ABC TV

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This article is about the Australian television network. For other uses, see ABC TV (disambiguation).


ABC TV
Launched	November 5, 1956
Owned by	Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Audience share	15.7% Nationally (2005, Source:[1])
Slogan	"There's more to Television"
Website	abc.net.au/tv/abctv
Availability
Terrestrial
Analogue	normally tuned to 2
SD Digital	Channel 2
HD Digital	Channel 20
Satellite
Foxtel Digital	Channel 102
Austar Digital	Channel 102
Cable
Foxtel Digital	Channel 102
Optus Digital	Channel 102

ABC TV, sometimes ABC-TV, is a national public television channel in Australia. It is the primary television service of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Launched on 5 November 1956, the channel is available nationally and has a market share of almost 16% of viewers.

1 History
2 Programming
3 Availability
4 Identity
5 Slogans
6 Logos
7 See also
8 References
9 External links

[edit] History

Main article: History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation

ABC TV began broadcasts on 5 November 1956 from its Sydney station ABN-2 with an inauguration by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. It began broadcasts in Melbourne on ABV-2 on 18 November 1956 just in time for its coverage of the 1956 Olympic Games.

[edit] Programming

Main article: List of programs broadcast by ABC TV

ABC TV is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations. Its focus is on news and current affairs but it also presents documentaries and educational programmes, children's shows, drama, comedy and variety, and sports. It is often criticised for a perceived lack of locally-produced content and for its reliance on foreign, particularly British, programmes. This largely results from restricted funds.

[edit] Current affairs

Main articles: ABC News and Current Affairs and ABC News (Australia)

A significant proportion of ABC TV programming is current affairs-related. It is produced by the ABC's News and Current Affairs division and an investigative unit headed by Andrew Fowler. Its flagship programmes Four Corners, Australian Story, Foreign Correspondent, Lateline, Stateline and The 7.30 Report are broadcast in primetime and are widely-regarded for agenda-setting. In addition, Landline, Insiders and Media Watch cover rural, political and business, and media affairs. The current affairs line-up is supported by state-based evening newscast ABC News at 7pm and the weekdaily Midday Report at noon.

[edit] Sports

Main article: ABC Sports (Australia)

Sports coverage on ABC TV generally includes a diverse range of less popular sports which are not shown on commercial television. It currently presents netball, lawn bowls, basketball and state football legue competitions (Australian rules football and rugby league). It also has rights to the Paralympic Games and the Hopman Cup tennis tournament.

[edit] Entertainment

ABC TV's drama line-up consists almost entirely of imported content including The West Wing, The Bill, Doctor Who and Spooks. It currently does not produce any primetime drama series, but still produces mini-series such as Answered by Fire. It also shows repeats of past successful local drama series including SeaChange, Something in the Air and Head Start.

Comedy on ABC TV is primarily locally-produced but also includes foreign series such as Little Britain and Extras. The network has a reputation for launching the careers of comedians including Magda Szubanski, Wil Anderson, Dave Hughes and Chris Lilley. Its present flagship comedy shows are Kath & Kim, Spicks and Specks and The Chaser's War on Everything. Former successful shows include Frontline, The D-Generation, Mother and Son, BackBerner, Good News Week, The Glass House and The Aunty Jack Show.

The remainder of ABC TV's schedule consists of lifestyle, music, game and talk shows. Lifestyle programmes are mostly cooking shows like The Cook and The Chef and travel shows like Pilot Guides but also include shows such as Gardening Australia, Compass and Message Stick. The network's music shows include Rage and jtv while past shows include Countdown and Recovery. Its game shows include quiz shows The Einstein Factor and Head 2 Head and competition programmes Strictly Dancing and The New Inventors. ABC TV presents three talk shows, the locally made Enough Rope and Talking Heads, and ITV1's Parkinson. It also broadcasts arts discussion shows At The Movies and Sunday Arts.

