- ATN
Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = ATN
city =
station_
station_slogan = GOTTALOVEIT/ Get Ready
station_branding = Seven
analog = 7 (VHF)
digital = 6 (VHF)
other_chs =
affiliations = Seven (O&O)
network = Seven
founded =
airdate =December 2 ,1956
location = Sydney, New South Wales
callsign_meaning = Amalgamated
Television
New South Wales
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Seven Media Group Pty Ltd
licensee = Channel Seven Sydney Pty Ltd
sister_stations =
former_affiliations =
effective_radiated_power = 200 kW (analog)
50 kW (digital)
HAAT = 246 m (analog)
248 m (digital) [HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.]
class =
facility_id =
coordinates = coord|33|48|20|S|151|10|51|E|type:landmark_scale:2000
homepage = [http://www.yahoo7.com.au/tv www.yahoo7.com.au/tv]ATN is the
Sydney flagship television station of theSeven Network inAustralia . The license, issued to a company named Amalgamated Television Services, a subsidiary of Fairfax, was one of the first four licenses (two in Sydney, two inMelbourne ) to be issued for commercial television stations in Australia. It began broadcasting on2 December 1956 .The station formed an affiliation with
GTV-9 Melbourne in 1957, in order to share content. In 1963,Frank Packer ended up owning both GTV-9 andTCN-9 , so as a result the stations switched their previous affiliations. ATN-7 andHSV-7 joined to create the "Australian Television Network", which later became theSeven Network .The studios and transmission tower
The station opened in 1956 with principal offices and studios located at Mobbs Lane, Epping (a suburb about 12 kilometres NW of Sydney). The initial black and white cameras and other equipment was supplied by the
Marconi Company ofEngland . Conversion toPAL colour occurred on1 March 1975 . DigitalDVB-T commenced onJanuary 1 ,2001 .The initial transmission tower in 1956 was located near the ABC tower at
Gore Hill , Sydney. This was eventually demolished after ATN was invited to share a new site at Artarmon which was built by a new 3rd, commercial broadcasterTEN-10 .Digital and analog broadcasts
ATN's Sydney transmissions - both DVB-T terrestrial digital and analog PAL - are on
VHF RF Channels 6 and 7 respectively and are broadcast from masts operated by [http://www.txaustralia.com.au/ Transmitters Australia] (TXA) at Artarmon and/or Willoughby. Retransmission translators to UHF channels service Sydney viewers from Kings Cross and North Head at Manly and north of Sydney at Bouddi, Gosford and Forresters Beach (see the [http://www.dba.org.au Digital Broadcast Australia] ) web site.The on-air programs are sent by digital link from the Seven Network's national program play-out centre at Docklands in
Melbourne .Epping site satellite links
In 1983, one of the first full-time commercial TV
satellite links was established betweenLos Angeles and Sydney using the mid-PacificIntelsat satellite. This was unique for what was known as a half transponder link, as it carried 2 NTSC TV programs each with stereo sound and data. (Comsat pretested this at their Clarksberg MA center). The video was multiplexed usingThomson "Vidiplex", and the audio and data equipment was from Wegener. The various news and other programs were fed out of Seven's News Bureau at Century City in Los Angeles and then north to a Comsat satellite earth station atSanta Paula .Because in 1983 the satellite power was very limited, a receive satellite dish (TVRO) for east-coast Australia needed to be in the order of 18 metres diameter. An alternative of two 12 metre dishes ("C-band" with Gregorian feed-horn from Andrews), were installed at the Epping site. The signals received from the two dishes were electronically combined so that the signal was equivalent to an 18 metre dish's reception. Later when replacement satellites with higher powers were placed in orbit, the two dishes were used independently on different satellites. Other innovations such as analogue video noise reduction were also used to improve the signal.
One of the TV programs carried was
CNN . This was the first international transmission of CNN outside North America. In 1984TV Asahi in Tokyo contracted to also receive CNN via the Iberaki earth station operated by Japan's KDD Corporation (Kokusai Denshin Denwa - now (KDDI ). After ATN's engineering staff assisted KDD and TV Asahi with the special receiving adaptors, CNN was distributed on Japan Cable TV which mainly served the Roppongi district of Tokyo, including many foreign consolates and embassies. This first international distribution of CNN was formally opened byTed Turner , CNN's then owner.Subsequently, in 1986, a 13 metre Vertex "Ku-band" dish was added for Australian Television Network program distribution via the new Aussat satellite.
