Australia Network
Encyclopedia
Australia Network, originally Australia Television International and later ABC Asia Pacific, is a free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...

 international
International broadcasting
International broadcasting is broadcasting that is deliberately aimed at a foreign, rather than a domestic, audience. It usually is broadcast by means of longwave, mediumwave, or shortwave radio, but in recent years has also used direct satellite broadcasting and the Internet as means of reaching...

 satellite television service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...

 since 2006. The television and online service broadcasts 24 hours a day on 7 days a week, to approximately 44 countries in Asia, the Pacific and the Indian sub-continent. The channel broadcasts a mix of programming, including news and current affairs, English-language learning programs, international documentaries, lifestyle, drama, sports and children's programming. The current channel operating rights is due to be opened to a tender, with the incumbent ABC, and private channel operators competing for the rights.

The international television service's current incarnation launched on 1 January 2002.
It is funded partially by Australia's Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade
Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (Australia)
The Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade is a department of the government of Australia charged with advancing the interests of Australia and its citizens internationally...

, as well as some advertising (unlike the ABC's domestic television services). The channel is targeted at local audiences in 44 countries across parts of Asia, the Pacific and India. Australia network, along with international radio network Radio Australia
Radio Australia
Radio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...

, is a part of the ABC's International, Corporate Strategy and Governance division.

Origins

Australia Television International the forerunner to Australia Network was launched in 1 January 1993. Radio Australia
Radio Australia
Radio Australia is the international broadcasting and online service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation , Australia's public broadcaster.- History :...

 had been operating as part of the ABC since 1939 while the passing of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act in 1983 allowed the Corporation to operate an additional international television service. The channel was originally proposed by directors Mark Armstrong and David Hill
David Hill
-Politicians:* David B. Hill , Governor of the U.S. state of New York, 1885–1891, U.S. Senator from New York, 1892–1897* David Jayne Hill , politician from New York, United States Assistant Secretary of State, 1898–1903...

, who felt that a television channel would further heighten Australia's presence in the Asia-Pacific region and demonstrate the ABC's technical abilities.

The new channel was to be funded by a combination of government subsidies and commercial sponsorship. The presence of commercials, not previously seen or heard on the ABC, resulted in the creation of an updated edition of the ABC Editorial and Programme Practices stipulating that the 'Australia Television service will retain editorial control and independence in all programming'. Paul Keating
Paul Keating
Paul John Keating was the 24th Prime Minister of Australia, serving from 1991 to 1996. Keating was elected as the federal Labor member for Blaxland in 1969 and came to prominence as the reformist treasurer of the Hawke Labor government, which came to power at the 1983 election...

 launched Australia Television International on 1 January 1993 - televised live to 50 countries in the southeast Asian region, from the ABC's television studios in Gore Hill
Gore Hill, New South Wales
Gore Hill is an urban locality on the North Shore of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Gore Hill is located in the western part of the suburb of St Leonards....

.

Funding cuts made in the 1997-1998 federal budget, and recommendations made in the Mansfield Report, meant that control of Australia Television was handed over to the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

in 1998. Under Seven's direction the channel continued to receive federal funding, and carry some ABC News
ABC News and Current Affairs
ABC News and Current Affairs is the name of the division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that controls content classified as news, public affairs and business and finance....

.

2002-2006 - As ABC Asia Pacific

Despite efforts made by Seven to expand into Asia using the service, it continued to lose money. In 2002, the government announced a five-year, $50 million tender for the service - at the time watched primarily by Australian expats for its news programmes, football coverage, and children's programming. Seven chose not to bid, while Imparja Television
Imparja Television
Imparja Television is an Australian television network servicing remote eastern and central Australia, that began broadcasting on 2 January 1988. It is based in Alice Springs, where it has a studio and satellite uplink facility. Notably, it is controlled by Australian Aborigines through ownership...

's application was unsuccessful. The ABC won the contract and launched ABC Asia Pacific on 1 January 2002, with content from the Seven Network
Seven Network
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7 frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach...

, Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

, Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...

, and the ABC's own original content, as well as news bulletins produced by Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....

.

The tender was renewed in 2005 however the ABC was re-awarded control of the service, over other applicants including Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia
Sky News Australia is an Australian 24 hour cable and satellite news channel available in 2.5 million homes on Foxtel, Austar, Optus Television and Neighbourhood Cable subscription platforms....

. Soon after, the network stopped showing content from Sky News Australia, replaced with bulletins produced by the ABC's own news and current affairs division from its Southbank studios in Melbourne.

2006-2011 - As Australia Network

ABC Asia Pacific changed its name to Australia Network on 7 August 2006, at the same time introducing a number of new programs, as well as the expansion of its existing news programs and English-language learning programs. Following a restructure of the ABC in early 2007, Australia Network became a part of the Corporation's International, Corporate Strategy and Governance division.

The channel is not available in Australia or New Zealand
New Zealand
New Zealand is an island country in the south-western Pacific Ocean comprising two main landmasses and numerous smaller islands. The country is situated some east of Australia across the Tasman Sea, and roughly south of the Pacific island nations of New Caledonia, Fiji, and Tonga...

