Nine Network

Nine Network
Nine Network Logo
Launched	16 September 1956
Owned by	Nine Entertainment Co.
Picture format	576i (16:9 SDTV)
Audience share	31.8% Nationally (2010 Ratings Year, [1])
Slogan	Welcome Home The Home Of Laughter Still the One Home of News and Current Affairs
Country	Australia
Language	English
Broadcast area	Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Newcastle, Darwin
Affiliates	Perth, Adelaide
Sister channel(s)	GO! GEM
Website	ninemsn.com.au
Availability
Terrestrial
Analogue	Normally tuned to 9
SD Digital	Channel 9
Satellite
Foxtel	Channel 100
Austar	Channel 009 (Darwin only)
Cable
Foxtel	Channel 100
Austar	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 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^{[citation needed]}. However, this replaced 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 after 2006, but returned in 2009, along with a new slogan "Welcome Home". 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 the Nine Network to continually change programs and schedules to improve ratings. 2010 and 2011 have seen the Nine Network's ratings improve back to standard.

On 9 September 2011, it was confirmed that the network had picked up the rights to air Big Brother Australia from 2012 and will implement a 'secrets' format for the upcoming ninth season, and with intention to carry the brand as the home network of Big Brother.^[1]

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 1962. Before its formation, TCN-9 was then affiliated with HSV-7 (due to the fact that they were both Australia's first television stations, have been opened in 1956^{[citation needed]}), and GTV-9's sister affiliate was ATN-7.

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.^[2]

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 A$95 million, due to the Federal cross-media ownership laws, which restricted the level of national reach for media owners.^[3]

1977-2006: The Golden Era

Nine began using the slogan "Let us be the one" (based by The Carpenters song) in 1977, 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^{[citation needed]}.

Digital terrestrial television was introduced on 1 January 2001.

2006-2008: 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 most news weeks to Seven News and just winning the year thanks to its coverage of the Commonwealth Games in Melbourne. To try to revitalise the network in its 50th anniversary, Nine adopted a new logo that heavily removes the nine dots, which was criticised due to the lack of the dots, which were part of the networks identity since 1970. In May 2007, Nine partially reintroduced the Nine dots, which resulted in the square logo changing into a 3D Cube that rotates, the dots were visible on every second side of the cube.

After a period of declining ratings compared to the Seven Network. David Gyngell returned to the job of CEO in October 2007, succeeding Eddie McGuire.

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. The Seven Network had won 38 weeks, the Nine Network only won 2. However with David Gyngell as CEO of the Nine Network ratings were going to go back to normal.

2008-present: The Turnaround

In 2008, as part of a major relaunch, the network dropped the blue box, and reinstates its nine dots in its logo, this time as 3D discs. 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 (announced in June) 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 September, 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 presenter, Peter Overton, against Seven's Chris Bath. In Melbourne, Nine News now broadcasting in Melbourne's Docklands is starting to improve in ratings. Nine's Peter Hitchener winning some of the weeks against Seven's Peter Mitchell in 2010, 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 It's Saturday, Underbelly and Sea Patrol, Nine has enjoyed much ratings success this year.

In September 2009, the classic slogan Still the One returned, along with a new on-screen look and the new tagline Welcome Home. The new identity re-added the logo's 3D look used in 2002.

On 26 September 2010, Nine launched their third digital channel GEM (an acronym of General Entertainment and Movies) on channel 90.

With the Seven Network taking wins for 2008, 2009 and 2010, Nine is slowly building up gain. In 2010, GO! won the only year in digital shares.

2010 also saw Nine with exclusive coverage of the Sydney New Year's Eve fireworks which brought viewers all round Australia into 2011 watching Nine.

In 2011 the Nine Network has announced a new lineup of comedy shows which include Two and a Half Men, The Big Bang Theory and Hot in Cleveland. Nine will screen new episodes of Underbelly and Top Gear (including Top Gear Australia) Nine is also bringing back This Is Your Life with Eddie McGuire as host. The show had a previous run from 1995 to 2008 with Mike Munro who is now with the rival Seven Network. Nine also launched a live comedy show Ben Elton Live From Planet Earth which was axed after only three episodes due to low ratings.

Although the first half of 2011 was extremely poor for the Nine Network, fortunately the second half of 2011 has been an instant success in the ratings. Thanks to the reality series The Block which proved highly successful in the weekly ratings. Also the launch of Underbelly: Razor has also been an instant ratings success.Nine also launched the Celebrity Apprentice Australia.

On Sunday, 22 August 2011, The Nine Network pulled the highest rating single audience of the year, with a 47% share, The lineup included Nine News, which overtook Seven News, also part of the lineup was The Block Series Finale, Which pulled well over 3,000,000 viewers, and peaking at 3,500,000. The night was complimented with the hit series Underbelly: Razor, which pulled up to 2,500,000 viewers. This has helped the Nine Networks ratings instantly resurge, and now holds the record for the most watched program for 2011. Nine News Sydney had also overtaken Seven News.

Programming

Further information: List of programs broadcast by Nine Network

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 AFL Footy Show, The NRL Footy Show, RBT, 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, Magical Tales, This Is Your Life and The Million Dollar Drop.

