Southern Cross Television

Origins

Southern Cross began in 1982 as a small network of three stations in regional Victoria. The then TV-8 network comprised GLV-8 Gippsland, BCV-8 Bendigo, and STV-8 Victoria.

GLV was the first regional television station in the country, launched on 9 December 1961. BCV-8 launched in the same year, on 23 December, while STV followed four years later, on 27 November 1965. GLV-10 became GLV-8 in 1980, when Melbourne commercial station ATV-0 moved frequences to become ATV-10 The network began life in 1982 as TV-8, but later changed its name in 1989 to the Southern Cross Network. Soon after this, STV-8 left the network after it was bought by businessman Alan Bond, and eventually sold on to ENT Limited (owners of Vic TV and Tas TV). This network began as a "cherry picking" network, taking programs from all three metropolitan commercial networks at the time. At aggregation, it became an affiliate of Network Ten.

1960s to the 1970s

Tasmanian television station TNT-9 commenced broadcasting at 5:57 pm on 26 May 1962. Fred Archer was the first person to appear on the station, during its first five hours of transmission. On the opening night the station was officially inaugurated by Lord Rowallan, the Governor of Tasmania. The Mickey Mouse Club was the first programme to be broadcast, and advertisements included: Abbott's cordial, Hydro, Launceston Bank for Savings, Peters Ice Cream, Hicks Atkinson and the Saturday Evening Express.

GTS/BKN began transmissions as a solus commercial television service by Spencer Gulf Telecasters in the upper Spencer Gulf in 1968, with Port Lincoln and Broken Hill commencing in 1970 and 1974 respectively.

1980s to the 1990s

On 13 May 1989, TNT-9 was sold by ENT Ltd. to Southern Cross Broadcasting and was integrated into the Southern Cross Television network.

Tasmania was aggregated on 30 April 1994, albeit with only two stations – Southern Cross Television became a dual Seven and Ten affiliate, while TAS TV took programming from the Nine Network. Both stations commenced statewide transmission from this time.

Remote Central and Eastern Australia were the final areas to be aggregated – one of the largest geographical licence areas, taking in parts of the Northern Territory, western Queensland, and other areas in which terrestrial television signals cannot be received. Stations broadcast to this area mainly through satellite or re-transmission stations. Imparja Television, based in Alice Springs, became a dual Nine and Ten affiliate, while Seven Central became a Seven affiliate.

2000s and 2010s

Southern Cross Broadcasting purchased Spencer Gulf Telecasters in April 2002. In 2002, Southern Cross Broadcasting and WIN Corporation joined forces to create Tasmanian Digital Television, which launched in late 2003. TDT is a sole Network Ten affiliate. Southern Cross Television operates the transmission of the station.

In 2003, Seven Darwin and Seven Central were purchased by Southern Cross Broadcasting, retaining their sole Seven Network affiliation. On 31 December 2003, Southern Cross Ten was broadcast for the first time to the Upper Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill broadcast areas, using a standard definition channel. In May 2005, the service was integrated into the Southern Cross Television network.

On 3 December 2004, presentation was centralised to Southern Cross Broadcasting's play-out centre in Canberra. In May 2005, the service in Darwin was integrated into the Southern Cross Television network, losing its generic Seven on-air presentation. This coincided with Southern Cross Television in Darwin commencing dual affiliations with both the Seven Network and Network Ten.

In 2007, a joint venture station owned by Southern Cross Broadcasting and PBL Media, the owners of NTD-8 Darwin, was announced. The station, named Darwin Digital Television, began broadcasting on 28 April 2008. It is a digital-only Network Ten affiliate, similar to other digital only joint venture channels introduced in Australia.

On 3 July 2007 Southern Cross Television's parent company, Southern Cross Broadcasting, recommended Macquarie Media Group's offer of A$1.35 billion, for a takeover of the corporation. On 5 November 2007, the network was officially purchased by the Macquarie Media Group.

In early 2009, Southern Cross Tasmania dropped all of its remaining Network Ten programming, except for AFL telecasts, as it has gradually dropped other programming since 2004 when TDT was launched, which now broadcasts all Network Ten programming. It is now affiliated only with Seven and broadcasts all of its programming.

