9′s Third Digital Channel

Updated March 28, 2013

Here is the list of digital channels updated as at March 28, 2013. All channels in SD (standard definition), unless otherwise stated.

ABC
ABC1 – 2 & 21
ABC2 – 22
ABC3 – 23
ABC News 24 – 24 (HD Channel). Also on 20 is some areas.
ABC HD channel 20 phased out to make way for ABC News 24 on channel 24.

SBS
SBS ONE – 3 & 31
SBS TWO – 32
SBS ONE HD – 30 (HD Channel, simulcast of SBS ONE)
SBS also transmits channels 33 and 34 (until early December 2012) which are clones of SBS ONE
NITV – 34 from December 12, 2012

Seven
Seven – 7, 70 & 71
7TWO – 72
7mate – 73 (HD Channel)
7HD that used to be on 70 no longer exists.
74 – TV 4ME – Information / infomercial / paid program channel

Nine
Nine – 9
GO! – 99
GEM - 90 (HD Channel)
GEM replaced 9HD or Nine High Def ch 90.
Extra – 94 – Information / Infomercial / paid programming channel from March 26, 2012
Extra2 – 95 – appeared as part of Nine’s digital channel matrix March 28, 2013. So far, as I can only say it is the Sydney market only.

Ten
Ten – 10
ELEVEN – 11
ONE – 12 & 1
SD simulcast of ONE formerly on ch 12 was dropped to make way for ELEVEN
TVSN – Channel 14 (Home Shopping)

Community
Ch 31, TVS and the like now digital in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth on digital ch 44

Special / part time
TV 4ME – Essentially 24 hour infomercial channel launched December 2011 on channel 74 in 5 metro and regional QLD, part of Seven’s multi-plex
Extra – Essentially 24 hour infomercial channel launching March 26 2012 on channel 94 in at least the 3 eastern state capitals, part of Nine’s multi-plex
3D Channel – 40 (HD, used only for 3D trials in 2010, not currently on the air)
3D Channel – 95 (HD, used for London Olympics daily 3D highlights during the 2012 Olympics)
Extra2 – 95 – appeared March 28 (Sydney market).

Regional (eastern states).
Prime
Prime Main Channel – 6, 60 & 61
7TWO on Prime – 62
7mate on Prime – 63 (HD Channel)
Prime HD channel 60 no longer exists. Note: 7mate on ch 60 in some markets.
64 – TV 4ME. Regional NSW, VIC, ACT. Essentially same as 74.

NBN/WIN
Main Channel – 8
GO! – 88
GEM - 80 (HD Channel)
Extra – 84

SC10
SC10 Main channel – 5
ONE HD – 50 (HD channel).
Eleven – 55

Special
Television 4 / TV 4ME – 64. Launched September 18, 2011. Only those who are in Prime markets will get this channel.
Extra – 24 hour infomercial channel launched March 26 2012 on channel 84. Known as WIN GOLD in WIN markets.

Digital channel summary.

Main channels
Nine – 9.
Seven – 7, 70 & 71
Ten – 10
ABC1 – 2 & 21
SBS ONE – 3 & 31. Available in HD on ch 30.

Digital Channels (in launch order)
ABC2 – 22 Launched 2007
ONE – 1 & 11 (at the time, now 1 & 12) Launched March 27, 2009
SBS TWO – 32 Launched June 1, 2009 (replacing SBS News channel)
GO! – 99 Launched August 9, 2009
7TWO – 72 Launched November 1, 2009
ABC3 – 23 Launched December 3, 2009
ABC News 24 – 24 Launched July 22, 2010
7mate – 73 Launched September 25, 2010
GEM – 90 Launched September 26, 2010
ELEVEN – 11 Launched January 11, 2011
Community – 44 Various dates for various mator markets
TV4 – 74 – Launch December 2011. Five city metro and regional QLD
Extra – 94 – from March 26, 2012 – Syd / Melb / Bris
TVSN – 14 – September 24, 2012. Metro markets only
NITV – 34 – December 12, 2012.
Extra2 – 95 – from March 28, 2013 (Sydney market only so far – subject to confirmation from other markets).