Program production
The Epping facilities were expanded to provide 5 operational studios and the centre became the largest producer of Australian produced TV content, including "Wheel of Fortune", "Sons and Daughters", "
A Country Practice ", "All Saints" and "Home and Away ".News and live telecasted programs are filmed and broadcast from the Martin Place studios. Nationwide program promos for the network and "Home and Away" are produced and filmed from the Epping studios.
The very last editions of "Home and Away", "All Saints", "Wheel of Fortune" was broadcast at the former studios in Epping in
March 2005 , before the studios moved to new premises at Pyrmont, a suburb west ofDarling Harbour , 2 km west of Sydney.RaceCam
ATN's engineering staff received 2
Emmy Award s - making ATN the first Australian company to receive such an award - for the technology, invention and further development of "RaceCam ", live mobile point-of-view TV cameras which were initially developed in the late 1970s and early 1980s for the station's coverage of touring car races atMount Panorama inBathurst, New South Wales . Visiting commentators from the United States organised for ATN staff to supply the camera and transmission systems forCBS ' coverage ofNASCAR races.A variant of RaceCam was also developed for yachts in the
America's Cup off the coast ofFremantle, Western Australia , in 1985. Later in the mid 1980s, theAmerican Broadcasting Company asked ATN staff to develop aerofoil-designed cameras suitable forFormula 1 cars, and these were subsequently used at theIndianapolis 500 .Relocation
In 2004 the station was included with the shift of the Seven Network corporate offices and sales department into new premises in a "heritage" building at Pirrama Road, Pyrmont, close to the Sydney CBD, while the news department shifted into a street level location in Sydney's
Martin Place . In June 2006, the network announced that the Epping studio site will close and facilities would be relocated to purpose-built studios at theAustralian Technology Park in Redfern by 2009.*Epping (1956-Early 2005, now shared with Seven Local TV)
*Martin Place (2004-present, news/variety)
*Pyrmont (2005-present, production)even Martin Place
Channel Seven 's Martin Place studio, referred to in bulletins as "News Central" and based on the first five floors of The Colonial Building in Sydney, is the network's major news presentation centre. It comprises 3,000 square metres. Viewers can see the programs being filmed. On the live broadcasted-shows "Sunrise" and "Weekend Sunrise" the backdrop shows the street with people outside and the presenters regularly go outside and talk to the fans. Seven claims it is one of the most technologically advanced digital television centres in the world.even News
"Seven News" is presented from the network's national television studios at Martin Place, by Ian Ross from Mondays to Thursdays and
Chris Bath on Fridays and weekends. Matthew White andSara Groen present weekday sport and weather, while on weekends sport is presented byBen Damon .At the end of 2003, a year before all of Channel 7's news and current affairs moved to Martin Place, the ill-fated dual presenter format of
Ross Symonds andAnn Sanders shutted down with a final goodbye after the pair failed to make an impact in the Sydney market, losing viewers to competition winner "National Nine News Melbourne", which had led in the ratings for decades. With Roscoe taking over from both Symonds and Sanders in 2003, he took Seven News in Sydney to their first big No.1 timeslot by February 2005 onwards.As part of a major revamp, the very last days of "Sunrise" and all of the "
Seven News " bulletins were broadcast at the former studios in Epping on the Closing Ceremony of the Athens Olympics, before the station moved to new premises at Martin Place in the centre of Sydney, from where "Sunrise", "The Morning Show" "Seven News" and "Today Tonight" will now be broadcast. A year later, the state-of-the-art Seven Network's new store, The "7 Store" is opened.News updates for Sydney are presented by either Ian Ross or Chris Bath throughout the afternoon and the early evening, with updates during the night being shown nationally.
Notable Presenters
News
*
Ross Symonds (1980-2003)
*Roger Climpson (1963-1996)
*Ann Sanders (1989-present)
*Ian Ross (2003-present)
*Chris Bath (1996-present)
*Samantha Armytage (2003-present)
*Chris Reason (1997-present)
*Simon Reeve (2004-present)
*Georgie Gardner (early 1990s-2001)
*Anne Fulwood (2001-2003)
*Anna Coren (2003-2005)port
*
Mark Beretta (1996-present)
*Kylie Gillies (2000-present)
*Matthew White (2004-2008)
*Nick McArdle (2000-2006)
*Ben Damon (2006-present)
*Johanna Griggs (2007-present)Weather
*
Adam Digby (1997-2003)
*Nuala Hafner (2004-2006)
*Sara Groen (2007-present)Reporters
*
Robert Ovadia - Crime Reporter
*Damien Smith - Political reporter
*Chris Maher - Local political reporter
*Lee Jeloscek - General reporter
*Alex Cullen - Special features
*Sean Berry - General reporter
*Mike Duffy - General reporter
*Sarah Cumming - General reporter
*Louise Milligan - Local Political Reporter
*Mark Riley - National political reporter
*Adrian Brown - Senior Reporter
*Paul Marshall - Senior Reporter
*Paul Kadak - General Reporter
*Patrick Molihan - NRL reporter
*Nick Marshall-McCormack - Sports reporterPast Reporters/Presenters
*
Aela Callan - Now atTriple M as a news correspondent.
