 Logo used since 2021 | |
| Type | Free-to-air television network Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Country | Australia |
| Broadcast area | National |
| Network | ABC Television |
| Headquarters | Sydney |
| Programming | |
| Language | English |
| Picture format | 1080iHDTV[a] (downscaled to576i for theSDTV feed) |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Sister channels | ABC TV HD ABC Kids ABC Family ABC Entertains ABC News |
| History | |
| Launched | 5 November 1956; 69 years ago (1956-11-05) |
| Former names | ABC National Television Service/ABC National Television/ABC-TV (5 November 1956 – 8 February 2008) ABC1 (8 February 2008 – 20 July 2014) |
| Links | |
| Website | www |
| Availability | |
| Terrestrial | |
| ABN Sydney (DVB-T) | 545/547/673/675 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)[1] |
| ABV Melbourne (DVB-T) | 561/563/689/691 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABQ Brisbane (DVB-T) | 577/579/705/707 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABS Adelaide (DVB-T) | 593 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABW Perth/Mandurah (DVB-T) | 737 @ 12 (226.5 MHz) |
| ABT Hobart (DVB-T) | 625 @ 8 (191.5 MHz) |
| ABD Darwin (DVB-T) | 641 @ 30 (543.5 MHz) |
| FreeviewABC (virtual) | 2/20/21 |
| Streaming media | |
| ABC | ABC TV live stream on iview |
ABC TV, formerly known asABC1, is an Australian nationalpublic television network. It is owned and operated by theAustralian Broadcasting Corporation, and is theflagshipABC Television network. The headquarters of the ABC TV channel and the ABC are inUltimo, an inner-city suburb of Sydney.
The network began operating on 5 November 1956 as theABC National Television Service, starting in Sydney, followed by Melbourne, with other stations being established in state capitals and regional areas in the following years. In the 1960s and 1970s, the network was also referred to asABC National Television, orABC Television. Until the introduction ofdigital television in 2001, the network was the only domestic television service broadcast by the ABC. On 8 February 2008, the channel was renamed ABC1, before being rebranded as ABC TV on 20 July 2014.
As of 2024, the ABC is the third-rated television network and primary channel in Australia, behind theSeven Network andNine Network but ahead ofNetwork 10 andSBS TV.[2]
In 1953 theTelevision Act was passed, providing the initial regulatory framework for both ABC Television andcommercial television networks under the ABC.[3][4] The ABC's 1956 Annual Report stated that it aimed to create a "television service as truly national in character as its resources will permit".[5]
The first ABC station was launched in Sydney,ABN-2, followed by ABV-2 inMelbourne, in time to cover the1956 Summer Olympics in Melbourne, with the first television broadcast was inaugurated by prime ministerRobert Menzies on 5 November 1956 at theGore Hill studios in Sydney, followed two weeks later by transmission in Melbourne.[3][4] A purpose-built television studio opened in Sydney on 29 January 1958, replacing the temporary sound studios used the service's inception. In the same year, technical equipment was also moved to permanent locations, while main transmitters were introduced to Melbourne and Sydney in 1957 and 1958 respectively.[6] Services had expanded to all of the other states by the end of June 1960.[3]
Directtelevision relays between Sydney, Melbourne andCanberra were established in 1961, and in 1963, usingmicrowave transmission as a temporary measure, television programs fromAdelaide were viewed simultaneously across the four eastern capitals.[4][7]Videotape equipment, allowing the sharing of footage with much greater ease and speed, was installed in each state capital by 1962.[3]
Teletext services were introduced to the television service in 1983 to allow hearing impaired viewers access toclosed captions.[8]Nationwide, successor toThis Day Tonight, was replaced in turn by a new, hour-long, national news program calledThe National. Having proved unsuccessful,[8][9] it reverted to a stateABC News bulletin at 7:00pm, with a state-based edition ofThe 7.30 Report following afterwards.Lateline andMedia Watch also launched in the 1980s.[8][10]
