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Media
Man Australia director, Greg Tingle (Network Nine,
Brisbane)
The
Nine Network, or Channel Nine, is an Australian
television network based in Willoughby, a suburb
on the North Shore of Sydney. One of three major
free-to-air commercial networks in Australia,
its former slogan "Still The One" refers
to the network's past ratings success, being the
most popular television station on a national
basis since the introduction of television in
Australia. Nationally, the network has consistently
proven itself the most watched television network,
defeated only twice by its main rival, the Seven
Network, in 2000 and 2007.
History
Origins
TCN-9,
the first regularly transmitting television station
in Australia, launched on September 16, 1956.
John Godson introduced the station and Bruce Gyngell
presented the first programme, This Is Television
and in doing so becoming the first person to appear
on Australian television. Later that year, GTV-9
in Melbourne began testing transmissions to telecast
the 1956 Summer Olympics later forming the National
Television Network alongside QTQ-9 in Brisbane
and NWS-9 in Adelaide, the basis of the current
Nine Network.
In
the late 1980s, STW-9 Perth became a Nine Network
owned and operated station when Bond Media purchased
the network. However, in 1989, Bond Media sold
the Perth-based station to Sunraysia Television
for AU$95 million, due to the Federal cross-media
ownership laws, which restricted the level of
national reach for media owners.
2000s
The network's Melbourne headquarters on Bendigo
Street in Richmond, Victoria.
The network's Melbourne headquarters on Bendigo
Street in Richmond, Victoria.
Digital
television was introduced to all of the network's
owned and operated stations on January 1, 2001
- this was soon followed by the gradual introduction
of widescreen and high definition programming.
Darwin station NTD was integrated into the network
on New Year's Day 2003. Following the rebrand
to Nine Darwin, the station decreased Network
Ten programming from their line-up.
On
January 30, 2006, the network and its affiliate
stations relaunched to coincide with Nine's 50th
year of broadcasting. The decision to relaunch
was made by interim CEO Sam Chisholm and late
PBL Deputy Chairman Kerry Packer early in 2005.
The new logo designed by Bruce Dunlop Associates
lacked Nine's distinctive Nine dots, which had
been an Australian television icon since 1970.
The rebranding of Nine also saw National Nine
News, A Current Affair, Today, Nightline, Wide
World of Sports, and Sunday receive new designs.
On
October 18, 2006 James Packer sold 50% of the
network's parent company PBL Media to CVC Asia-Pacific,
in a deal valued $4.6 billion. PBL Media later
purchased regional network NBN Television, on
May 1, 2007 for an estimated $250 million. A further
25% of PBL Media was sold to CVC on June 1, 2007
for $515 million, effectively forgoing control
of the day-to-day operations of the network. On
September 27, 2007, PBL Media announced their
intention to start a high definition multichannel,
to be launched in March 2008.
Programming
List of programs broadcast by the Nine Network
The
Nine Network broadcasts a range of programming
from Australian and overseas sources, which include
American television network CBS. Nine's current
Australian programming lineup consists of television
shows including; Australia's Funniest Home Video
Show, Getaway, McLeod's Daughters, Sea Patrol,
Missing Persons Unit, Mornings with Kerri-Anne,
Temptation, Who Wants to Be a Millionaire?, The
Footy Show and What's Good For You?. Australian
content on Channel Nine is predominately comprised
of non-scripted programs.
American
programming on Nine includes; Gilmore Girls, Close
to Home, Cold Case, CSI: Crime Scene Investigation,
CSI: Miami, CSI: New York, ER, Men In Trees, Nip/Tuck,
Survivor, The Closer, Weeds, and Without a Trace.
In
an attempt to attract advertisers, as they are
more interested in programmes for younger audiences,
new programming will be targeted towards the younger
generation in 2008. Among the new programs in
Nine's 2008 line-up are: Cashmere Mafia, The Return
of Jezebel James, Terminator: The Sarah Connor
Chronicles, Pushing Daisies, Canterbury's Law,
New Amsterdam, Big Shots, Chuck and Aliens in
America.
News
& Current Affairs
National Nine News
The
Nine Network's news service is called National
Nine News. For decades National Nine News has
traditionally been the top rating news service
nationally for Australians, however the Seven
Network has overtaken them in the past few years.
