Gem have decided that they will finally show us Dallas again. Will It be from season One – like I hope, or fresh from Season 2 even though they never finished series one off? Please tell us Gem! Continue reading »
GEM
A few weeks ago, GO! stopped their two hour nightly infomercial / home shopping spot that would air at 2-4am weekdays.
Instead, GO! is showing The Bachelorette each night at around 2am. Between The Bachelor and The Bachelorette, they have a lot of seasons to catch up on – its one of those shows that fans love and should be aired as close to US time as possible. Continue reading »
The parade is over! Parade’s End has moved to Wednesday nights at 9.30pm on Gem from Channel Nine. This week it will be replaced by the Robert Downey Jr. movie Sherlock Holmes. Parade’s End that premiered on Wednesday March 6th, failed to rate in the top 20 ratings of the night. It had no chance against Mr & Mrs Murder, Last Resort and ABC1′s strong Wednesday line up.
Australia’s commercial television networks are spending little on Australian adult and children’s drama and documentary programs required by regulation, say Australia’s actors, writers, directors, and producers, despite claims this week by the networks. Continue reading »
Two years ago, Seven launched their third digital channel 7mate off the back of the HD broadcast of the 2010 AFL Grand Final on September 25, 2010. Supposed to be a day earlier, but ending up a day later due to set up difficulties, Nine launched its third channel, GEM. Continue reading »
Just when you thought it was safe to watch free to air TV live without being bombarded with ads reminding you of what free to air TV is and why you should keep on watching it, FreeView are about to hit us with a new campaign spruiking “the best things in life are free” – or – in other words, the best TV you can watch is free.
Previously promised to air on Nine, The Politically Incorrect Parenting Show will soon air on Gem. Continue reading »
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.
Rumours are surfacing that Nine will be offering multi channel coverage of the London 2012 Olympics when the event kicks off late July this year, including the possibilty of 3D broadcasts.
If the rumours prove to be true, this would be the first time that an Olympic Games has been covered in a multi channel envoronment on free to air television in Australia.
In 2008, when Seven broadcast the Beijing 2008 Olympics, months before the networks were allowed to offer digital secondary channels, the coverage was single channel only, simulcast in HD on the then 7HD channel.
The minimum we should expect from Nine is that the London 2012 Olympics will be simulcast in HD on their HD channel GEM. Should the network opt to provide regular programming during the Olympics on its digital channels, the viewer backlash could severely hurt Nine’s brand.
But, if Nine provide three channels of Olympic Games coverage this year – using the main channel Nine, and digitals GO! and GEM, the network would enjoy significant positive viewer feedback and long term flow on effects that could help the network topple Seven by winning the 2012 ratings year.
Should there be a free to air 3D broadcast, we may see the revival of the trail 3D channel 40, last used in 2010 for State Of Origin, Soccer World Cup and AFL Grand Final broadcasts.
For the now small percentage of viewers who do not yet have digital TV (less than 10%), anit-suphoning laws will guarantee most major events featuring Australian competitors, as well as the opeing and closing ceremonies, will still be seen on Nine’s main channel. The digitals would offer supplementary coverage, giving free to air viewers a much broader choice of events to watch.
Meanwhile, Foxtel are now heavily promoting their 2012 Olympics package which offers 8 distinct dedicated HD channels for the event. Promotions on Foxtel include a daily countdown of the number of days until London 2012 (204 as of January 5, 2012).
Nine are yet to release detailed broadcast information relating to the 2012 Olympics.
The Olympic Games for 2012 run from July 27 to August 12, 2012.
Picture: http://www.london2012.com/
Ten have always gone out of their way to do things differently. Until recently, Ten have avoided taking part in the 6pm news and current affairs wars that consume Seven and Nine. They avoid the morning breakfast battle between their two commercial rivals. They even have their own definition of prime time when reporting ratings shares.
Ten have always aimed at the younger demographics, with younger skewing programming being at the core of what Ten does. But with the advent of digital channels over the last two years, younger skewing digital channels such as GO! and 7mate from rival networks Seven and Nine have eaten away at Ten’s core viewer base.
Ten were well aware of this problem going into 2011 as they launched the extra news service at 6.30pm and 6pm George Negus in an attempt to lure some viewers away from Seven and Nine. Meanwhile, Ten’s younger audience were directed to ELEVEN – their own digital channel aimed predominantly at 13-29 year olds. ELEVEN became the home of The Simpsons and Neighbours, which, until the end of 2010, aired on Ten from 6pm-7pm.
With Ten aiming for more older viewers and moving away from 16-39 year olds, and ELEVEN an almost instant hit with its target demographic, only their other digital channel – the sports channel ONE HD – was left bringing the network down, with nightly shares of around 1%. Solution was to add some general entertainment, and then on May 8, take away most sports from prime time.
