Nine Network
| Country |  Australia |
|---|---|
| Affiliates | Perth, Adelaide |
| Ownership | |
| Owner | PBL Media |
The Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian television network based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney. One of three major free-to-air commercial networks in Australia, its retired slogan the long-running "Still The One" refers to the network's past ratings success, being the most popular television station on a national basis since the introduction of television in Australia. Nationally, the network has consistently proven itself the most watched television network, defeated only three times by its main rival, the Seven Network, (in 2000, 2007 and 2008).[1][2]
History
Origins
TCN-9, the first regularly transmitting television station in Australia, launched on 16 September 1956. John Godson introduced the station and Bruce Gyngell presented the first programme, This Is Television and in doing so becoming the first person to appear on Australian television. Later that year, GTV-9 in Melbourne began testing transmissions to telecast the 1956 Summer Olympics later forming the National Television Network alongside QTQ-9 in Brisbane and NWS-9 in Adelaide, the basis of the current Nine Network.
In the late 1980s, STW-9 Perth became a Nine Network owned-and-operated station when Bond Media purchased the network. However, in 1989, Bond Media sold the Perth-based station to Sunraysia Television for AU$95 million, due to the Federal cross-media ownership laws, which restricted the level of national reach for media owners.[3]
2000s
Digital television was introduced to all of the network's owned and operated stations on New Year's Day 2001 - this was soon followed by the gradual introduction of widescreen and high definition programming.[4]
Darwin station NTD-8 was integrated into the network on New Year's Day 2003. Following the rebrand to Nine Darwin, the station decreased Network Ten programming from their line-up.
On 30 January 2006, the network and its affiliate stations relaunched to coincide with Nine's 50th year of broadcasting. The decision to relaunch was made by interim CEO Sam Chisholm and late PBL Deputy Chairman Kerry Packer early in 2005.[citation needed] The new logo designed by Bruce Dunlop Associates lacked Nine's distinctive Nine dots, which had been an Australian television icon since 1970. Nine News, A Current Affair, Today, Nightline, Wide World of Sports, and Sunday also received new designs. It was announced that all of Nine's Australian and overseas franchises would return. Nine Network has commenced a new program supply agreement with Columbia Tri Star Television, which was previously held by the Network Ten. [citation needed] The rebranding lasted less than two years - as on 14 January 2008, the Nine Network went back to using the dots on all television, website, watermark and other materials.[5]
On 18 October 2006 James Packer sold 50% of the network's parent company PBL Media to CVC Asia-Pacific, in a deal valued $4.6 billion.[6]
PBL Media later purchased regional network NBN Television, on 1 May 2007 for an estimated $250 million[7].
A further 25% of PBL Media was sold to CVC on 1 June 2007 for $515 million, effectively forgoing control of the day-to-day operations of the network.[8]
On 27 September 2007, PBL Media announced their intention to start a high definition multichannel, Nine HD[9][10] It was announced on 10 March 2008 that the channel will be launched on 17 March 2008. On March 23, 2009, Nine announced they will be launching its second standard-definition channel in August called GO!99.[11]
Programming
The Nine Network broadcasts a range of programming from Australian and overseas sources, which include American television network CBS and production companies Warner Bros. and Sony Pictures that let the network bought the rights to shows and movies. Nine's current Australian programming lineup consists of television shows including; Australia's Funniest Home Videos (previously Australia's Funniest Home Video Show), Getaway, Sea Patrol, Missing Persons Unit, Mornings with Kerri-Anne, The Footy Show, What's Good For You, Underbelly, Domestic Blitz, RPA, Amazing Medical Stories, 60 Minutes and 20 to 1.
American programming on Nine, includes; The Mentalist, Two and a Half Men, Cold Case, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation, CSI: Miami, The View, CSI: NY, Survivor, Without a Trace, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Days Of Our Lives, Entertainment Tonight and WWE After Burn.
In an attempt to attract advertisers, as they are more interested in programmes for younger audiences, new programming will be targeted towards the younger generation in 2008[12].
News & Current Affairs
The Nine Network's news service is called Nine News (previously National Nine News). For decades it was the top rating news service nationally for Australians. However, the Seven Network has overtaken them in recent years.[13]
Nine News produces several news bulletins and programs including Today, Today: Weekend Edition, as well as the Early, Morning, 6pm and Late bulletins of Nine News.
As well as this, the news service also produces A Current Affair, 60 Minutes and more recently This Afternoon. During the early hours of weekdays and Sunday mornings, Nine rebroadcasts American television network ABC's news and current affairs program Good Morning America. For a number of years Nine News used the slogan "Who's Who of News". But in recent years they have used various other slogans, currently using the slogan "Change Back" in some markets.
Sport
Channel Nine broadcasts all sporting events under the Wide World of Sports brand. The flagship sports of the brand are Cricket, National Rugby League (NRL), and formerly Australian rules football, until Nine lost the rights in 2006, and Super League while it existed. NRL games are broadcast in prime time in New South Wales and Queensland on Friday nights, however are usually screened after midnight (or not at all) in Victoria, South Australia, Western Australia and Tasmania.
