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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:

Profiles

Kerry Packer (credit ABC Online)

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 does not represent Channel Nine