ABV (TV station)

ABV is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television station in Melbourne, Victoria. The station began broadcasting on 19 November 1956 and is transmitted throughout the state via a network of relay transmitters and also ABV is the second television station in Victoria with HSV-7 which opened at the same month of 1956 as the first TV station in Victoria. The studios are located in Southbank and Elsternwick, and transmitter at Mount Dandenong.

Programming

Local programming

ABV follows a schedule nearly identical to that of other statewide ABC Television stations, allowing for time differences and some local programming - including news, current affairs, sport and state election coverage.

ABC News Victoria is presented by Ian Henderson from Monday to Thursday and Tamara Oudyn from Friday to Sunday. The weeknight bulletins also incorporate weather forecasts presented by Paul Higgins as well as a national finance segment presented by Alan Kohler. The main fill-in presenters are Guy Stayner, Frances Bell and Beverley O'Connor with Vanessa O'Hanlon from ABC News Breakfast as the main fill in weather presenter.

ABV also carries live coverage of Victorian Football League matches on Saturday afternoons during the season and the finals of the TAC Cup.

• Former sports presenter Angela Pippos resigned in October 2007 after being demoted as weeknight sports presenter to weekend presenter in 2004 to make way for Peter Wilkins. It was documented in the press that Pippos had some run-ins with senior management over this issue and the timing of her departure, which came after she was approached by Victorian premier John Brumby to run as a candidate in the Williamstown by-election, caused by the resignation of former premier Steve Bracks. Pippos was suspended for one week while she made her decision not to stand, but resigned just weeks later. She now presents the breakfast program on Sport Radio 927.
• In 2008, an unusual event occurred when ABC News Victoria won one week in the 2008 television ratings season, and also drew in another week with Seven News Melbourne.

Networked programming from ABV2

Past programming

• 7.30 Victoria
• Newsline with Jim Middleton (via Australia Network)
• VFL
• The Slap (TV series)
• The Librarians
• The Marngrook Footy Show (2011-2012)
• Bed of Roses (2008-2011)
• Stateline (1995-2010) Replaced by 7.30 Victoria
• Summer Heights High (2008)
• We Can Be Heroes: Finding The Australian of the Year (2005)
• George Negus Tonight (2002-2004)
• Kath & Kim (2002-2004) Production moved to HSV7
• Something in the Air (TV series) (2000-2002)
• The 10:30 Slot (1999-2000)
• The Micallef P(r)ogram(me) (1998-2001)
• Sea Change (1998-2000)
• Recovery (1996-2000)
• The Adventures of Lano and Woodley (1997-1999)
• Frontline (1994-1997)
• Round the Twist (1989-2001)
• The D-Generation (1986-1988)

History

Past programming produced at ABV-2 included Corinne Kirby's Let's Make a Date, the popular children's fantasy Adventure Island, the multi-award winning miniseries Power Without Glory, entertainment show The Big Gig and the iconic youth music program Countdown.

Early efforts by the station included Variety View (1958-1959), Melbourne Magazine (1957), Sweet and Low (1959) and Melody Time (1957-1959).

The first dramatic production by the station was a live, 30-minute play called Roundabout which aired on 4 January 1957.

ABV Channel 2 moves to new studios at Ripponlea in 1958, ABC’s existing Melbourne television studios in Gordon Street, Elsternwick and set to expand its premises in inner-city Melbourne with construction of a new television studio.

Relay stations

The following stations relay ABV throughout Victoria:

Notes:

• 1. HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
• 2. ABGV was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until 1991, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 3. ABLV was on VHF channel 4 from its 1963 sign-on until 1991, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 4. ABMV was on VHF channel 4 from its 1965 sign-on until sometime in the 1990s, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 5. ABRV was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until sometime around 1991, moving to VHF channel 11 in order to accommodate FM radio. It moved to its current channel in 2000 in order to accommodate digital television in Melbourne.
• 6. ABMV was on VHF channel 6 until the 30 June 2010 due to the Analogue switchoff in the Mildura/Sunraysia region
• 7. Analogue transmissions ceased as of 5 May 2011 as part of the conversion to digital television.

See also

• Television broadcasting in Australia

References

External links

• ABV-2 historical info
• Corrine Kerby & Oscar Whitbread behind the scenes. State Library of Victoria (SLV).
• Clive Winmill Compere of ABV-2's Children's Hour picture at SLV.