Television in Australia

Television in Australia started with early experiments as far back as 1929 in Melbourne. Radio stations like 3DB, 3UZ, and 2UE in Sydney tried using a system called Radiovision created by Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald. Other cities, such as Brisbane, also joined in around 1934.

Real television began on September 16, 1956, in Willoughby, New South Wales, when the Nine Network station TCN-9 in Sydney started broadcasting. An advertising executive named Bruce Gyngell introduced it by saying, "Good evening, and welcome to television." Since then, television in Australia has changed from black-and-white to colour and later to digital television.

Over the years, Australian TV has offered many kinds of shows, including comedy, sports, and drama series, along with news and current affairs programs. The industry is watched over by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, which makes sure TV, radio, and even the Internet follow certain rules.

History

Television in Australia started with small tests in the 1920s and 1930s. The first real broadcast happened in 1929 in Melbourne using a system called Radiovision. Regular broadcasts began much later, in 1956, when the first TV station, TCN-9 in Sydney, started showing programs. A man named Bruce Gyngell welcomed viewers with the words, “Good evening, and welcome to television.”

Over the years, television in Australia grew a lot. It went from black-and-white to color, then to digital, and added many new channels. Early shows were often based on popular radio programs, and many were imported from other countries, especially the United States. Local shows did start to appear, and some became very popular. As more people got televisions, the industry kept changing, adding new channels and types of programming to keep up with what viewers liked.

Broadcasting

Further information: Television broadcasting in Australia, Regional television in Australia, and List of Australian television call signs

Television in Australia is now shown as digital colour television. You can watch it through different ways like antennas, satellite, or cable. There are channels you can watch for free and others you need to pay for. Old analogue television was stopped in December 2013.

Most places have three free commercial TV stations and two public ones, run by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service. There is also a newer station for Indigenous peoples in some remote areas.

The big networks are the Seven Network, Network 10, and the Nine Network. They have stations in big cities like Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. They also have stations in smaller areas.

Regional areas have their own TV stations that are linked to the big city ones. WIN Television is the biggest in these areas, followed by Imparja Television.

For paid TV, most people get it through Foxtel, and Optus Television serves Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. There are also smaller companies that offer special channels.

Community TV started between the 1980s and 2000s. Some well-known TV faces began their careers there.

Cable television

See also: Subscription television in Australia

Cable television started in Australia in the mid-1990s, with Galaxy TV being the first. However, Galaxy TV faced problems and stopped operating in 1998 after Foxtel and Austar began offering more choices in May 1995. Foxtel helped Galaxy TV’s viewers during this time. By 1999, Foxtel grew much larger by taking over Galaxy TV’s viewers and started using satellite technology instead of just cables. Today, Foxtel is the main provider of subscription television in Australia. It bought Austar in 2012 and now runs all of its services. Other smaller providers include TransACT, Neighbourhood Cable, and SelecTV.

In big cities, cable television is more common. But in smaller towns or new areas, satellite television is used more often. Foxtel’s cable network reaches parts of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. Optus’s network covers small parts of Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, but some people in apartments may not be able to use it. Austar, now part of Foxtel, is available by satellite in most rural areas but also has a small cable network in Darwin. TransACT only works in Canberra. Similar small cable networks once existed in parts of Perth, Geelong, Ballarat, and Mildura, served by Neighbourhood Cable, but some have closed down.

Satellite television

Satellite television in Australia became a better choice than cable television because of the large distances between cities. The first satellite service was Galaxy, which was later taken over by Foxtel. Foxtel now offers both cable and satellite services in many cities and all of Western Australia. Another service, Optus Vision, competed in big cities, while Austar served rural areas. In 2006, SelecTV started, offering more affordable packages for different groups of people.

Internet television

See also: Internet television in Australia

Internet television in Australia is when people watch movies and TV shows online. In Australia, many companies let you pay to watch shows on the internet. There are also some special services that focus on certain types of shows. The five big free TV channels in Australia also let you watch shows they’ve already shown on their websites and apps. Some internet companies also let you watch TV channels live from Australia and other places.

Broadcasting programming synopsis

Australia has created many famous television shows and mini-series. Popular types of shows include funny stories, police stories, and medical dramas. Some early police shows were Homicide, Division 4, and Matlock Police. These shows were very popular in Australia and other countries. Other police shows like Cop Shop, Police Rescue, Blue Heelers, Water Rats, and Stingers also did well. Medical dramas such as A Country Practice, The Flying Doctors, GP, and All Saints were also loved by viewers.

Mini-series have included Against the Wind, All the Rivers Run, Bodyline, Brides of Christ, The Dismissal, and The Timeless Land. More recent mini-series are Curtin, Bastard Boys, and The Slap.

