TCN

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TCN
Sydney, New South Wales
Branding Nine
Slogan We Heart TV
Channels Analog: 9 (VHF)

Digital: 8 (VHF)
Affiliations Nine (O&O)
Network Nine
Owner PBL Media Holdings Pty Ltd
(TCN Channel Nine Pty Ltd)
First air date September 16, 1956
Call letters’ meaning Television
Corporation
New South Wales
Transmitter Power 200 kW (analog)
50 kW (digital)
Height 259 m (analog)
260 m (digital)[1]
Transmitter Coordinates 33°48′42″S, 151°11′45″E
Website www.ninemsn.com.au
This article is about the Australian television station. For other uses, see TCN (disambiguation).

TCN is the Sydney flagship television station of the Nine Network in Australia and is located at Willoughby. The license, issued to a company named Television Corporation Ltd headed by Frank Packer, was one of the first four licenses (two in Sydney, two in Melbourne) to be issued for commercial television stations in Australia.

Contents

[edit] History

TCN began broadcasting on 16 September 1956, and became the first station in Australia to begin regular transmissions. The first tv tower was built there in 1956[2] [3] [4] [5] [6], but was replaced by a taller one which is the tallest lattice tower in Australia at 233 metres and is now operated by TXA Australia which operates another tower nearby at Artarmon.

The first words spoken on the station were by John Godson, who introduced the station audio-only[7], shortly before the first program, This Is Television, was introduced by Bruce Gyngell, the first person to appear on Australian television, however original footage of this program does not exist. Gyngell again said this passage in 1959 for archival purposes. Other early programming included the 1958 variety music program Bandstand which was launched by Brian Henderson. It lasted for 14 years on the station and launched the careers of many Australians.

In 1957, the station formed an affiliation with Melbourne station HSV-7, allowing them to share programming. In 1963, station affiliations changed; TCN-9 formed part of the National Television Network with GTV-9 in Melbourne, QTQ-9 in Brisbane and NWS-9 in Adelaide. These stations formed the basis of what is now the Nine Network, although only the Sydney and Melbourne stations have been owned by Packer's company.

On Frank Packer's death in 1974, station ownership was passed to his son Kerry Packer.

Bruce Gyngell welcoming television broadcasting in Australia via TCN-9.
Bruce Gyngell welcoming television broadcasting in Australia via TCN-9.

In December 1987, Kerry Packer sold the Sydney and Melbourne stations to Alan Bond's Bond Media for $1055 million, including $200 million in shares of Bond Media. Bond already owned the Perth and Brisbane Nine affiliate stations (among others). In 1990, Bond Media's inability to pay out preference shares to Packer forced Nine into receivership. In July 1990, Packer bought back the expanded Nine network (Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Perth stations) for only $200 million, one-fifth of what he sold it for.

On 1 October 1997, TCN-9 performed the first on-air trial of digital broadcasting in the southern hemisphere.

[edit] Production

[edit] Drama

[edit] News

TCN 9 Tower at Willoughby
TCN 9 Tower at Willoughby

[edit] Entertainment

[edit] Past

[edit] News

Further information: National Nine News

National Nine News Sydney is anchored by Mark Ferguson, with Ken Sutcliffe presenting sport Sundays to Thursdays and Stephanie Brantz presenting sport on Fridays and Saturdays. Jaynie Seal presents the weather Sunday to Thursday, with Mike Bailey presenting on Friday and Saturday.

Mark Ferguson succeeded Jim Waley when he signed out at the start of 2005 as the bulletin's major weekday presenter. Waley had been the longest serving presenter at the time, following the retirement of Brian Henderson way back in 2002.

Mike Munro presents on weekends Sydney & Darwin, alongside sport presenters Stephanie Brantz on Saturdays and Ken Sutcliffe on Sundays. Mike Munro and Michael Usher are regular fill-in presenters for public holidays.

Current Newsreaders

Past Newsreaders

Eddie McGuire filled in for Tracy Grimshaw in A Current Affair's final week of production at TCN-9. The last episode of ACA at TCN-9 was recorded on June 13, 2008, after Tracy Grimshaw moved to Melbourne. The following Monday ACA began production at the studios of GTV-9. Grimshaw had been the current ACA presenter at the time, following the retirement of Ray Martin at the end of 2007.

[edit] References

  1. ^ HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
  2. ^ Communications - TV - the mast of Australia's first television transmitter, TCN rises 561 feet from the site of a former dairy at Willoughby, near Sydney http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=7654355&S=1&T=P National Archives of Australia 1956 Retrieved on 2008-03-14
  3. ^ Communications - TV - the 75-foor antenna of Australia's first television transmitter, TCN Channel 9 at Willoughby, five miles from Sydney, NSW http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=7654345&S=1&T=P National Archives of Australia 1956 Retrieved on 2008-03-14
  4. ^ Communications - TV - view southwards from the top of the 486-foot tower which carries the antenna of TCN Australia's first television transmitter - Municipality of Willoughby, NSW http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=7654358&S=1&T=P National Archives of Australia 1956 Retrieved on 2008-03-14
  5. ^ Communications - TV - view southwards from the top of the 486-foot tower which carries the antenna of TCN Australia's first television transmitter - Municipality of Willoughby, NSW http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=7654357&S=1&T=P National Archives of Australia 1956 Retrieved on 2008-03-14
  6. ^ Communications - TV - suburban homes in Willoughby, near Sydney, NSW from the top of TCN's television tower http://naa16.naa.gov.au/rs_images/ShowImage.php?B=7654356&S=1&T=P National Archives of Australia 1956 Retrieved on 2008-03-14
  7. ^ Walker, Vanessa. "TV's original voice speaks up", The Australian, 2006-07-20. Retrieved on 2006-07-20. 

[edit] See also

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Television in New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory
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ABN (ABC) · ATN (Seven) · TCN (Nine) · TEN (Ten) · SBS · TSN (TVS) · Digital Forty Four
Northern NSW
ABN (ABC) · NEN (Prime) · NBN (NBN) · NRN (SC Ten) · SBS
Southern NSW and ACT
ABN/ABC (ABC) · CBN (Prime) · WIN (WIN) · CTC (SC Ten) · SBS
Griffith and MIA
ABGN (ABC) · AMN (Prime) · MTN (WIN) · SBS
Broken Hill
ABLN (ABC) · BKN (SC TV) · SCN (SC Ten) · SBS
Remote areas
ABN (ABC) · IMP (Imparja) · QQQ (SC TV) · SBS