Nine Network

Nine Network
Nine Network Logo
Launched	16 September 1956
Owned by	PBL Media
Picture format	576i (16:9 SDTV) 1080i (16:9 HDTV)
Audience share	26.8% Nationally (2009 Ratings Year, [1])
Slogan	Welcome Home
Country	Australia
Language	English
Broadcast area	Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin
Affiliates	Perth, Adelaide
Sister channel(s)	Nine HD Go!
Website	ninemsn.com.au
Availability
Terrestrial
Analogue	Normally tuned to 9
SD Digital	Channel 9
HD Digital	Channel 90
3D television	Channel 40
Satellite
Foxtel Digital	Channel 100
Austar Digital	Channel 009 (Darwin only)
Cable
Foxtel Digital	Channel 100
Austar Digital	Channel 009 (Darwin only)
Optus TV	Channel 100

The Nine Network (commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia. However, this changed in 2007 when the Nine Network's ratings were overtaken by those of its rival, the Seven Network, which has dominated in the ratings ever since. As a result, Nine's slogan "still the one" was discontinued in 2006. After a few years in the wilderness, with a period plagued by mass-sackings, programme cancellations and budget-cuts, the Nine Network has enjoyed a period of stability and growth, with a ratings resurgence. However, Seven has remained with the highest rating shares. 2010 has seen a close battle between Nine and Seven to win the ratings for the year. This has caused Nine to continually change programs and schedules to improve audience numbers.

History

Origins

TCN-9, the first regularly transmitting television station in Australia, launched on 16 September 1956. John Godson introduced the station and Bruce Gyngell presented the first programme, This Is Television (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 1967 the NSWRFL grand final became the first football grand final of any code to be televised live in Australia. The Nine Network had paid $5,000 for the broadcasting rights.^[1]

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.^[2]

Nine: the golden era

Nine began using the slogan "Let us be the one" (based by The Carpenters song) in the 70s, and achieved widespread success, becoming the number 1 free to air network in Australia and National Nine News became the most watched news service. Soon after in 1978, Nine switched their slogan to "Still the One!" (Patterned after the campaign used by ABC in the United States) , which lasted until the ratings downfall in January 2006. During the 80s, Nine's ratings peaked and drove the network forward well into the 90s. From 1999 to 2001, the network began losing ground to Seven in news and entertainment, but received a boost after the 9/11 coverage in 2001. Digital terrestrial television was introduced on 1 January 2001.

The downfall: Nine loses to Seven

Nine stayed strong throughout 2004 but was hit hard when Seven introduced a new line-up in 2005, even though Nine won the year. Meanwhile, National Nine News was overtaken by Seven News, while Today was beaten by Seven's Sunrise. In 2006, Nine continued on its downward trend, losing in news and just winning the year thanks to its coverage of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. To try and revitalise the network, Nine dropped its old logo for a new box logo, which was criticised for its lack of the nine balls, which had long been part of the network's identity.

In 2007, despite several hits, Seven won the whole year by a significant margin. Nine received heavy criticism, due to its lack of new programming and lack of choice.

Nine: The Turnaround

In 2008, as part of a major relaunch, the network reinstated the nine balls, and dropped the box logo. Nine also tried to attract younger demographics and in the process, launched a breakout hit, Underbelly which rated over 2.5 million viewers across most of Australia in its first season. After losing viewers to Seven News, Nine relaunched its news service as Nine News, which managed to win more weeks over Seven in the first half of 2008. Nonetheless, Seven went on to win the ratings year in total people while Nine was rated the number one network in the key 18–49 and 25–54 demographics.

In 2009, Nine started relatively strongly thanks to the top rating Australian drama Underbelly: A Tale of Two Cities and the Twenty20 Cricket series, but could not hold its audience after Network Ten's Masterchef became a massive hit, and also due to its inconsistent scheduling and removal of programmes. Nine launched a number of reality shows including Ladette to Lady, Wipeout Australia, HomeMade, Australia's Perfect Couple and The Apprentice Australia, in the hope of achieving the same success other networks had received with reality and competitive formats over the past few years. All of the new formats underperformed in the ratings and did not help the network establish any stable local content. Nine also expanded its news strand with the re-introduction of a late night bulletin (for its owned-and-operated stations), an extended morning bulletin and weekend editions of Today. Despite this, the flagship 6pm state bulletins continued to lack ratings - by late 2009, national ratings at 6pm dropped below a million for more than 3 days, just under 200,000 people below Seven News.