, owing to rights restrictions, although ABC News for Australia Network bulletins are carried overnight on ABC News 24
ABC News 24
ABC News 24 is an Australian 24-hour news channel launched and owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. The channel replaced the former ABC High Definition simulcast of ABC1 and commenced broadcasting at 7:30pm 5:30 on Thursday, 22 July 2010.-Pre-launch:The ABC announced in January 2010...

 in Australia and on Stratos TV
Triangle TV
Triangle Television and Stratos Television are public service television stations based in Auckland, New Zealand. Triangle broadcasts across Auckland on analogue UHF, while Stratos broadcasts around New Zealand on the Freeview, Sky TV and TelstraClear cable digital platforms...

 in New Zealand. Several Australia Network programmes are also available online in Australia on the ABC's iview platform. Australia Network became available in Malaysia on Astro (Channel 514) in December 2008.

Programming

Australia network shows a range of programming targeted at audiences within the region, including evening news bulletins at two-hour intervals targeted at different parts of the region, and a number of English-language educational programs produced by the Network including Study English, Living English, English Bites and The Business of English. Popular soap operas Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...

(both new and classic episodes) and Sons And Daughters
Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters or Sons & Daughters may refer to:In film:* Sons and Daughters , a 2001 Argentine film directed by Marco BechisIn television:...

is also shown on the channel, with a recap program on Sundays. Other drama series include hospital drama All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...

, police series Rescue Special Ops, Stingers
Stingers
Stingers was an Australian police drama television series. It ran for eight seasons on the Nine Network before it was canceled in late 2004 due to declining ratings and the late timeslot Channel Nine gave the program...

, Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...

, City Homicide
City Homicide
City Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 – 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne...

, and East of Everything
East of Everything
East of Everything is an Australian drama television series which began screening on 30 March 2008 on the ABC. It is produced by Deborah Cox , Fiona Eagger and Roger Monk...

. The Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...

's travel program Getaway
Getaway
Getaway is Australia's longest-running and most popular holiday and travel television programme. Debuting on 14 May 1992, it is currently broadcast on the Nine Network and TLC...

& the children's show Play School
Play School (Australian TV series)
Play School is an Australian educational television show for children produced by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It is the longest-running children's show in Australia, and the second longest running childrens show in the world. An estimated 80% of pre-school children under six watch the...

 is also shown.

News & Current Affairs

Three news bulletins are shown at two hour intervals throughout the evening, in order to provide a fairly constant timeslot for the range of timezones within the channel's coverage area. ABC Asia Pacific News is presented from the ABC's Southbank studios in Melbourne by Beverley O'Connor
Beverley O'Connor
Beverley O'Connor is a Melbourne journalist and broadcaster. She is currently a presenter of ABC's Asia Pacific News service, in which role she replaced Anne Krug, and she is also a fill-in presenter for Virginia Trioli on ABC News Breakfast....

, with stories from ABC reporters based in and around the region. Following the channel's relaunch in 2006, four new correspondents based in New Delhi, Beijing, the South Pacific and Jakarta
Jakarta
Jakarta is the capital and largest city of Indonesia. Officially known as the Special Capital Territory of Jakarta, it is located on the northwest coast of Java, has an area of , and a population of 9,580,000. Jakarta is the country's economic, cultural and political centre...

 were added to report exclusively for the bulletins.

Current affairs program Asia Pacific Focus
ABC News (Australia)
ABC News is a national news service produced by the News and Current Affairs division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation - the division is responsible for all newsgathering and production of news output for ABC television, radio and online services...

, hosted by Edmond Roy and Helen Vatsikopoulos
Helen Vatsikopoulos
Helen Vatsikopoulos is an Australian journalist and news presenter for the Special Broadcasting Service and the Australian Broadcasting Corporation ....

 is also shown after the network's 9.00pm HKT
Hong Kong Time
Hong Kong Time is the time in Hong Kong, observed at UTC+8 all year round. The Hong Kong Observatory is the official timekeeper of the Hong Kong Time.-Time standards:...

 bulletin.

Some programs from ABC TV news & current affairs
ABC News and Current Affairs
ABC News and Current Affairs is the name of the division of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation that controls content classified as news, public affairs and business and finance....

 programs.

Sport

The Australia Network broadcasts a number of Australian sporting events, such as the Melbourne Cup
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...

 and V8 Supercars, as well as the National Rugby League
National Rugby League
The National Rugby League is the top league of professional rugby league football clubs in Australasia. The NRL's main competition, called the Telstra Premiership , is contested by sixteen teams, fifteen of which are based in Australia with one based in New Zealand...

 and Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...

seasons and their respective Finals Series. At present there is no cricket shown.

Logo History

In 2002, ABC Asia Pacific used the same logo as ABC in Australia. The station idents also feature the same silver ring and elements as ABC Television's 2002 idents.

In 2003, generic break bumpers are used between commercial breaks, using a simple background and a simple ring animation.

In 2004, the channel used the new slogan Everyone's ABC Asia Pacific, with new idents using the same ribbon package of ABC TV Australia, but usually keeping the 2002 idents.

In 2006, ABC Asia Pacific rebranded as Australia Network, using a new logo as a stylized lower-cased 'a'. In 2009, the logo's color simplified from gold to simple white, with new idents using the new logo in guise of a balloon.

External links

The source of this article is wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.  The text of this article is licensed under the GFDL.
 
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