Still to come:
SBS THREE – 33 – possible for late 2013 / 2014.

Regional (NSW, VIC, ACT)
Main channels
WIN, NBN - 8.
Prime - 6, 60 & 61
SC10 - 5, 55
ABC1 – 2 & 21
SBS ONE – 3 & 31. Available in HD on ch 30.

Digital Channels
ABC2 – 22
ONE - 50
SBS TWO – 32
GO! - 88
7TWO – 62
ABC3 – 23
ABC News 24 – 24
7mate – 63
GEM – 80
ELEVEN – 55
TV4 – 64 Launched September 18, 2011. Prime regional markets only. Read more here.
Extra – 84 from March 26. NBN regionals, can’t confirm WIN at this point.

Here are some more details about Nine’s new channel GEM, and the first look at it’s logo.

UPDATED: The channel will appear from Midday September 24, but the 26th is its actual launch date. It is now confirmed that the channel will be on LCN digital channel 90. As was the case with GO, regional areas in the eastern states that get Nine content via NBN or WIN should get the new channel at the same time.

NINE ANNOUNCES A NEW GEM
 
Following on from the outstanding success of the GO! multi-channel, the Nine Network today announced plans for a third channel, GEM, which will launch on Sunday, September 26 aimed at the sophisticated, discerning viewer. 

GEM will be a mix of new content, classic comedies, cherished drama series, all-time favorite movies, and all of Nine’s sport coverage in high definition.
 
GEM is designed to complement Nine’s premium channel, and the network’s number one multi-channel, GO!, attracting females 35+ and grocery buyers.
 
Leading the GEM lineup is the acclaimed new US drama series The Big C, starring Laura Linney as a woman making the most of her life after being diagnosed with cancer. Also starring Oliver Platt and Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe, The Big C’s recent premiere achieved record ratings for the US Showtime network.
 
The cult favourite Weeds will also be seen on GEM in a new season. Other first-run imports include Southland, Miami Medical, Secret Diary of a Call Girl, The New Adventures of Old Christine, and the lifestyle programs Wife Swap, Secret Millionaire USA, The Chopping Block USA and How Clean Is Your House?
 
Also on GEM will be a new season of Random Acts of Kindness (previously seen on Nine) featuring Shelley Craft, Scott Cam, Dr Andrew Rochford and Simmone Jade Mackinnon, treating everyday Australians to well-deserved rewards.
 
Rounding out the schedule will be the classic comedy Friends, stripped to air every week night, Aussie gold dramas McLeod’s Daughters, Sea Patrol and The Alice, and the hit US crime shows CSI, CSI Miami, CSI New York, The Closer and Cold Case, along with great movies such as Million Dollar Baby, The Aviator, 21 Grams and Being Julia.
 
Nine CEO David Gyngell said GEM would build on the network’s tearaway success with the GO! channel, which by a big margin is Australia’s most popular multi-channel across the key demographics and total people.  “GEM is what its title suggests – a general entertainment and movie channel, carefully crafted and targeted like GO! before it, to appeal to a wide audience cross-section and complement Nine’s existing successful brands,” Mr Gyngell said.  

GEM will also include news and current affairs programs that will be different but complementary to those on the main channel. “We have a very significant investment in news and current affairs and some of that content will be repackaged to the style of GEM,” Mr Gyngell said. 

High definition sport will be seen on GEM until the digital switchover in December 2013.

To receive GEM from September 26, viewers need to tune in to channel 90 on an HD-capable digital TV, PVR or set top box. If you have an analogue television you will need to connect your old TV to an HD-capable digital set top box, PVR, or digital recorder and tune in to channel 90.

Breaking News: Nine’s third digital channel is called GEM, and will aim towards women.