In August 2009, Nine launched its own digital multi-channel called Go! on channel 99 which is primarily aimed at the younger demographic. The shares from GO! have contributed to Nine's weekly shares and have allowed it to enjoy several weeks of weekly ratings wins. In October, the Network took on a new slogan, Welcome Home and revamped its inconsistent graphic package once again, very reminiscent of Channel Nine in its golden days. October also saw the official launch of GO!, with new schedules announced, and the return of popular variety show Hey Hey It's Saturday in two reunion specials, both viewed by over 2 million viewers. With the success of GO!, the Hey Hey reunion specials and the NRL, Nine has experienced ratings success it has not seen for many months.

Meanwhile, in Sydney, the flagship 6pm news broadcast has retaken supremacy on key nights with its anchor, Peter Overton, against Seven's dwindling Chris Bath. In Melbourne, Nine's Peter Hitchener continues the lead over Seven's Peter Mitchell, whilst in Brisbane, the renewed Nine News team there have been regaining lost ground in what is a Seven stronghold.

With the resurgence of Nine News, growth of Today, stabilisation of 60 Minutes and a new programme line-up consisting of Hey, Hey, Underbelly and Sea Patrol, Nine has enjoyed much ratings success this year.

Programming

The Nine Network broadcasts a range of programming from Australian and overseas sources. Nine's current Australian programming lineup consists of television shows including; Australia's Funniest Home Videos (previously Australia's Funniest Home Video Show), Getaway, Sea Patrol, Missing Persons Unit, Kerri-Anne (previously Mornings With Kerri-Anne), The Footy Shows, What's Good For You, Underbelly, Domestic Blitz, RPA, Amazing Medical Stories, 60 Minutes, 20 to 1, Millionaire Hot Seat, Hi-5, Kids' WB Australia, Magicial Tales and Hey Hey It's Saturday.

Most American programming that airs on Nine and its regional affiliates is sourced from Nine's studio-output deals with Warner Bros Television, Sony Pictures Television, Lions Gate, Alliance Atlantis, and Regency (four production companies that were previously screened on Network Ten). The network's flagship programme is the popular sitcom Two and a Half Men, which airs up to ten episodes per week during primetime. Other American programming on Nine includes The Mentalist, Cold Case, the CSI franchise, The View, Survivor, Without a Trace, The Ellen DeGeneres Show, Days of our Lives, Entertainment Tonight, Hot in Cleveland, and WWE After Burn.

Feature films broadcast on the Nine Network are sourced from its studio-output deals, including Columbia/Sony and Warner Bros. Pictures. It also broadcasts Australian and international titles distributed via Village Roadshow.

The Nine Network also broadcasts films from Dreamworks Pictures produced prior to 2007–2008; the rights to more recent titles have since passed on to the Seven Network.

In an attempt to attract advertisers, as there is wide industry consensus that most advertisers are more interested in programmes for younger audiences, new programming is expected to now be targeted towards the younger generation^[3].

The Nine Network's prime time line-up is frequently criticised because of last minute scheduling changes and cancellations and late starting times, with most nights programming running between 5 and 10 minutes behind schedule. The strategy of relying on a hand of programs (most notable US sitcom Two and a Half Men) has also been questioned. Reruns of Two and a Half Men are shown out of sequence with episodes from several different seasons often airing in the same night.

News & Current Affairs

The Nine Network's news service is Nine News (previously National Nine News). For decades, it was the top rating news service nationally but in recent years, the Seven Network's Seven News has overtaken the service.^[4]

Nine News produces several news bulletins and programmes including Today, Weekend Today, as well as the Early News, Morning News Hour, Afternoon Edition, 6pm and national bulletins on weekdays.

The news service also produces A Current Affair and 60 Minutes. During weekday overnights and Sunday mornings, Nine rebroadcasts American television network ABC's news and current affairs programme Good Morning America.

2008-2009 Nine stepped into the hearts of Nine News major expansion saw Today broadcast on Saturdays and Sundays too (followed by Seven's copying of a Saturday Sunrise as well), their weekday version running from 5.30am until 9am weekdays (followed by the mamory matching of radio stations as well), the launch of the 5am Early Morning News, the axing of the Sunday Program for a short-lived Sunday Morning News bulletin, National Nine News becoming Nine News after poor ratings losing to Seven News, Late News was launched then renamed as Nightline and the 11am bulletin be renamed as the Morning News Hour, running from 11am until 12pm weekdays (followed by the mamory matching of Ten's Morning News).

Meanwhile, several additions have been made to Nine News teams around the country, as well as the acquisition of more reporters by A Current Affair and also state-based Today reporters (plus a Weekend Today weather presenter).

Nine has recently had to post journalists overseas to cover major European stories following the closure of its European bureau in late 2008, with the last European correspondent, James Talia, being redesignated to his former role as a Senior Melbourne Nine News journalist. Reporters including Simon Bouda, Allison Langdon, Chloe Bugelly, Tim Arvier and Brett McLeod have all been on projects for Nine News bulletins in Greece, UK, France, Sth Africa, Thailand and Czeckslovakia. This has raised concerns over whether it is viable to not have a European news bureau and presence in this increasingly globalised world, especially if Nine is to maintain an international focus and its quality news reputation, which recently has degraded.