*Geoff Bullock - Former NRL reporter.
*Phil Black - Now atCNN in London.
*Marguerite McKinnon - now a reporter on the east coast edition ofToday Tonight .
*Matthew White - now hosting the East Coast edition ofToday Tonight .Programming
Some of the highest rating programs in Australia are produced at Seven Sydney, including:
""'Martin Places
Seven News studio will be producing
*"Seven Early News" c/w *"Sunrise" (both now sponsored bySony BMG ,Jetstar andNissan )
*"The Morning Show" (now sponsored byJetstar )
*"Weekend Sunrise" (both now sponsored bySony BMG ,Jetstar andNissan )
*"Seven Morning News"
*"Seven Afternoon News"
*"Seven Late News Updates"
*"Today Tonight "
*Seven News will be simuecast onMix 106.5 On Production:
*"Home and Away "
*"Sydney Weekender "
*"Packed to the Rafters "
*"All Saints"
*"It's Academic"Former shows produced in Martin Place
*"
The NightCap " (2008)Former shows
*"Wheel Of Fortune" (1996 - Early 2008) (filmed and produced at HSV's South Melbourne Production Centre)
*"All Music Video" (2000-2001)
*"Where Are They Now? ""' (2006-2007) (filmed and produced at HSV's South Melbourne Production Centre)
*"Last Chance Learners " (2007)
*"A Country Practice " (1981-1993 - production moved toNetwork Ten in 1994 for its last series) (filmed and produced at HSV's South Melbourne Production Centre)
*"Sons and Daughters" (1981-1987) (filmed and produced at HSV's South Melbourne Production Centre)
*"Popstars " (2000-2002)
*"Always Greener " (2001-2003)
*"Big Bite " (2003-2004)
*"Better Homes and Gardens" (1995-2005)
*"Fast Forward" (1989-1992)
*"Full Frontal" (1993-1997)
*"Sportsworld " (2003-2006)
*"Popstars Live " (2004)
*"My Restaurant Rules " (2004-2005)
*"headLand " (filmed in Sydney by independent producers, 2005)
*"You May Be Right" (2006)
*"Good As Gold!" (2006)Logo guide
*'ATN Channel 7': 1956-1965.
*'Spearhead' Logo: 1965-1969.
*'Revoultion' Logo: 1969-28 February 1975.
*'Rainbow' Logo: 1 March 1975-31 December 1988.
*'Split' Logo: 1 January 1989-31 December 1999.
*'Ribbon' Logo: 1 January 2000-13 September 2003.
*'Red 7' Logo: 14 September 2003-?Pre-network logos
ATN-7 used many logos throughout its pre-network history.Note: "Post-network logos can be found at the following article; Seven Network."
Station slogans
* 1956: "This is ATN Channel 7, Sydney"
* 1968: "Seven is..."
* 1974: "Looking Better than Ever"
* 1979: "Seven's Reaching for the Stars"
* 1980: "Channel 7's Proud in Sydney!" "(borrowed elements from NBC's "Proud as a Peacock")"
* 1981-82: "All The Best!" "(based on NBC's 1976 slogan)"
* 1983: "Just Watch Us Now" "(based on NBC's "Just Watch Us Now")"
* 1984: "Be There" "(based on NBC's 1983 slogan)"
* 1985-87: "Let's All Be There " "(borrowed from NBC, even though NBC changed slogans in '86)"
* 1986: "Sydney CBD" "(used alongside "Let's All Be There")"
* 1986 (Nov.): "Thirty Years Together - Channel 7 and You"
* Summer 1986/87: "Summer is the Time, Seven is the Place" "(based on ABC (US)'s "Now is the Time, ABC is the Place")"
* 1987: "You're Invited on a Journey"ee also
*
Television broadcasting in Australia External links
* [http://au.tv.yahoo.com/tv/seven/ Official Site]
* [http://www.sevencorporate.com.au/ Corporate Site]References
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