MTN (TV station)

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = MTN
city =
station_
station_slogan = We Heart TV
station_branding = WIN
analog = 9 (VHF)
digital = 6 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Nine
network = WIN
founded =
airdate = December 15, 1965
location = Griffith, New South Wales
callsign_meaning = Murrumbidgee
Television
New South Wales
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = WIN Corporation Pty Ltd
licensee = Murrumbidgee Television Ltd
sister_stations = AMN
former_affiliations = independent (1965-1973)
Midstate Television (1973-1989)
effective_radiated_power = 200 kW (analog)
50 kW (digital)
HAAT = 413 m (analog)
418 m (digital) [HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.]
class =
facility_id =
coordinates = coord|34|7|17|S|146|14|7|E|type:landmark_scale:2000|name=MTN
homepage = [http://www.wintv.com.au/ www.wintv.com.au]

MTN-9 and AMN-31 are television stations that are licensed to, and serves Griffith and the surrounding Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA). MTN-9 is a primary Nine Network affiliate, and AMN-31 is a primary Seven Network affiliate. Both are owned by WIN Television.

The stations are effectively a twinstick operation, with the broadcasting authorities considering Griffith and the MIA too small for three television companies, however, it is considered big enough for a single company with two stations.

History

MTN9, owned by Murrumbidgee Television Limited, began transmission on December 15, 1965. [http://www.austvhistory.com/prime/preaggregation.htm#sthnsw] At its launch, MTN9 was owned by Murrumbidgee Television Limited, a publicly listed company. Shareholders at the time included local radio station 2RG.

The costs of operating a television station in such a small market led MTN to join with CBN8/CWN6 in forming the "Television 6-8-9" network, in 1973.Fact|date=September 2007 While the majority of the programming and identification came from the network, MTN9 did run its own news service as well as some programs of local interest and popularity, separate to the rest of the network. In the early 1980s, the network was rebranded as "Midstate Television 6-8-9".Fact|date=September 2007

MTN was delisted in 1979 when Henry Jones Investments (Henry Jones IXL) purchased the station. Other owners since have included The Linter Group, Broadcast Operations Group, Broadcast and Communications Limited, and Associated Media Investments Pty Limited (later part of DMG Radio Australia).

The network expanded further in the 1980s, when RVN2/AMV4 became a part of the newly-renamed "The Prime Network".Fact|date=September 2007 When aggregation occurred in 1989, it was determined that Griffith was too small to accommodate three television stations and thus split from the network, having always been independently owned.Fact|date=September 2007 It took up an affiliation with WIN Television, the Nine Network affiliate at the time in southern New South Wales.Fact|date=September 2007 While the majority of the programming was the same as WIN's, it retained its news service and aired some Seven Network programming, such as its coverage of the Australian Football League, in preference to Nine's rugby league.Fact|date=September 2007 The Australian Broadcasting Authority relaxed the rules regarding station ownership in solus markets in the mid 1990s.Fact|date=September 2007 The changes allowed for one company to operate two stations without competition, provided no opposition was faced to the application for one. MTN applied for a Section 38A license in 1995, and after being refused once, challenged the Authority, and was successful on appeal.Fact|date=September 2007

The second channel launched on October 5, 1997, on UHF channel 31 using the callsign AMN (a variation of Victorian station AMV). It was a direct feed from Prime Television, with the exception of its local news - Network Ten programs such as "The Simpsons" and "Seinfeld" are shown at 6pm, in place of Prime News.Fact|date=September 2007 Ray Gamble, the stations' owner, sold them to WIN in 1998, staying on as a day-to-day consultant for a year before his retirement in 2002.Fact|date=September 2007 Following the sale of the station, minor changes occurred, including the name officially changed to "WIN", and the news service renamed "WIN News".Fact|date=September 2007

Despite assurances made by the network, WIN News Griffith was axed in September, 2006 as part of a rationalisation of services in the region. It was replaced by a merged Riverina bulletin, produced from WIN's Wollongong studios. [cite web |url=http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s1748437.htm |title=Griffith - No WIN News |accessdate=2007-09-10 |publisher=Australian Broadcasting Corporation |work=Media Watch ] [cite web |url=http://abc.net.au/news/stories/2006/08/18/1717983.htm |title=Griffith disappointed at loss of local WIN service |accessdate=2007-09-10 |publisher=ABC News Online ] The Griffith City Council is presently lobbying Prime Television to produce a local news bulletin.

References

ee also

*CBN
*Prime Television
*WIN Television

External links

* [http://austv.hostforweb.com/cgi-bin/cgi2/index.rb?page=MTN9%20Griffith&section=Television%20History%20Reference/TV%20Stations/WIN&mode=0 MTN-9 entry at Australian Television Archive]
* [http://wintvgriffith.netfirms.com/index.html Former WIN Griffith website]
* [http://www.wintv.com.au Official Website]