In 2001 a new logo was launched, featuring a modification to a three-dimensional metallic design, to celebrate the introduction ofdigital terrestrial television in Australia, whendigital television was introduced to most of the network's coverage area on 1 January 2001, soon followed by the gradual introduction ofwidescreen andhigh definition programming.[11] On 1 August 2001 on channel 21,ABC Kids was launched, becoming the first digital multi-channel service,[12] withFly TV following soon afterwards, but both had limited availability, and were closed in a round of funding cuts in 2003.[13]
On 7 March 2005 a new digital channel calledABC2 (now ABC Family) was launched, according to then Director of ABC New Media and Digital Services Lynley Marshall, "like the 'younger sibling' of ABC main channel", running on a very low budget. A large amount of its schedule was dedicated to regional issues, with programs such asAustralia Wide,Landline andStateline.[14]
At midday on 8 February 2008 ABC TV was re-branded as ABC1, with the standard-definition redirect channel moved from LCN22 to LCN2.[15] Further cementing the change in identity was the change from the sloganThere's more to television toIt begins with 1.[16] 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.[17][18][19]
In May 2010, ABC1 announced its first channel controller,BBC Worldwide's Brendan Dahill. He commenced in August 2010.[20]
As part of thedigital television transition in Australia, the ABC gradually ended its transmissions onanalogue TV which commenced in July 2010[21] and concluded on 10 December 2013 when the transmitters switched off in Melbourne and remaining remote areas.[22]
On 6 February 2011, ABC1 launched its new branding viaidents featuring a range of channel personalities, including the face of the channelAdam Hills, with the new tagline "Think Entertainment", designed by design agency The Lab.[23] The network's famous Lissajous curve logo was modified by adding a "1".[24]
ABC1 channel controller Brendan Dahill moved to ABC1 / ABC2 Head of Programming on 1 January 2014.[25]
On 20 July 2014, ABC1 reverted to just "ABC" and introduced new idents featuring the 1975 Lissajous curve logo being drawn by itself of videos of people doing activities (taken from ABC Open's video library). Then, the words "It's (Insert Words Here)'s ABC" (the words change depending on the ident) fade in on the left side of the logo. The words then change to "#OurABC", which was the network's then-new slogan.[26] The "#OurABC" slogan at the end of each ident was changed to "Yours" on 31 December 2017.[27] The 1975 logo was reinstated in February 2019.[28]
The ABC is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations. Although it has a strong focus on news and current affairs, it also presents documentaries and educational programs, drama, light entertainment comedy and variety, and sports. Unlike the other Australian commercial television networks, it doesn't do deals with international branches of major American film and television studios, but instead airs a few programs from different companies, mainly from British, Canadian and Western European and Asian companies and some American companies. It has aired programs fromBBC, Channel 5,Teletoon,YTV,Nelvana,Treehouse,Nickelodeon/Paramount,The Walt Disney Company/Disney Channel/Disney XD,NBCUniversal,DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Classics,PBS/WGBH,Decode Entertainment,Cinar,Cookie Jar,Ragdoll Productions,DiC,Sesame Workshop,The Jim Henson Company,20th Television/FX Networks,Toei Animation andHiT Entertainment among various others. Nowadays it airs shows fromWarner Bros. and its subsidiariesWarner Bros. Animation andCartoon Network/Warner Bros. Discovery Global Networks andSony Pictures Television.[citation needed]
ABC News, broadcast on the ABC, is a national news service produced by theNews, Analysis & Investigations division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.[29]
A number of bulletins and updates are shown throughout the day, which include the flagship state-based evening bulletins ofABC News at 7.00pm, focused on local, national and international news relevant to their entire respective state or territory. In addition,News Breakfast is broadcast each morning from 6.00am, and it is also shown on theABC News channel,ABC News at Noon, a national edition of ABC News, is broadcast at noon live from the ABC's studios inUltimo, Sydney. News updates are presented nationally only on both the ABC News channel and ABC throughout the day; however evening updates are shown in most states by their respective presenters.[citation needed]