GEM will broadcast in high definition from September 24^th – 1 day before Seven launches 7mate with a formal launch date of Monday September 26th. GEM is an acronym for “General Entertainment and Movies.”

The new channel will focus on females 35+ with programs such as Secret Millionaire, The Big C, Weeds and Wife Swap. in contrast to the overall channel target, some sports, including cricket and Rugby League, will feature on the channel as part of the network’s high-definition sports quota.

GEM will also include Nine News and current affairs programming which are currently seen in HD, including a reworked 60 Minutes. The programs would be different but complementary to the Nine news brand.

CEO of PBL Media, Ian Law, says that Nine News programs will be restyled onto GEM:

“We have a very significant investment in TV news and current affairs, and some of that content will over time be repurposed and repacked to fit with the style of GEM.”

Nine Network CEO David Gyngell has told the Australian Financial Review:

“Gem is part of Nine’s strategy to create a cluster of complementary channels to cover all key audiences… [GEM] will be a warm and classy channel.”

High definition sports will be screened on the channel until 2013 to meet HD quota obligations.

As is the case with 7mate, GEM will spell the end for seeing main channel Nine content in HD.

Full details, including programming information, a logo, whether the channel will be on digital channel 90 or not (80 in regional areas) is yet to be confirmed. Expect alot of detail to come out over coming days.

Source: Knowfirst.

Where is that news of Nine’s third channel we have all been waiting for?

Right Here: http://www.throng.com.au/nine/nines-third-digital-channel-gem

Two weeks after Seven announced 7mate and one week after Ten announced Eleven, there is still no news out of Nine in relation to their third channel despite there being rumours flying around that Nine’s channel will launch days before 7mate commences on September 25.

Seems things are leaky at Nine compared to any other network, as there is plenty of news around pointing to the channel being called GEM, mostly targeting females over the age of 40, and the content being mostly crime and lifestyle based.

Until 7mate was announced on August 19, nobody knew anything about the channel, or even if Seven were going to launch a third channel in 2010. In fact, I personally believed they would be last off the block like they were with 7TWO.

A week later, on August 26, when Ten launched Eleven, all we knew beforehand was the fact there would be a third channel in 2011, and it would be its own stand alone brand, not just a dumping ground for Ten’s shows that do not do so well on the main channel.

As for Nine, whether all the rumours are about their third channel are true or not will be confirmed once they release the details. If it is to launch before 7mate, they really should have the information out now so there is enough time to promote it and get TV guides in place.

Then again, the rumoured dates could all be wrong, and the channel will not arrive until a later date – perhaps after the NRL Grand Final – which Nine will now be broadcasting in 3D.

Tasmania will be left behind the mainland capital cities and many regional areas with confirmation from Southern Cross Media Tasmania that they have no agreement in place with Seven and Ten to bring those two networks third digital channels – 7mate and Eleven to Tasmania in the near future.

Currently, Southern Cross Media broadcast the Seven and Ten network programming to Tasmania, including 7TWO and ONE HD, but not 7HD or ONE standard definition.

In mainland capitals, 7HD will be phased out with 7mate becoming the HD service for the Seven network. ONE’s standard definition simulcast will be turned off to make way for Eleven.

With Tasmania not getting 7mate on September 25, it means they will not be able to see the AFL Grand Final in HD – without a 7HD signal, it would not have been in HD in any case. At least there is significant time to prepare for Eleven prior to its early 2011 launch.

General Manager of Southern Cross Media Tasmania Craig Davies said ““We are not sure of the timeframe because we haven’t got an agreement from Seven or Ten to bring these channels into Tasmania and we also do not have the capacity to broadcast these channels into Tasmania.”

“It is within our best interests to get them on air as soon as we possibly can,” he said.

He also says he is likely to be in a better position to make an announcement in a few weeks. The network’s broadcasting centre in Canberra required an extensive and expensive upgrade to boost its capacity.

Meanwhile, when Nine announces its third channel shortly, and assuming WIN take on the new channel at the same time Nine does, WIN in Tasmania would get the service at the same time as the mainland, seeing that they currently already receive the WIN HD broadcast.

