 Logo used since 2024 | |
| Type | Older children's programming • Family programming |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Broadcast area | Nationally |
| Network | ABC Television |
| Programming | |
| Language(s) | English |
| Picture format | 576iSDTV |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Sister channels | ABC TV ABC TV HD ABC Kids ABC Entertains ABC News |
| History | |
| Launched | 7 March 2005; 20 years ago (2005-03-07) (as ABC2) |
| Former names | ABC2 (2005–2017) ABC Comedy (2017–2020) ABC TV Plus (2021–2024) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| ABN Sydney (DVB-T) | 546/674 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)[1] |
| ABV Melbourne (DVB-T) | 562/690 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABQ Brisbane (DVB-T) | 578/706 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABS Adelaide (DVB-T) | 594 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABW Perth/Mandurah (DVB-T) | 738 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABT Hobart (DVB-T) | 626 @ 8 (191.5 MHz) |
| ABD Darwin (DVB-T) | 642 @ 30 (543.5 MHz) |
| Freeview | 22 (shared with ABC Kids) |
| Streaming media | |
| ABC iview live stream (Available to Australian viewers only) | |
ABC Family is an Australianfree-to-air television channel owned by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation and part of itsABC Television network. Thechannel broadcasts a range of family and teen entertainment programming. The channel operates between the hours of 7:30pm and 4:00amAEST/AEDT daily. The channel's bandwidth is used for theABC Kids channel for young children during the remaining hours of the day.
The channel was launched on 7 March 2005 asABC2. It was rebranded asABC Comedy on 4 December 2017, with a format focused on comedy programming. On 1 January 2021, it was rebranded asABC TV Plus and returned to a general entertainment format.[2] In May 2024, it was announced that the channel would rebrand asABC Family on 3 June 2024.[3]
The history of the channel can be traced back to 1998 when theAustralian Broadcasting Authority released a report, titledDigital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting, recommending that theAustralian Government support the early introduction of digital broadcasting as afree-to-air service with the loan of a 7 MHz channel for each broadcaster.[4] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation stated that it wished to run up to four multichannels at different times of the day or alternatively offer ahigh-definition television channel. The corporation claimed that up to A$100 million would be needed to prepare for these services, half of which would need to be government-funded.[4]
In August 2001 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched theABC Kids channel, withFly TV following in November 2001. The two multichannels, available only throughdigital terrestrial television, broadcast a range of programming targeted at younger and teenage viewers.[5] Funding issues meant that, in June 2003, ABC Television closed ABC Kids and Fly TV.[6]
Unlike its predecessors,ABC2 launched on 7 March 2005 on channel 21, independent of government funding, instead running on a budget of A$3 million per year.[7] The first programme in the launch schedule was an episode ofLandline – although scheduled to begin at 6.25am, the programme was delayed ten minutes. The channel was officially inaugurated by former Minister for Communications, SenatorHelen Coonan, at the AustralianParliament House inCanberra on 10 March 2005.[8]
Weekly video gaming and technology programmeGood Game was launched on 19 September 2006, becoming one of the first programmes in its genre to be broadcast onfree-to-air television in Australia.[9] Similarly in the same year, programmes produced includedAustralia Wide,Short and Curly,dig tv andLate Night Legends.
Genre restrictions imposed by the Australiangovernment on digital multichanneling were lifted along with the media ownership laws passed through the Australianparliament on 18 October 2006.[9][10] Previously limited in the subjects it could cover, ABC2 was henceforth able to carry shows identified as comedy, drama, national news, sport or entertainment.
On 1 January 2008 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced the introduction of live coverage and programme content on ABC2 from theAustralian Film Commission,Opera Australia, and theAustralian Ballet.[11]
On 8 February 2008 ABC2 was rebranded with a new slogan[12] and yellow-coloured logo, complementing the new ABC TV logo, which was concurrently revamped as ABC1.[13][14] The channel also moved from channel 21 to channel 22.[15] The rebrand was intended to capture a younger audience than ABC1, along with programming shifts bringing across original shows such as the popularGood Game and controversialDouble the Fist.
On 4 December 2009, coinciding with the launch of the new youth multichannelABC3, the children's programming block on ABC2 was relaunched asABC For Kids on 2, and shifted its positioning to focus exclusively on preschool programmes.[16]
With new channel controller Stuart Menzies (formerly of ABC TV documentaries) joining in July 2010,[17][18] ABC2 continued as a children's channel in the daytime, changing over to adult programmes at 7:00pm (originally 6:00pm until January 2011).[19]
In May 2011, the channel's children's block was rebranded asABC 4 Kids, and began to be treated as a separate channel timesharing in ABC2's bandwidth.[16]
On 30 October 2017, it was announced by the ABC that on 4 December 2017, ABC2 would be rebranded asABC Comedy, ending the use of the ABC2 name after 12 years, and focus on a range of comedy programming supplemented with repeats of popular ABC TV programmes.[20] With this announcement, the channel also moved up its start time to 7:30pm instead of 7pm.