National Nine News produces several news bulletins
and programs including; Today, National Nine News
(morning, afternoon and evening editions, plus
Nightline). As well as this, the news service
also assists in production of; A Current Affair,
60 Minutes, and Sunday. During the early hours
of weekdays and Sunday mornings, Nine rebroadcasts
some of American television network ABC's news
and current affairs programming, including Good
Morning America and 20/20.
Sport
Nine's Wide World of Sport
Channel
Nine broadcasts all sporting events under the
Wide World of Sports brand. The flagship sports
of the brand are National Rugby League, Cricket
and formerly Australian Rules Football until Nine
lost the rights in 2006. NRL games are broadcast
in prime time in New South Wales and Queensland
on Friday nights, however are usually screened
after midnight (or not at all) in Victoria, South
Australia and Western Australia.
Nine's
other popular recurring sporting events include
the Rugby League State of Origin, Telstra Swimming
Championships, British Open, US Golf Open, US
Tennis Open, Wimbledon, Commonwealth Bank Series
cricket, and Test cricket. As well as this, the
Nine Network, in joint partnership with subscription
television provider Foxtel, has broadcast rights
for the 2010 Winter Olympics and the 2012 Summer
Olympics.
Availability
The
Nine Network is simulcast in analogue, standard
definition and 1080i high definition. Nine is
broadcast in metropolitan areas via Nine Network
owned-and-operated stations, these include TCN
Sydney, GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane, and NTD Darwin.
Nine Network programming is also carried into
other metropolitan areas and regional Australia
by locally-branded affiliate networks and stations,
including NWS Adelaide, STW Perth, WIN Television,
NBN Television, and Imparja Television. (Credit:
Wikipedia).
Articles
Strong
local content, by John elder and Tom Reilly -
5th October 2008
(The
Sunday Age)
Ferguson
dumped as Nine scrambles for No. 1 - 12th January
2009
(The
Sydney Morning Herald)
News
Press
Release
NEW
PROGRAM ACQUISITIONS
FOR CHANNEL NINE
Wednesday,
7 November 2007
Channel
Nine announced today a swag of exciting new program
acquisitions for the network in 2008.
The
highlight is Life in Cold Blood, the BBC’s
final David Attenborough series in his anthology
Life on Earth. This outstanding wildlife documentary
series tells the story of the oldest creatures
on the planet.
Also
new for Nine is Extraordinary Animals, an eye-opening
and fascinating series that investigates incredible
animals which are set apart from the rest because
of their remarkable and unique abilities.
Heroes
and Villains is a lavish, all-action drama series
based on the real lives of six men who shaped
the world around them, either by sheer force of
will, genius, courage or greed.
And
get ready for more monsters, more action and more
thrills when Professor Nick Cutter and his team
return to do battle with savage dinosaurs and
other deadly foes from the past, present and future
in Primeval Series 2.
Rounding
out the BBC Worldwide selection are the hit dramas
Hotel Babylon (series 3) and Waking the Dead (series
7).
Other
new programs for the 2008 season include the controversial
series from ITV in the UK, Secret Diary of a Call
Girl, starring Billie Piper (Doctor Who). Based
on the popular diary of the anonymous sex worker
known only as Belle de Jour, this sexually explicit
story is about a beautiful prostitute who leads
the ultimate double life.
And
finally, the producers of Footballers’ Wives,
with input from television supremo Simon Cowell,
have created Rock Rivals, a drama based around
an Australian Idol-style TV show and the marriage
breakdown of a husband and wife who are judges
on it. In a special twist, for the first time
in a television drama the audience is able to
vote for the ending they want to see.
“We
are very pleased to add this new crop of UK-made
product to Nine’s expanding 2008 slate,”
said Network Director of Programming, Michael
Healy.
“These
programs, along with our breakthrough new US series
including Pushing Daisies and Cashmere Mafia,
and our own exciting new local dramas Underbelly
and Canal Road, mean that viewers will be spoilt
for choice on Nine in 2008.”.
For
further information:
Nine Network Publicity
02 9965 2727
PBL
set to sell Nine, magazines, by Lisa Murray - 17th
October 2006
(The
Sydney Morning Herald)
James
Packer's Publishing and Broadcasting Ltd will announce
the spin-off of the Nine Network and ACP Magazines
as early as today, as it looks to create a new $9
billion media company.
PBL
placed its shares in a trading halt today "pending
the release of an announcement by the company".