Now that the digital channels combined are drawing nightly shares not too different to their commercial competitors, the attention then shifts back to the main channel Ten. Masterchef this year did not perform anywhere near previous years, and their big end of year hope The Renovators is close to being one of the most expensive television flops in history.
Not only should Ten consider action on The Renovators along the lines covered in the previous part, but they should start looking at the rest of their programming and finding solutions to keep more eyeballs on their main channel for longer.
Ten’s 2012 line up of shows will be announced tonight. Expected to feature is a revival of Young Talent Time and the announcement of an early morning breakfast show to go up against Seven and Nine – which will mean preschool programming moves into the afternoons, if it can’t be aired in the mornings.
While the new shows for 2012 may bring some reprieve for Ten, the network need to look at their overall approach to programming to get themselves back into the battle with Seven and Nine.
Ten should straight away stop only programming for their own primetime definition of 6pm – 10.30pm weeknights. Both Seven and Nine, as well as the industry as a whole, define prime time and the time that nightly ratings count towards the ratings battle as 6pm – midnight every night. Only Ten use 6pm – 10.30pm which skews ratings figures in favour of their own network.
Seven, on many weeknights, airs new content as late as 11.30pm. Nine air shows like CSI: Miami, Football Classified, and the Footy Show Late in late night timeslots. Ten has the Late News, Sports Tonight (for now) and Letterman from 10.30 Monday to Thursday.
Ten’s shortened prime time philosophy extends to its digital channels. ELEVEN plays the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson at 10.30pm weeknights. While it is good to see some late night US talk shows on free to air TV, this one is NEVER in the top 100 digital shows of any night, and sometimes, shows that air after Craig Ferguson make it into the top 100. This is a massive dip in the ratings for ELEVEN, which would easily be rectified by moving The Late Late show past midnight – like what GEM have done for Conan – which also has very low ratings.
Looking at programming on Seven and Nine’s digital channels, they also program for ratings until midnight. One of the main reasons why most movies on GO! start at 9.30 is so they finish between 11.30 and midnight keeping viewers on the channel until then and thereby lifting that channel’s shares.
It does not matter how much ratings figures are skewed or which demographic is winning in that time, what most people care about is total people, 6pm – midnight. Certainly the advertisers care about the demographic breakdowns, but the media and the public are more concerned about total people, 6pm – midnight. With Ten not focussing on prime time ratings over the same time that Seven and Nine are, they will always be left behind and will always be reported as such in the media.
Ten will continue to be seen as the network coming third in commercial ratings behind Seven and Nine, a fact that does play on people’s minds when deciding what to watch on TV. It has often been said, that Seven, because they are number one, can put anything to air and still win the ratings. People do tend to stick to the network that is number one, and place more faith in that network. This was the case for Nine in the old days as well.
So Ten should immediately drop this idea of programming for 6pm -10.30pm only. On the main channel, the news should move back to 11.30pm, allowing for an extra hour of nightly prime time programming Monday – Thursdays. If the network had been able to make use of the 10.30pm timeslot on these nights, shows that had not worked too well at 9.30pm could have moved back to 10.30pm rather than out of the schedule or to a digital channel. This is what happens on Seven and Nine. Seven even move shows back to 11.30pm like is the case currently for Teen Wolf and Off The Map.
Same goes for ELEVEN and ONE. Notably, ONE is starting to add regular shows to the 10.30pm timeslot, but ELEVEN will continue to be held back while ever Craig Fergusson remains at 10.30pm weeknights. Sure – the channel is close to the most watched digital channel each night, and doing well in its target demographics, but it could do even better if The Late Late show was moved back to midnight and other programming was played 10.30 – midnight. One just needs to llok at 7mate, 7TWO and GO! programming for good examples of programming until midnight, and not giving up at 10.30pm.
If Ten and ELEVEN both made these sorts of changes, the nightly rating shares for the network as a whole would increase, allowing Ten to compete more effectively with Seven and Nine. Just that extra hour and a half, if programmed well, could start to make the difference between Ten being third every night (and sometimes fourth behind the ABC), to Ten being a serious contender in what should be a three horse ratings race, not just two.
Another area of Ten that should change or improve, is its on air presentation. Time to give the “seriously Ten” idents a rest and go for a more professional or at least new and fresh look. The “seriously Ten” motto has been around for years, and after years of being third in the ratings, for many, it will be associated with Ten’s performance.
Perhaps in 2012, Ten could relaunch with a new look, a new philosophy, and a new strategy that will help put the network back fully into the game? That is, of course, if their latest wave of cost cutting does not get in the way. Then again, if the network was performing better in ratings, they’d have more advertising revenue and therefore would not need to apply cost cutting measures to the degree that they have had to.
Next part: Media support – embargos and preview disks.
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