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, and Hot in Cleveland,

Ratings have been even more successful for the Nine Network in 2010, thanks to programmes like Top Gear which constantly rates well over 1 million viewers every week.

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.^[4]

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.^{[by whom?]} Reruns of Two and a Half Men are shown out of sequence with episodes from several different seasons often airing in the same night. This has resulted in much public scrutiny against the Network, with nine out of ten weekly episodes of Two and a Half Men being repeats, the highest ratio of any Network.^[5]

On 9 September 2011, it was confirmed that the network had picked up the rights to air Big Brother Australia from 2012 and will implement a 'secrets' format for the upcoming ninth season and beyond as the home of Big Brother.^[6]

News & Current Affairs

Further information: Nine News

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. However The Nine Network is turning around. Nine's Sydney 6:00pm weekday news bulletin has overtaken Seven for the first time in seven years.

Robert McKnight, Nine's manager of news and current affairs promotions, tweeted: "It's official: Nine News Sydney has won the 2011 ratings year! It's the first time in seven years! In weeks so far Nine News: 21 weeks [to] Seven News: 14 weeks." It is now impossible for Seven to catch up in this 2011 year. The Sunday Telegraph claims that Nine's Sydney 6:00pm Sunday news bulletin has also overtaken Seven, giving Nine a lead of 27 weeks to Seven's only 8.

^[7]

Nine News produces several news bulletins and programmes including Today, Weekend Today, as well as Nine Early News, Nine Morning News, Nine Afternoon News, Nine News 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 Weekend Sunrise as well), their weekday version running from 5.30am until 9am weekdays (followed by the memory matching of radio stations as well), the launch of the Nine Early 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, Nine Late News was launched then renamed as Nightline and the 11am bulletin be renamed as Nine 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, South 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 Australia 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. Both Today and Nine News beat their Seven counterparts regularly in the east coast broadcasts. Local A Current Affair bulletins in Perth and Adelaide have been scrapped by WIN stations there for not performing as well as expected. This year Nine News created an Iphone/Ipad app. In a short time Seven had copied the Nine Network.

Sport

Further information: Nine's Wide World of Sports

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, 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.^[8]

Nine 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 (2009–2010)

The Nine Network is simulcast in analogue and standard-definition digital. 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. 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. 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.^[3] 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.

In 2006, the network and its affiliates relaunched their logos to coincide with Nine's 50th anniversary and the chance to revitalize the network. The logo uses a 2D blue cube with the 9 inside it, which saw the removal of the nine dots. Later in 2007, the cube became a solid 3D box, and partially relaunched the nine dots, which is visible in every second surface of the box.

As a part of a major relaunch, Nine Network reinstates its nine dots, and the dots are first 3D discs in 2008, then 2D dots in July 2009, then later spheres in September 2009.^[9]

• 

  1970 – 1977/26 January 1988 – 29 January 2006

• 

  1977 – 26 January 1988

• 

  30 January 2006 – 14 January 2008

• 

  14 January 2008 – 27 September 2009

• 

  27 September 2009 - Present

See also

Television in Australia portal

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

Notes & references

1. ^ (9 September 2011) http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/09/big-brother-secrets-to-air-on-nine-in-2012.html URL Accessed 11 September 2011
2. ^ Masters, Roy (4 October 2009). "Messenger can watch a better league broadcast in the US than south of the border". The Sydney Morning Herald. Fairfax Digital. http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/business/messenger-can-watch-a-better-league-broadcast-in-the-us-than-south-of-the-border-20091004-ghve.html. Retrieved 10 May 2009. 
3. ^ ^{a b} Webb, Richard (20 April 1989). "Sunraysia settles STW-9 purchase". Australian Financial Review. 
4. ^ Knox, David (1 June 2007). "Nine acquisitions target younger viewers". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 3 November 2007. http://web.archive.org/web/20071103001418/http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2007/06/nine-acquistions-target-younger-viewers.html. Retrieved 14 October 2007. 
5. ^ Vickery, Colin (21 October 2009). "Two and a Half Men, The Simpsons the top repeated TV shows". Herald Sun. Archived from the original on 21 October 2009. http://www.news.com.au/entertainment/television/two-and-a-half-men-the-simpsons-the-top-repeated-tv-shows/story-e6frfmyi-1225789074534. Retrieved 24 September 2010. 
6. ^ (9 September 2011) http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2011/09/big-brother-secrets-to-air-on-nine-in-2012.html URL Accessed 11 September 2011
7. ^ "Year in review" (Press release). Seven Network. 28 November 2005. http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/_uploads/Files/1133152167296_0.3523812150364673.pdf. Retrieved 1 July 2007. 
8. ^ "Nine, Foxtel to broadcast Olympics". Herald Sun. 13 October 2007. http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,22578683-5005961,00.html. Retrieved 13 October 2007. ^{[dead link]}
9. ^ "Mission incredible". Melbourne: The Age. 29 November 2007. http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/mission-incredible/2007/11/28/1196036963957.html. Retrieved 29 November 2007. 

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