television became the Nine Network affilate, while the Seven Network would be carried by affilate Prime Television, and NRTV became the Ten affilate.
Victoria had its aggreation pushed forward from 1993 to 1 January 1992, although the Seven affilate, Prime Television, didn't expand until March of that year. VIC TV became the Nine Network affilate, and Southern Cross Network took on the Ten affiliation.
Tasmania would be next to be aggreated in 1994, however only two stations would be aggreated, rather than the three that the previous markets had. Southern Cross Tasmania would become an affilate of both the Seven and Ten networks, and TAS TV would take on the Nine Network affiliation.
The final area to be aggreated was Remote and Central Australia, an area which takes in parts of remote Australia where traditional television signals can not be received, mainly in the Northern Territory, far western New South Wales and far western Queensland. These areas either receive signals via free-to-air satellite or via re-transmission stations. The stations involved were Imparja Television, who took the Nine and Ten network affiliations, and QSTV, which became Seven Central, and took a Seven Network affiliation.
Some areas would not be aggreated, as these areas were too small for aggreation to be of any benefit. Mildura in Victoria and Griffith in New South Wales were examples of this.
1990's and beyond As viewers came to grips with having three commerical stations to choose from, the next major change would come in the forms of local identity and content and ownership.
The first change was that of NRTV, who were brought out by Telecasters Australia, who owned QTV. This occured around 1993. Around a year later, both stations changed their names to Ten Northern New South Wales and Ten Queensland, and took on generic Ten branding. Telecasters also axed local news services in Northern New South Wales and most areas of Queensland except Townsville and Cairns.
In Victoria, Southern Cross Network changed its name and logo to "SCN", using a psuedo-Ten style logo. A few months later, SCN changed its name to Ten Victoria, and axed local news services.
Capital Television in 1992 changed its logo to a completely original design, incorporating the Southern Cross. The identification was a modified version of Ten's current identification at the time.
In 1993, NBN Television launched a new logo, based upon the Channel 9 and WIN logos. In 1995, Sunshine Television in Queensland was purchased by the Seven Network, and became Seven Queensland, taking on the generic Seven branding.
In the late 1990's, new stations in Griffith and Mildura (both Prime Television) were launched.
In 1998, WIN Television began its Western Australia service, as well as purchasing SES-8 Mount Gambier and RTS-5a Riverland the following year. Also, Prime Television purchased Golden West Network, giving it an Seven Network affiliation.
2000's and beyond In December 2003, the first digital-only television station was launched, Tasmanian Digital Television, a joint venture between WIN and Southern Cross. Similar stations in Mildura and Griffith are expected in the next few years.
Regional stations have started converting to digital transmission, with NBN leading the way in producing digital content. They began using a new set designed for digital television, and acquired a outside broadcast unit for producing sports and other events in digital, and is so far the only unit of its type in Australia. WIN Television in its Southern NSW license area will be the next to launch a digital-friendly set.
Local Content In 2001, Prime Television and Southern Cross Broadcasting axed local news services in Newcastle, Wollongong, Canberra, North Queensland, Darwin, Central and Remote Australia. This triggered an review of local content regulations from by the Australian Broadcasting Authority.
In 2003, the result of the investigations recommended that a bare minimum of time per day should be allocated to local news. In 2004, Prime and Southern Cross responsed by producing 2 minute bulletins for all regions affected from their bases, both in Canberra, as well as occasional local programs, such as Southern Cross Ten's State Focus, and Prime's Saturday Club.
See also
External links - NBN Television (http://www.nbntv.com.au)
- WIN Television (WinNET website) (http://www.winnet.com.au)
- WIN Television (corporate website) (http://www.wintv.com.au)
- Southern Cross Broadcasting (http://www.scbnetwork.com.au)
- Prime Television (http://www.primetv.com.au)
- Imparja Television (http://www.imparja.com.au)
- Golden West Network (http://www.gwn.com.au)
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