Australian soap operas became popular with shows like Bellbird in 1967, followed by big hits such as Number 96 in 1972 and The Box in 1974. Later successful soaps include The Young Doctors, The Sullivans, Prisoner, Sons and Daughters, Neighbours, and Home and Away. These shows were also watched in many other countries, especially in the United Kingdom.

Funny shows have included The Aunty Jack Show, The Paul Hogan Show, The Norman Gunston Show, and more recent ones like The D-Generation, Frontline, The Glass House, Bogan Hunters, Summer Heights High, Please Like Me, and Thank God You're Here. Shows like Kath & Kim have been adapted in many countries around the world.

Television schedules in Australia vary by network. The Seven Network, Nine Network, and others show an hour of news at 6:00 pm, while Network 10 has news at 5:00 pm, ABC at 7:00 pm, and SBS shows world news at 6:30 pm. The main viewing time, called primetime, runs from 6:00 pm to midnight, with the most popular shows shown between 7:30 pm and 10:30 pm.

Many shows on commercial networks come from American television, while ABC mixes Australian and British shows. SBS shows programs from many countries in different languages. Usually, shows are shown months after they air in the United States or the United Kingdom, but recently, some networks have started showing them just hours or days later.

Seven and Nine have morning shows from 5:30–9:00 am, while Network 10 shows repeats from the day before from 6:00 am–8:30 am, followed by morning shows until midday. ABC now has a morning news show (ABC News Breakfast). Children's shows air on ABC TV Plus, ABC Me, 9Go!, and Nickelodeon. On SBS, foreign-language news, films, and documentaries are shown in the morning.

Most TV schedules are the same across Australia’s three time zones. This means viewers in South Australia and the Northern Territory see shows half an hour later than in Australian Eastern Time, and Western Australia sees them two hours later. During daylight saving, Queensland sees shows one hour later, the Northern Territory 90 minutes later, and Western Australia three hours later. This delay can make it hard for viewers in central and western areas to join live shows like The Voice.

Subscription channels always follow Australian Eastern Time. Timeshift channels, delayed by two hours, help Western Australia viewers watch shows at the same time as other states during standard time. However, ABC News is live across the country with no delay, the only free-to-air channel to do so.

News and current affairs

News

Both national public broadcasters, the ABC and SBS, make news shows. The ABC gives local and national news at 5:30pm, 7pm and The Midday Report, from Sydney and other big cities. SBS has a nightly news show called World News Australia at 6:30pm, with another shorter one at 10:30pm.

Commercial TV channels like the Seven Network and Nine Network also have news, and they often compete to get the most viewers. For many years, Nine News was the most popular, but Seven News took over for a while before Nine News became top again.

There are two 24-hour news channels. ABC News is free and started in 2010. Sky News Australia is a paid channel that uses news from different sources.

Many local TV stations in regions also have their own news shows.

Current affairs

Current affairs shows cover many topics, from quick reports to deep investigations. The ABC has a long history with shows like This Day Tonight, The 7.30 Report, and Four Corners, which looks into important stories.

SBS offers programs such as Dateline, which focuses on international news, and Insight, discussing one big issue. The Nine Network has A Current Affair and 60 Minutes, which tell stories from around the world.

Channel 10 started 10 News+ in 2025 to replace an older show. Subscription TV also has news analysis programs on Sky News Australia.

Indigenous television

In the 2010s, many TV shows made by and about Indigenous Australians became very popular. Some of these shows include The Circuit, Redfern Now, The Gods of Wheat Street, Cleverman, and Black Comedy. These programs were praised for their great storytelling.

There is also a special TV channel called National Indigenous Television (NITV). Since 2012, this channel has shared news, stories, and films made mostly by Indigenous people. It is supported by SBS and focuses on important Indigenous topics. In 2016, the channel updated its look and schedule to better share these stories.

Ratings

Further information: Television ratings in Australia

Television ratings in Australia are tracked by three main groups: OzTAM in big cities, Regional TAM in areas with three commercial television networks, and Nielsen Media Research Australia where there are only two commercial networks.

Ratings are collected for most of the year, with a short break during Easter and a longer break over summer. Many popular shows are shown during these rating periods.

For a long time, the Nine Network was the most watched, followed by the Seven Network and Network 10. The Seven Network became the leader in 2007 and has kept this position for many years. The ABC network also pays close attention to its ratings.

Regulation

Main article: Regulations on television programming in Australia

Television in Australia has rules to make sure the shows are right for everyone, especially kids. A group called the Australian Communications and Media Authority makes these rules. They decide what can be shown, when it can be shown, and what kinds of ads go with it.

There are different rules for different types of TV, like shows made in Australia, shows for kids, shows from other countries, and more. In 2006, some of these rules were changed so more kinds of shows could be shown on extra channels.