[edit] Children

Main article: ABC Kids (Australia)

ABC TV's children's programming is more extensive than any other network in Australia. Children's shows are typically broadcast under the ABC Kids banner in two blocks: mornings 6am–10am and afternoons 3pm–6pm. ABC Rollercoaster is a segment shown from 5pm-6pm that is aimed at a sligtly older demographic than ABC Kids' 6–12 year olds.

ABC Kids is a mixture of ABC TV-produced and international shows. Due to their longevity, programmes such as Play School and Bananas in Pyjamas are iconic within Australia. Popular locally-made drama series include The Saddle Club, Out There, Blue Water High, Ship to Shore and Round the Twist. International programmes which regularly feature it the line-up include Sesame Street, Bob the Builder, Pingu, Arthur, Fireman Sam and older-years shows Degrassi, Lizzie McGuire, Freaky Stories and Daria.

Children's programming also includes educational programmes. Behind the News is a long-running series which provides background information to current affairs. The programme has come to be incorporated into many school curriculums. Schools TV is a segment between 10am-11am that consists of documentaries and specials relevant to school study.

[edit] Availability

Main article: ABC Television (Australia)

ABC TV is available on all of ABC Television's television transmitters in Analogue, SD Digital, and 720p HD Digital. The channel only differs from each state by local content, which is typically only the nightly ABC News newscast and the weekly current affairs programme Stateline. Coverage of events of state interest, such as state elections, is also undertaken by state ABC Television stations.

[edit] Identity

The current ABC TV Idents

A staff competition held by the ABC to create an ABC logo was won by Bill Kennard in 1963 for a prize of £25. The logo was a three-loop wavelength design based on patterns that can be seen in an oscilloscope. This logo was modified from 2D to Colour to 3D over time and it is now one of the most well-known logos in Australia.

In 1975, the ABC logo was modified to a thickened version. The logo was also changed to an "over and under" design.

In 1988, on Australia Day, the channels idents were modified to celebrate the Australian Bicentenary. The original set of idents were titled "Natural Textures of Australia", with a following called "Man Made Textures of Australia".

In 1994, the ABC logo featured on idents and promos was modified to a similar design to that seen in 1963 on the first design. The logo was hand drawn by persons featured in the promos and idents.

In 2001, to celebrate the new millennium and the introduction of Digital Television in Australia, the ABC TV's logo was again modified, but this time to a 3D Metalic design. The logo was also radically modified to lose the "over and under" design.

In 2002, to celebrate 70 years of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, ABC TV's logo changed back to the "over and under" design, however it still kept the 3D Metalic design. The channels idents featured elements - fire, leaf and ice, and the slogan was modified to "Everyone's ABC". Later in 2002, the channels idents were modified to feature everyday Austarlians.

In 2005, on December 19, the channels idents were revamped featuring glass televisions. The ident's were also carried on ABC2 for the "ABC New & Digital Media" promo.

[edit] Slogans

ABC TV: 1960s.
The Good Looking Australian: 1970-74.
Come Home to Colour on ABC: 1975.
You’re Home with ABC: 1976.
Celebrating 50 Years of the ABC: 1982.
Heat Wave: 1982-84.
Australia: 1985-87.
8 Cents a Day: 1987.
Natural Textures of Australia: 1988.
Man-Made Textures of Australia: 1989-94.
Get Ready: 1992.
Celebrating 60 Years of the ABC: 1992.
On Your ABC: 1993.
It’s Your ABC: 1993.
Seeing is Believing on Your ABC: 1994-95.
It’s Your ABC: 1996-98.
Many Views, One ABC: 1999.
More Than You Think: 2000.
The National Broadcaster: 2001.
Everyone’s ABC: 2002-05.
Celebrating 70 Years of the ABC: 2002.
There’s More to Television: Dec. 19, 2005-?
Celebrating 50 Years of Television: Nov. 2006.

[edit] Logos

ABC TV has used many logos throughout it's history.

Used from 1956 to 1959 on ABV-2	Used from 1960 to 1964 on ABN-2	Used from 1965 to 1974	Used from 1975 to 2000
Used from 2001 to 2002	Variations of this logo have been used from 2002 to the present