RVN-2/AMV-4
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| RVN-2 / AMV-4 | |
|---|---|
| Wagga Wagga / Albury, New South Wales and Wodonga, Victoria | |
| Channels | RVN: 2 VHF AMV: 4 (defunct, moved to 11) VHF analog, none digital |
| Affiliations | Seven Network |
| Owner | Prime Television |
| Founded | RVN: June 19, 1964 AMV: September 7, 1964 |
| Call letters meaning | RVN = Riverina, New South Wales AMV = A M Victoria |
| Former affiliations | Independent 1962-1989 |
| Website | primetv.com.au |
RVN-2 and AMV-4 were television stations that were licensed to, and serving the regions surrounding Wagga Wagga and Albury-Wodonga in south western New South Wales and north western Victoria.
Contents |
[edit] RVN-2 Wagga Wagga
When the Riverina license was being determined, three local groups were in the running:
- Young radio station 2LF, along with local councils and businesses in the Young-Cootamundra area,
- Wagga Wagga newspaper The Daily Advertiser and radio station 2WG, together with local Wagga Wagga businessmen, and,
- A group of smaller newspapers and some licensed clubs.
The 2LF proposal was rather reluctant, so they joined forces with the Advertiser/2WG bid. 2LF would get 10% of the shares, 2WG got 20% and The Advertiser got 15%, with the remaining shares to be offered to local people. After issues at the ABCB enquiry for the license, the 2LF/2WG/Advertiser group (trading as Riverina Television) got the license.
The initial board was made up of 2WG, 2LF and Advertiser representatives, along with representatives from two local councils. A few days after the license was announced, the chairman and station manager had a disagreement, and both resigned. They were replaced by Wal Hucker, who ran a film animation and sound company in Sydney, and was also the former chairman's brother-in-law. The former chairman's wife also joined the board, as the Control Board made it clear that 2WG had to remain involved in the station. Bill Marsden, of 2LF, became the station manager.
A disagreement with Wagga Wagga council over the location of a potential studio site, which would've provided direct line of sight transmission to the Mt. Ulandra transmitter, saw a new site rezoned from residential.
As with most stations launching at that time, the mast would be shared with the local transmitter of the ABC, but not the transmitting facilities, as chief engineer Stuart McDonald wanted to operate the facilities remotely. RVN would be first station to operate their transmitters in this way.
The building was finished early 1964, and the station went to air on June 19 at 5pm. The opening night's programs including an announcement from the local Federal Member for the area at the time, film of the station's construction, an episode of I Love Lucy and the film The Dambusters. The station closed down for the night at 10pm.
As with most stations at the time, news was done by annoucing over slides or read to the camera, combined with the previous night's news film from ATN-7 Sydney. Microwave and landline links wouldn't come until later in the decade, and VTR wouldn't arrive until much later. Local programming, including commercials, had to be done live.
RVN was the only station to have made a profit, albeit a small one, in its first year of operation.
[edit] AMV-4 Albury/Wodonga
AMV-4 serving Albury/Wodonga along the New South Wales/Victoria border, commenced broadcasting on September 7, 1964.
AMV produced (and still does to this day) a half hour news programme. Prior to aggregation, AMV broadcast local events such as the Albury Gold Cup, the Ovens and Murray Grand Final and the 1988 Miss Australia pageant.
[edit] RVN-AMV
By the early 1970s, many regional stations faced financial difficulties, and as such, RVN and AMV decided to merge, forming the Riverina and North East Victoria Television Service Pty. Ltd., in 1971. The stations were known on-air as RVN-AMV. Both stations were programmed separately, until 1976 when transmission for both stations were centralized in Wagga.
In 1983, the stations faced a rather unique situation when New South Wales and Victoria ended daylight saving periods at different times. For three weeks, RVN's output was shown on AMV on a one hour delay.
The station was rather unique in the fact that it served audiences in two states, and had to program accordingly. New South Welsh viewers receiving Sydney news and sports (mainly rugby league) and Victorian viewers receiving Melbourne news and sports (mainly VFL/AFL).
By the mid 1980s, 80 people were employed at Wagga, and a further 40 employed in Albury.
With aggreation looming, RVN-AMV was purchased by Paul Ramsay's Ramcorp Ltd. in 1987, and merged with the Midstate Television 6-8-9 network, forming The Prime Network.
When southern New South Wales was aggregated in 1989, RVN and AMV was finally demerged, RVN joining up with CBN to become the Seven Network affiliate for southern New South Wales (in competition with WIN TV and 10 Capital), and AMV would become the Victorian member of the Seven Network in 1992, in competition with VIC TV and Southern Cross.
In 1991, the Wagga and Orange licenses were merged into the one license, with RVN taking on the CBN callsign. AMV was moved from VHF channel 4 to VHF channel 11, in order to allow FM stations to be established without interference from existing television stations that used VHF channels 3, 4, 5 and 5A.
[edit] Today
The two stations today are branded as Prime Television, carrying the Seven Network in southern New South Wales and Victoria. Local news continues in Albury-Wodonga and Wagga, along with minimal local product such as The Saturday Club.
The Wagga station carries the CBN callsign, while the Albury-Wodonga station is now the Victoria hub of the network, and still carries the AMV callsign.
[edit] Relay transmitters
RVN/AMV relay transmitters included a second Wagga translator on VHF channel 11 and VHF channel 6 in Young.