Source: TSR

Expect to be blitzed by ads for TV channels in coming weeks as Nine prepare to push their first major advertising blitz for GO in the weeks leading up to both Seven’s launch of 7mate and The Commonwealth Games on Ten.

The radio, outdoor, newspaper and online campaign for GO! will continue for six weeks at an estimated cost of $1.5m.

The digital station, which targets the same demographics as Ten, will promote 12 new or returning shows coming to Australia in coming weeks, including Hellcats, The Vampire Diaries and Nikita.

Unlike Seven and Ten, Nine does not promote its digital station on its main channels.

“We want to ensure Nine and GO! are completely separate brands,” Nine’s director of sales and marketing Peter Wiltshire told The Australian Financial Review.

“GO! hasn’t cannibalised Nine. It has drawn a younger audience than Nine, which means we’ve been able to go to advertisers with a broad two-channel offer.”

The median age for GO! is 36, compared with 49 for Nine, 51 for Seven and 7TWO, 38 for Ten and 37 for ONE HD.

The marketing push for GO! also corresponds with the Seven Network’s third-channel launch 7mate, which will target males between 16-49. 7mate launches with the AFL Grand Final in HD on September 25th. Nine’s new channel, expected to be called GEM, is set to launch a few days earlier.

Ten’s new digital channel, ELEVEN, will launch in early 2011.

Mr. Wiltshire said the ad campaign for GO! is designed to promote the new programs on offer and lift its audience share. Media buyers expect the channel to squeeze Ten in the lead-up to the Commonwealth Games in October.

“Nine clearly thinks there is an opportunity to pick up some of Ten’s viewers, get them to sample GO! and hook them before the Games which will be of little interest to a chunk of Ten’s audience,” one executive claimed.

Source: TSR

Further details on the Nine Network‘s third digital channel have emerged today, with a well placed source hinting at a launch during September.

Following similar reports earlier this month, The Sunday Telegraph has confirmed it will be a crime and movie-based format.

The new multichannel will likely be called Gem, and according to the source, it will specifically target the forty-plus female demographic.

The channel is expected to “sneak in” a few days prior to the launch of the Seven Network‘s new service 7mate on Saturday 25 September, and the Ten Network‘s offering Eleven early next year.

At this stage, there are no further details as to whether Gem will be HD or GO will be upgraded to HD with Gem SD. Should the news be officially released by Nine this week, it will mean this is the third week in a row that a new free to air digital channel has been announced.

Source: TSR.

Now that both Seven and Ten have announced their third channels, what is going on at Nine?

Within hours of the 7mate announcement by Seven, rumours of Nine getting their third channel to air beforehand flourished with possible genres for the channel including classic TV, crime and a female skewed channel. But even after Ten’s announcement of Eleven for 2011, no word from Nine.

Suddenly – Nine then announce they will broadcast the NRL Grand Final in 3D, bit did so without ACMA approving another trial 3D broadcast. ACMA were quick to point out that Nine had not submitted a report on the previous trial in time, and therefore could not be granted another 3D broadcast trial. Therefore no NRL Grand Final in 3D.

Nine could perhaps use the existing HD service to transmit side by side 3D, but that would mean no HD coverage of the NRL Grand Final for those who do not have a 3D TV. However, if a new channel is launched before the Grand Final, regardless of whether the new channel becomes the HD channel or if GO is upgraded to HD to make way for a new SD channel (each commercial network can only have 2 SD and 1 HD channels – the main has to be SD – so, in order to have 3 channels, one of the secondaries has to be HD), then would HD coverage of the Grand Final (and for that matter, the entire NRL finals series) be seen in HD in any case?

If GO went HD, then GO would have to break programming for NRL. Same as a new channel would should that be in HD. 7mate for Seven – which will be in HD – have already included sport as part of the channel’s programming – so they have prepared for this sort of scenario. Needless to say, the launch with the AFL Grand Final in HD confirms that fact. As for Nine, without any firm plans yet, we can only speculate on what we know so far.