On 25 November 2020, it was announced at the ABC's 2021 upfronts that ABC Comedy would be rebranded asABC TV Plus and return to a general entertainment format on 1 January 2021.[2]
On 1 January 2023, ABC TV Plus moved its startup time up an hour from 7:30pm to 6:30pm, led as before withSpicks and Specks; the broadcaster cited "audience research which shows our co-viewing family audience with older children grows around that time of day".[21] The move garnered criticism from parents who were familiar with the 7:30pm closedown time for ABC Kids; due to viewer feedback, the startup time moved to 7pm on 6 February 2023,[22] and then reverted back to 7:30pm on 13 February.[23]
On 9 May 2024, it was announced that ABC TV Plus would rebrand asABC Family on 3 June, with a focus on family co-viewing.[3] will abc 3 and abc 2 come back please abc kids want her big sister back for good how many more rebrand will abc have to do until they revive abc 3 and abc 2
ABC Family is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations.[24]
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To allow automated operation of the channel without the complications of variable length live news broadcasts, prior to the launch ofABC News 24, the channel broadcast hourlyABC News updates titledNews in Brief produced forABC Online. The channel also launched themorning show,ABC News Breakfast, on 3 November 2008, a three-hour news program running every weekday. The program no longer airs on the channel but is simulcast onABC TV and theABC News channel.
The channel also previously ranABC Asia Pacific News,[26] which is produced forABC Australia.
In May 2011, with the move ofABC News Breakfast toABC1,[27] children's programming was relocated to ABC2 andABC3.
An overnight ABC News Update which was replayed from theABC News channel was formerly the last televised program to be played before the channel's overnight closure,[28] until its rebrand to ABC Family in June 2024.
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The channel formerly broadcast exclusive national coverage of many sporting competitions, which include theNew South Wales Rugby Union,Queensland Rugby League,Victorian Football League,South Australian National Football League,West Australian Football League, and theNorthern Territory Football League. TheWomen's National Basketball League andW-League Women's Football Competition was broadcast live every week. In addition the channel also broadcast theFed Cup and theTiwi Islands Football League Grand Final annually.
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ABC Family is available on all ofABC Television'sterrestrial television transmitters in576iSD Digital, as well as on most satellite and cable services.
ABC Family does not broadcast 24 hours a day. From 4am to 7:30pm daily, the channel's bandwidth is used for theABC Kids channel. ABC Family's programming commences at 7:30pm daily and closes at 4am, which is the same time that ABC Kids' programming starts.[29]
The channel launched with a three-dimensional logo of the numeral two. The previous idents were produced in part by Amanda Dennis (known for her work onAustralia Wide, andGood Game), and were used in some form since the channel's launch, until the 2008 rebrand. The channel's original slogan was"More Choice, More Often". All promos featured the "Big 2" placed in famous, and iconic Australian locations, such asSydney Harbour, theMelbourne Convention & Exhibition Centre and theNorthern Territory. The "Big 2" was somewhat similar to the on air mascot ofBBC Two in appearance. ABC2's logo was modified for the promotion of the channels launch, and for various sporting events, notably the channel's launch, where the logo appeared under-construction, and during the promotion of Australians Women's Netball where it took on the appearance of a netball.
On 8 February 2008, ABC2 updated to a yellow logo, and slogan to"Connecting 2",[14] as well as moving its digital terrestrial broadcast from Channel 21 to Channel 22. In addition to this, the slogan"More Choice, More Often" was replaced with"Connecting 2". After concerns in some sections of the media that the 43-year-oldLissajous curve brand was to disappear completely, ABC management reaffirmed that it would remain in use by the corporation.[30][31] On 1 April 2011 the logo was rebranded to look similar to that of the logo used by the ABC channel (then ABC1), and the ABC2 slogan was replaced with"Always Brighter".[32] On 20 July 2014 following the main channel's rebrand to the 1974 Lissajous curve logo, new variants of the ABC2 logo were introduced to fit with the classic Lissajous curve. However, the 2011 logo remained in use on-screen with it and the 2014 variant used interchangeably.
On 4 December 2017, after 12 years of being known as ABC2, the channel underwent a major rebranding and was renamed ABC Comedy.[20]
On 1 January 2021, the channel was rebranded again to be known as ABC TV Plus.[2] This would last until 2024, when in May, it was announced that the channel would rebrand as ABC Family from 3 June 2024.[3]