Other flagship programs, which include the weeknightly7.30 and the weeklyFour Corners,Australian Story andForeign Correspondent, are broadcast in prime-time.Landline,Insiders,Offsiders,Media Watch cover rural, political and business, sport and media affairs respectively.[citation needed]
ABC Television, Radio, News and Online cover many sports.[30] It was the first broadcaster of theW-League (football), a partnership that remained from 2008 to 2017. From October 2019 for the first time, ABC Television was the official free-to-air partner of theA-League, as well as returning to the W-League, in a deal which included theSocceroos andMatildas and lasted for two years. ABC TV broadcast one A-League game a weekend live, and has had the right to broadcast delayed coverage of some finals matches and the Grand Final. The deal included 14 rounds of the W-League's 2019/20 Season and the whole W-League 2020 Finals Series, and many games played by the Socceroos and Matildas.[31] However, from August 2021, both the A-League and W-League begin a five-year deal withViacomCBS giving broadcast rights toNetwork 10.[32]
ABC varies depending on state and territory in terms of what 7:00pm news bulletin, state-edition of7.30, and some promotions, are shown. National programming is often interrupted to show state election coverage. Each state and territory's individual station is based on that of its capital city, meaning that in the state of Victoria, all programmes originate from either Melbourne or Sydney, where the remainder of programmes are broadcast from. ABC is broadcast nationally via ABC Television transmitters, in astandard definition format.[citation needed]
The ABC HD multi-channel was launched on 1 January 2008. The service provided a720p simulcast ofABN Sydney nationwide. The channel was closed on 22 July 2010 and its HD channel space was re-purposed for theABC News channel. ABC HD was relaunched on 6 December 2016 as a simulcast of ABC, localised to each state, reducing the news channel to SD.[citation needed]
Following the government's decision to remove SD primary channel limitations, ABC Director of Television Richard Finlayson announced in November 2015 that the ABC would recommence simulcasting in high definition in June 2016.[33] However, the launch date was later pushed back to an indefinite time in late 2016 due to technical reasons,[34] with the launch date finally announced as 6 December 2016.[35][36] However, in contrast to its past, ABC HD provided region-specific simulcasting, not just a nationwide simulcast ofABN Sydney. Additionally, the channel broadcast inMPEG-4 format as opposed to the traditionalMPEG-2 format. As a result of the channel's revival, theABC News channel was reduced to a standard definition broadcast.[37]
Most ABC TV programs are also available on demand viaABC iview, avideo-on-demand andcatch-up TV service which became available on 24 July 2008.[citation needed]
In the early years, ABC TV had been usingLissajous curves with its initials, ABC TV, inside it as fillers in-between programmes.[4] At the time, lissajous patterns (a waveform used byoscilloscopes[38]) were used bybroadcast engineers to help tune both radio and television frequencies, before more sophisticated electronic tools had been invented. The 3:1 ratio was chosen because the 2:1 ratio was being used by[39] theUniversity of Sydney at the time.[40] Space engineerDoug Rickard claims to have suggested and demonstrated the waveform in the early 1960s and wrote in his memoir that he had been paid for it.[41] A staff competition was conducted in July 1963 to create a new logo for the ABC.[4][42] Bill Kennard, who was seniorgraphic designer at the ABC between 1956 and 1974, came up with the winning design, praised as "crisp, functional and of its age", for which he was paid £25.[38][40] On 1 May 1964, the logo was officially adopted by the ABC.[43]
The logo has been adapted and modified several times over the years,[42]
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Regional South Australia is the second area in Australia to completely abandon analog television. The first was in Mildura in July and Western Victoria is next.
ABC TV's Marketing Director Di Costantini developed the new campaign with The Lab, incorporating "think bubbles" and an ABC1 logo in a new colour palette of blue and burnt orange. Idents featuring personalities such as Wil Anderson, Adam Hills, Margaret Pomeranz, Myf Warhurst, Todd Sampson and Russel Howcroft are one of several strategic looks.
A new watermark is also now on air with a single "1" above the network lissajous logo.