All of these issues raise a number of questions.

1. If Nine are launching a third channel at about the same time as 7mate late September, will that mean that NRL broadcasts will not be seen in HD?

2. Whether it be GO or the new channel that ends up in HD, will programming break to provide HD coverage of major sporting events like the Grand Final.

3. If they are unable to obtain another 3D trial license, what is stopping them from using their existing HD channel to provide side by side 3D coverage of the Grand Final? If we were about to completely lose 9-high Def to a new channel, then couldn’t they break from it during this event and thereby still be able to lead the way as such in 3D free to air TV? It may annoy some people, but is a reasonable option, I would have thought.

4. Let’s think outside the square – SBS and Nine shared the use of the trial 3D channel from May to July. Why not do a deal with SBS and use their HD channel SBS HD – currently a simulcast of SBS ONE – for a 3D broadcast. That way, Nine’s three channels (assuming the 3^rd is launched) could remain untouched, and the NRL Grand Final could be seen in 3D as well as HD on Nine subject to what I have already said about how they handle HD broadcasts of sporting events when they have three channels. Afterall – SBS does need the funds.

5. Put it onto Foxtel. The great thing about the World Cup Soccer from SBS a few months ago, was it could also be seen on Foxtel and Austar. This meant that many more viewers who could not receive the free to air signals on digital channel 40 (and there were a lot of them) were able to see the 3D coverage for free through their Pay TV service.

If Nine were serious in pursuing 3D TV, then this would surely be a better option, and could reach out to a lot more people than just the trial free to air 3D broadcast alone. Doing something with SBS or Foxtel, however, would probably require some special or temporary license conditions to make it possible.

Here’s my prediction as to what ends up happening:

1. Nine fight ACMA to get the 3D go ahead at the last minute, so we end up having another 3D trial for the NRL Grand Final. Harvey Norman blitzes us with ads for 3D TV sets.

2. GO is completely rebranded, focussing more on contemporary shows, re-affirming position to target the 14-39 year old demographic. As part of the move, it is upgraded to HD, and its programming objectives are modified to allow HD coverage of sport, like 7mate will. GO’s classic programming moves to the third channel, while having GO in HD suit’s the channel airing more movies, especially those that are more recent. Movies will also compete with what 7mate will be doing.

3. The third channel is launched as essentially a classic TV channel, a cross between TV1 and 111 Hits, but focussing more towards female skewing programming. The move towards classics allows a wide variety of shows and keeps it competitive with Eleven, while female skewing is an attempt to take some of the audience left behind by 7mate which will be male skewing.

These are just my thoughts on what Nine might do, based only on some rumours, and consideration for the programming they currently air on GO, Nine and may have up their sleeve.

As you can see, the equation for Nine is actually quite tricky, and probably one the network would be better off putting more time into as opposed to rushing in, just to get a third channel on air before Seven does.

While I am a great advocate for choice through extra channels, I disagree with the fact that it should be at the expense of HD main channel programming – sport in particular which is one of the main driving forces of HD take up – and I think the HD channels like 7mate and whatever Nine end up doing should still show major sporting events in HD as well as key main channel programming. In the case of Ten and ONE HD, they already have sport covered in HD, but at the expense of regular Ten programming in HD.

UPDATED: Gossip Girl S3 premieres on GO Sept 13, 10.30pm. The final of the Bachelorette is at 7.30pm Tuesday Sept 14, and again 1pm Thur Sept 16, followed by After the Rose at 2pm.

Original post, written before confirmation of air dates, and now out of date, follows.

GO – Australia’s leading channel for programming changes and random inconsistencies – have bumped back the season 3 premiere of Gossip Girl again.

Originally set to air Monday August 30, then put back to the following Monday September 6, Gossip Girl has now been pushed out altogether, with no word as to when it will now air.