Meanwhile, talk that Nine was going to close its Canberra bureau and merge with Sky News have been denied by Nine. Plans were that Laurie Oakes would be retained for 6pm flagship bulletins, but otherwise, Nine would use "Sky News reporters" as it would refer to them, namely David Speers, on political topics. Its Canberra presence has declined in recent months. Four producers have been sacked amidst Nine's belt-tightening, whilst a permanent political reporter role has been scrapped, as Daniel Street, former political reporter (supplement to Oakes) has taken up a scholarship in London. The likes of John Kerrison, Brett McLeod, Jayne Azzopardi, Tracy Vo and Chris Urquhart have all since been temporarily posted in Canberra, in what seems to be a role void for Nine.

Today has since overtaken Sunrise on numerous occasions, whilst Nine News, especially on Sundays, has done so too. Local A Current Affair bulletins in Perth and Adelaide have been scrapped by WIN stations there for not performing as well as expected. Now the East Coast bulletin is broadcast over there.

Sport

Channel Nine broadcasts all sporting events under the Wide World of Sports brand. The flagship sports of the brand are cricket, National Rugby League (NRL), and formerly Australian rules football, until Nine lost the rights in 2006, and Super League while it existed. 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, Western Australia and Tasmania.

Nine's other popular recurring sporting events include the Rugby League State of Origin, British Open, US Golf Open, US Tennis Open, Wimbledon, the French Open, KFC Twenty20 Big Bash, Commonwealth Bank Series Cricket, and Test cricket and formerly the Telstra Swimming Championships until Nine lost the rights in 2009. 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.^[5]

Nine will also broadcast the 2010 Youth Olympics in Singapore on its digital channel GO!

Nine has been criticised by Melbourne NRL fans for choosing to show matches in that city delayed by several hours, as well as its decision not to broadcast the post-match celebrations of the 2009 NRL Grand Final, which the Melbourne Storm had won.

On 26 May 2010, Nine became the first free to air television channel in Australia to broadcast in 3D. The broadcast was the State Of Origin.

Availability

HD simulcast logo (2009–present)

The Nine Network is simulcast in analogue, standard-definition television and 1080i high definition. Nine is broadcast in metropolitan areas via Nine Network owned-and-operated stations, including TCN Sydney, GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane and NTD Darwin, and by affiliate Channel Nine stations NWS Adelaide and STW Perth. Nine Network programming is also carried into regional Australia by affiliate networks WIN Television, NBN Television, and Imparja Television. Nine is also broadcast via satellite and cable on Foxtel and on Austar Digital on the cable pay TV service in Darwin.

Logos

The Nine Network first used a shared logo produced and used across the metropolitan stations in 1970, featuring the numeral nine beside nine dots.^[6] The first set of identities was a "Dots TV" set. This logo has remained in use on the network, in differing forms across the decades, with various exceptions. In 1977, the nine dots were removed from the logo, but only for on-air idents.^[6] This lasted 11 years until 1988, when Bond Media purchased the network and reinstated the nine dots, with STW Perth becoming a Nine Network owned-and-operated station.^[2] In 1998, the dots were changed to spheres. Three-dimensions were added to the numeral nine in 2002, coinciding with a revamp of the network's on-air identity.^[6]

In 2006, the network and its affiliates relaunched their logos to coincide with Nine's fiftieth year of broadcasting. The new logo designed by Bruce Dunlop Associates saw the removal of the nine dots, with a non-solid blue coloured square added to behind the numeral nine. In 2007 this was modified to become a solid blue colour and also a 3-dimensional cube. The rebranding of Nine also saw Nine News, A Current Affair, Today, Nightline and the Wide World of Sports receive new designs. However, in 2007, the Nine Network partially reintroduced the nine dots, visible on every second surface of the cubic logo. In addition to this in 2008, the nine dots were fully reinstated into the logo, originally 3-dimensional discs then changed to 2-dimensional circles and later spheres.^[7]

Logos of the Nine Network

1970–1977 and 1988–2006   1977–1988   30 January 2006–14 January 2008   14 January 2008 to 27 September 2009   27 September 2009 to present

See also

• List of Australian television series
• Nine HD
• Go!

Notes & references

Further reading

• Stone, Gerald (2000). Compulsive Viewing: the inside story of Packer's Nine Network. Ringwood, Victoria: Viking. ISBN 0-670-88690-4. 
• Stone, Gerald (2007). Who Killed Channel Nine?: The death of Kerry Packer's mighty dream machine. Sydney Australia: Pan Macmillan. ISBN 9781405038157. 

External links

• Official website