The
shares surged to an all time high of more than $20
yesterday before closing up 42 cents at $19.85, after
the deal was flagged in a report in the Herald on
Monday.
It
is understood PBL will spin off its media assets,
including Nine and ACP, into a separate company.
PBL
will retain a stake of up to 50 per cent while the
rest of the new company will be sold to a private
equity firm. The new media company is expected to
be valued at just over $9 billion and PBL will have
a half share of that.
An
announcement is expected as early as today.
PBL
refused to rule out the deal in a statement to the
stock exchange yesterday, saying it was "constantly
reviewing all of its businesses and options".
The
deal comes just five days after the Government's media
ownership laws were passed through the Senate and
is expected to kick off a frenzy of corporate activity
in the $12 billion industry.
The
new company will be a major player in the mergers
and acquisitions that take place after the laws change
some time early last year.
This
is the second time the Packer family has sold the
Nine Network (although this time it will retain a
significant stake).
Kerry
Packer sold Nine to Alan Bond in 1987 for more than
$1 billion, only to buy it back a few years later
for less than a quarter of the price.
Coincidentally,
that year marked the last time media ownership laws
were changed in the country by then prime minister
Paul Keating.
AAP
reports: The separate PBL media company is expected
to seek out major acquisition and merger opportunities
after the new media legislation comes into effect.
The
government's package of media reforms, which is expected
to be approved in the House of Representatives tomorrow,
will allow foreign investors to buy local media companies,
and also allow local media companies to own two of
the three main media platforms - newspapers, radio
and television - in the same market.
Analysts
believe PBL is eyeing off newspaper publisher John
Fairfax Holdings Ltd and radio company Austereo Group
Ltd as acquisition targets, once the media rules change.
PBL
has ramped up its gaming acquisition activity this
year, joining a consortium bidding $US3.5 billion
($5 billion) for the right to build Singapore's second
casino last week.
PBL
owns Melbourne's Crown Casino and the Burswood Casino
in Perth and is part of a massive three-casino joint
venture project in Macau, Hong Kong.
It
also is believed to have casino bids in the United
Kingdom, Russia and Thailand.
The
company said in August that its media assets in 2005/06
produced a combined earnings before interest, taxation,
depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) of about $500
million, compared with EBITDA of $535 million for
its gaming business.
PBL's
television EBITDA totalled $215 million, down 20 per
cent or $55 million on the previous year.
Contact
Channel Nine:
(telephone)
Channel
Nine Sydney (02) 9906-9999
Channel Nine Melbourne (03) 9420-3111
Channel Nine Brisbane (07) 3214-9999
Channel Nine Adelaide (08) 8267 0111
Channel Nine Perth (08) 9449 9999
(mail)
NSW Viewers: PO Box 27 Willoughby, NSW 2068
Vic Viewers: PO Box 100 Richmond, Vic 3121
QLD Viewers: PO Box 72 Brisbane, QLD 4001
Programs
include:
Underbelly
60 Minutes
What A Year
20:1
Who wants to be a Millionaire?
Sunday
A Current Affair
Here's Humphrey
The Footy Show
Animal Hospital
Hi 5
This Is Your Life
Business Sunday
Location Location
Today
Changing Rooms
National Nine News
Today on Saturday
Funniest Home Videos
Nightline
Postcards
Getaway
Our House
Wide World of Sports
Roar Of The Wild
Websites:
NineMSN
Nine
Insights
Fairfax
ACP
PBL
Profiles
David
Gyngell
Kerry
Packer (credit ABC Online)
Kerry
Packer
Eddie
McGuire
James
Packer
Bert
Newton
Ray
Martin
Richard
Wilkins
Jessica
Rowe
Peter
Overton
Tracy
Grimshaw
Natalie
Gruzlewski
Shane
Warne
Lin
Sutherland
Sarah
Murdoch
NRL
Contact Publishing And Broadcasting Limited:
(telephone)
(02)
9282 8000
(mail)
54 Park Street, Sydney, New South Wales 1028 AUSTRALIA
*please
do not ask Media Man Australia for the e-mail
addresses of Network Nine or PBL management or
directors. If you are interested in making contact
with Network Nine or PBL personnel contact Network
Nine. Please note that Richard Wilkins, Shane
Warne, Eddie McGuire and some others do consider
public speaking engagements. Thank you.
Media
Man Australia does not represent Channel Nine
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