September 13 is also the date that the second season of The Vampire Diaries premieres on GO, as well as possibly Hellcats. Having new Gossip Girl that night – as mentioned here on Throng before – would actually make new sense, giving GO a completely new look Monday night which should do pretty well for them. Nothing has been confirmed for that date yet.

Also suffering the same treatment, is the finale of The Bachelorette. Originally set to air Tuesday August 31, at 7.30pm, it was moved to the following Tuesday, now will not be seen until Tuesday September 14.

On Monday September 6, GO will play two movies (just like they are on August 30) - Charlie and the Chocolate Factory at 7.30 and Underworld at 9.30. On Tuesday September 7, the movies are The Wedding Singer at 7.30, followed by Man About the House at 9.30pm.

The sudden move to put movies doubles on Monday and Tuesday nights could be an attempt by the Nine/GO network to gain some extra ratings against Seven’s The X Factor launching August 30.

Another possibility is that shows are now starting to be held back for Nine’s third channel. With Seven announcing 7mate last week, and Ten announcing Eleven today, Nine are the only network not to confirm their plans for their third channel, even though the speculation is out there that they will launch it first – before 7mate, which launches on September 25.

Both Gossip Girl and the Bachelorette are female skewing shows. If the rumour is true that Nine will launch a channel targeted more towards a female audience, then it makes some sens that Gossip Girl is held off until then. As for the Bachelorette – they should just show it on GO as it is the final episode of the series.

With September 25 just under a month away, Nine should announce their new channel any day now – if they truly plan to get it on air before 7mate is on air.

Hot off the heals of the announcement of Seven of their third channel 7mate and the rumoured Nine channel launch at the same time comes the likelihood of the announcement today of Ten’s third channel to be called Eleven as Ten network Holdings enter into briefings with investors, analysts and media in relation to Ten’s 2011 strategy and line up.

The new channel to be called Eleven will be a general entertainment station, aimed squarely at the 13-29 demographic while Ten’s main channel will concentrate on 25-54.

As long as one year ago, Ten’s CEO Grant Blackley confirmed the network would launch a third channel with chief programmer David Mott confirming it would be a general entertainment channel complementing Ten’s line up. In a possible dig at GO and 7TWO, he has further indicated in past discussions that the channel will not simply be a dumping ground for Ten content and will take on its own identity even to the point of being given equal significance to Ten itself.

Ten’s US output deals with CBS Paramount and Fox Television combined with Ten’s success with tripped reality like Masterchef and the Biggest Loser has given Ten the opportunity to contemplate a complete programming rethink, targeting a spread of content over two channels.

Older skewing CBS programs like The Good Wife, Hawaii Five-O, the NCIS franchise and upcoming dramas like Bluebloods and Defenders will remain on Ten. Younger skewing FOX shows like Glee, The Cleveland Show and upcoming sitcoms Hope and Mixed Signals are likely to appear on Eleven, while other Fox shows like Lie to Me, the Simpsons and Modern Family would remain on Ten.

The new channel will allow Ten to revamp its early evening schedule with a re-entry to the 6pm news market as well as a possible 6.30pm current affairs program already under consideration. Neighbours may move to Eleven as a result.

The launch date for the channel is yet to be announced, but will be early 2011. Ten will have the opportunity to promote future programming and Eleven during the AFL finals series and the 2010 Delhi Commonwealth Games.

Eleven will replace the standard definition simulcast of ONE HD, and, as the name suggests, would end up on digital channel 11. ONE HD will remain as digital channel 1, as well 12. In regional areas, Eleven would end up on channel 55 (although they may change the LCN to something like 51 perhaps), replacing the simulcast of SC10 currently on channel 55.

One Eleven launches, and with 7mate and Nine’s channel being launched in September, the total number of free to air channels will then be 15, even 16 in some areas that can get community TV on digital. SBS will then be the only free to air broadcaster without a third channel – a proposition that has already been thought of, but not likely to happen in the near future without additional funding for the public broadcaster.

Source: The Australian