Nine's other popular recurring sporting events include the Rugby League State of Origin, British Open, US Golf Open, US Tennis Open, Wimbledon, Commonwealth Bank Series Cricket, and Test cricket and formerly the Telstra Swimming Championships until Nine lost the rights in 2009. As well as this, the Nine Network, in joint partnership with subscription television provider Foxtel, has broadcast rights for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer Olympics.[14]
Availability
The Nine Network is simulcast in analogue, standard definition and 720p high definition. Nine is broadcast in metropolitan areas via Nine Network owned-and-operated stations, including TCN Sydney, GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane and NTD Darwin, and by affiliate Channel Nine stations NWS Adelaide and STW Perth. Nine Network programming is also carried into regional Australia by affiliate networks WIN Television, NBN Television, and Imparja Television. Nine is also broadcast via satellite and cable on Foxtel and on Austar Digital on the cable pay TV service in Darwin.
Logos
The Nine Network first used a shared logo produced and used across the metropolitan stations in 1970, featuring the numeral nine beside nine dots.[15] The first set of identities was a "Dots TV" set. This logo has remained in use on the network, in differing forms across the decades, with various exceptions. In 1979, the nine dots were removed from the logo, but only for on air idents.[15] This lasted nine years until 1988, when Bond Media purchased the network and reinstated the nine dots, with STW Perth becoming a Nine Network owned-and-operated station.[3] In 1998, the dots were changed to spheres. Three-dimensions were added to the numeral nine in 2002, coinciding with a revamp of the network's on-air identity.[15]
In 2006, the network and its affiliates relaunched their logos to coincide with Nine's fiftieth year of broadcasting. The new logo designed by Bruce Dunlop Associates saw the removal of the nine dots, with a non-solid blue coloured square added to behind the numeral nine. In 2007 this was modified to become a solid blue colour and also a cube, not the 2006 2D square. The rebranding of Nine also saw Nine News, A Current Affair, Today, Nightline and the Wide World of Sports receive new designs. However, in 2007, the Nine Network reintroduced the nine dots, visible when the logo animated. In addition to this in 2008, the nine dots were reinstated into the static logo and modified from spheres to discs.[16]
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1970–1979 -
1979–1988 -
1988–2006
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2006–2008 -
![2008 to present[16]](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/b/b0/Nine_Network_logo_%282008%29.svg/180px-Nine_Network_logo_%282008%29.svg.png)
2008 to present[16]
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![2008 to present[16]](/wiki/File:Nine_Network_logo_(2008).svg){kind=logo}
See also
References
- ^ Enker, Debi (2007-12-13). "The stars of 2007". The Age Online.
- ^ Knox, David (2007-12-03). "2007: Ratings Report". TV Tonight.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ a b Webb, Richard (1989-04-20). "Sunraysia settles STW-9 purchase". Australian Financial Review.
- ^ "Digital TV to commence on 1 January 2001". Australian Broadcasting Authority. Retrieved 2007-08-19.
- ^ http://channelnine.ninemsn.com.au Channel Nine Website
- ^ "PBL Media Release" (PDF) (Press release). Publishing and Broadcasting Limited. 2006-10-18. Retrieved 2007-07-04.
- ^ "SP Telemedia seals sale of NBN to PBL". AAP. theage.com.au. 2005-05-10. Retrieved 2007-05-19.
- ^ "PBL sells a 25% interest in PBL Media to CVC". PBL. 2007-06-01. Retrieved 2007-06-07.
- ^ "Gyngell to lead network revival". Herald Sun. 2007-09-27. Retrieved 2007-09-27.
- ^ Knox, David (2007-11-30). "Putting the Heart back into Nine". TV Tonight.
{{cite web}}: Check date values in:|date=(help) - ^ Knox, David (2008-03-10). "Nine HD launches 17 March, to be sure, to be sure..." tvtonight.com.au. Retrieved 2008-03-10.
- ^ Knox, David (2007-06-01). "Nine acquisitions target younger viewers". TV Tonight. Retrieved 2007-10-14.
- ^ "Year in review" (PDF) (Press release). Seven Network. 2005-11-28. Retrieved 2007-07-01.
- ^ "Nine, Foxtel to broadcast Olympics". Herald Sun. 2007-10-13. Retrieved 2007-10-13.
- ^ a b c Brooklyn Ross-Hulands. "Nine Network History". AusTVHistory. Retrieved 2008-03-09.
- ^ a b "Mission incredible". The Age. 2007-11-29. Retrieved 2007-11-29.
Further reading
- Stone, Gerald (2000). Compulsive Viewing: the inside story of Packer's Nine Network. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking. ISBN 0-670-88690-4.
- Stone, Gerald (2007). Who Killed Channel Nine?: The death of Kerry Packer's mighty dream machine. Sydney Australia: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781405038157.