News

As the following stations are affiliate broadcasters of the Seven Network the following Seven News national programs are aired on these stations:

For regional news, TNT in Tasmania have their daily bulletins produced from the station's Launceston studios, while the local news bulletins on GTS/BKN serving the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill areas, as well as shared news summaries broadcast on ITQ/QQQ serving remote areas and TND in Darwin, have their programs produced from Southern Cross Austereo's studio in Canberra.

Local programming

Although, in the past, various birthday specials, telethons and locally produced TV shows have been aired. Quiz Quest (children's game show), The Saturday night show (variety), Down the line (morning talk/local events), Targa Tasmania (annually), The Saturday Morning Fun Show (kids), Tasmanian New Faces (talent), Launceston Cup (OB) and so on.

The series' that Southern Cross produce are listed below.

Hook, Line and Sinker

Hook, Line and Sinker is a fishing show hosted by former news journalists Andrew Hart and Nick Duigan.

Renovation Relief

Renovation Relief is a DIY program hosted by famous wood-chopper David Foster in which he and a team of people from sponsors (i.e. Gunns) renovate a house, most commonly for people who have done something for the community or have disabled children. Renovation Relief is not airing at this time.

Targa Tasmania

For the two weeks in which Targa Tasmania runs, each night Andrew Hart and Nick Duigan share the events of the day in Targa Torque, this usually airs at around 10.30 pm.

Holiday at Home

Holiday at Home is a lifestyle programme which promotes places to stay at and things to do in Tasmania.

Discover Tasmania

This show was produced by Southern Cross Television but is hosted by Seven Network personalities Ed Halmagyi and Tim Campbell and a mention was made about the Seven Network broadcast centre model in the village of Lower Crackpot in the Tasmazia maze complex. It is similar to Holiday at Home except featured more famous attractions and was arguably better quality television. The second season saw Tim Campbell being replaced by Jack Campbell as host because Tim Campbell had moved to the Nine Network.

Homes of Tasmania

Homes of Tasmania is screened each year showcasing the year's award-winning homes. It is hosted by Nick Duigan and Andrew Hart, like Hook Line and Sinker.

Going Bush

This was the third show hosted by Nick Duigan and Andrew Hart. It was a five-part series screening on Sunday mornings and later afternoons, about Tasmanian bushland and related topics, and co-produced with Forestry Tasmania. There have been two seasons. [1]

Burnie Ten – Ten Week Challenge

For the ten weeks leading up to the Burnie Ten Mark Connelly trains a group of people in a program sponsored by Southern Cross. Each week there are updates given during ad-breaks. In the early years of the programme, people who took part were well known in Tasmania. However, in 2006 a Launceston family were trained to run the event.

Southern Cross Community Connect

A service provided to the community to promote community based events.

The Scope

A service that informs the viewer what is on in the area.

Availability

Southern Cross Television is available in standard definition digital format. The network is available primarily through free-to-air terrestrial transmitters, with satellite transmissions available in Remote Central and Eastern Australia. The network's owned-and-operated stations include, TNT Tasmania, TND Darwin, GTS Spencer Gulf, BKN Broken Hill, ITQ Mount Isa, and QQQ Central Australia.

Southern Cross HD

Southern Cross launched a high definition simulcast of its main channel in Tasmania, TNT, in June 2009 on digital channel 60, following a period of looped HD test broadcasts. Darwin also provided a high definition simulcast of its main channel, TND, on digital channel 70. Both services were replaced by 7mate on each station's respective HD channel when it launched in all Southern Cross areas.

In March 2017, Southern Cross announced that it would be launching a high definition simulcast of its main channel, Southern Cross HD in Tasmania on digital channel 60, in time for the first match of the 2017 AFL season later that month. SCHD launched in Tasmania on 22 March 2017, downgrading 7mate to standard definition on digital channel 63.

Logos

Southern Cross Television's first networked logo produced and used across its regional stations, featured a blue rounded square with the Southern Cross constellation in white. This logo was used on TNT and GLV/BCV until 1993, when GLV/BCV adopted an independent logo. TNT retained the logo until 2000, when a new logo was introduced featuring an orange Tasmanian tiger above the word Southern Cross. In 2005, a new logo was produced and used across the network, this time to a blue and red star. This logo has been used since, and was launched concurrently with similarly designed logos on Southern Cross Ten and across Southern Cross Broadcasting's other assets. However, it did not carry the Seven Network's famous 'red 7' due to affiliation disagreements.