ABC Family (Australian TV channel)

ABC Family
Company type	Free-to-air television channel
Industry	Broadcasting
Predecessor	ABC TV Plus, ABC Comedy, ABC2
Founded	March 7, 2005; 21 years ago
Headquarters	Australia, Australia
Area served	Australia
Owner	Australian Broadcasting Corporation

ABC Family is a free-to-air television channel in Australia owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and forms part of the ABC Television portfolio. The channel features entertainment tailored to families and teenagers, broadcasting daily from 7:30pm until 4:00am AEST/AEDT. Outside these hours, its transmission capacity is allocated to the ABC Kids channel, which caters to younger viewers.

Originally launched as ABC2 on 7 March 2005, the channel underwent a rebranding to ABC Comedy on 4 December 2017, shifting its focus exclusively to comedic content. It reverted to a broad entertainment format under the name ABC TV Plus on 1 January 2021. In May 2024, it was confirmed that the channel would adopt the name ABC Family starting from 3 June 2024.

Origins

The channel’s inception traces back to 1998 when the Australian Broadcasting Authority advised the Australian Government to back early digital free-to-air broadcasting by allocating each broadcaster a 7 MHz frequency. The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) proposed launching up to four digital multichannels or a single high-definition television channel, estimating costs around A$100 million, half of which would require government funding.

In August 2001, ABC introduced the ABC Kids channel, followed by Fly TV in November, both targeting children and teenagers via digital terrestrial television. Due to budget limitations, both ABC Kids and Fly TV ceased operations in June 2003.

ABC2 officially commenced broadcasting on 7 March 2005 on channel 21 with an independent annual budget of A$3 million. Its inaugural broadcast was an episode of Landline. The formal launch event took place at Parliament House in Canberra on 10 March 2005, officiated by former Communications Minister Senator Helen Coonan.

Late 2000s

The program Good Game, focusing on video gaming and technology, debuted on 19 September 2006, marking one of the earliest shows of its kind on Australian free-to-air television. Other notable productions that year included Australia Wide, Short and Curly, dig tv, and Late Night Legends.

In October 2006, legislative changes removed genre restrictions on digital multichannels and introduced new media ownership regulations. This enabled ABC2 to broaden its content to encompass comedy, drama, national news, sports, and entertainment.

Starting from 1 January 2008, ABC2 began live broadcasts and programming sourced from the Australian Film Commission, Opera Australia, and the Australian Ballet.

On 8 February 2008, ABC2 underwent a rebranding that featured a new yellow logo and slogan aligned with the updated ABC TV logo for ABC1. Concurrently, the channel shifted from position 21 to 22. This refresh aimed at attracting a younger demographic with program changes including original series such as Good Game and the provocative Double the Fist.

On 4 December 2009, coinciding with the launch of youth-oriented multichannel ABC3, ABC2’s children’s programming block was relaunched as ABC For Kids on 2, devoted exclusively to preschool content.

2010s

In July 2010, Stuart Menzies, previously involved with ABC TV documentaries, was appointed as the channel controller. Under his leadership, ABC2 continued offering children's programming during the daytime hours, transitioning to adult-oriented content starting at 7:00pm—a shift from the earlier 6:00pm schedule that lasted until January 2011. By May 2011, the children's segment was rebranded as ABC 4 Kids, functioning as a distinct timeshared channel within ABC2's broadcast spectrum.

On 30 October 2017, ABC revealed plans to retire the ABC2 brand after 12 years and relaunch the channel as ABC Comedy beginning 4 December 2017. This rebranding refocused the channel's content primarily on comedy shows, complemented by reruns of popular ABC TV programs, while also adjusting its nightly start time to 7:30pm.

2020s

During the ABC's upfront presentation on 25 November 2020, it was announced that ABC Comedy would undergo another rebrand to become ABC TV Plus effective from 1 January 2021, returning to a broader entertainment lineup. On 1 January 2023, ABC TV Plus moved its evening commencement earlier from 7:30pm to 6:30pm, launching the schedule with Spicks and Specks. This adjustment was based on audience research indicating higher family co-viewing rates at that hour. The change faced criticism from parents who preferred the prior timing; consequently, the start time was shifted to 7:00pm on 6 February and then reverted to 7:30pm on 13 February.

On 9 May 2024, ABC announced that ABC TV Plus would be renamed ABC Family starting from 3 June, with an emphasis on family-oriented viewing and appealing to a wider demographic.

Programming

ABC Family operates under charter requirements to deliver specific types of programming.

Current programming

Back in Time for Dinner
BTN Newsbreak
Expedition With Steve Backshall
Deadly Mission: Shark
Dragon Ball Super
Fresh Off the Boat
Good Game: Spawn Point
Hard Quiz Kids
The InBESTigators
Little Lunch
Matilda and the Ramsay Bunch
MythBusters
Officially Amazing
Operation Ouch!
Shaun The Sheep
Star Wars: Young Jedi Adventures
Style It Out!
The Crystal Maze
The Secret Life of Our Pets
The Strange Chores

News and Current Affairs (2005–2010)

Prior to launching ABC News 24, ABC Family aired hourly news bulletins called News in Brief, created for ABC Online. These allowed for automated scheduling without live broadcast interruptions. In November 2008, the channel introduced the three-hour weekday morning show ABC News Breakfast, which currently simulcasts on both ABC TV and the ABC News channel rather than ABC Family.

The channel also previously aired ABC Asia Pacific News, produced for ABC Australia. After moving ABC News Breakfast to ABC1 in May 2011, children's programming was consolidated onto ABC2 and ABC3 (now known as ABC Entertains).

Until its transition to ABC Family in June 2024, the channel's overnight sign-off featured a replay of an overnight ABC News Update sourced from the ABC News channel.

Sport (2005–2017)

The channel offered exclusive nationwide broadcasts of key sporting leagues such as New South Wales Rugby Union, Queensland Rugby League, Victorian Football League, South Australian National Football League, West Australian Football League, and Northern Territory Football League. Weekly live coverage also included the Women's National Basketball League and W-League Women's Football Competition. Additionally, annual events like the Fed Cup and Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final were featured live.

Availability

ABC Family is available through all ABC Television terrestrial transmitters in 576i standard definition digital format, as well as on the majority of satellite and cable services.

The channel broadcasts daily from 7:30 pm until 4 am, sharing its transmission bandwidth with ABC Kids, which airs from 4 am to 7:30 pm.

Logo and branding history

At its inception, the channel showcased a three-dimensional "Big 2" emblem set against well-known Australian landmarks. Early promotional material highlighted the tagline "More Choice, More Often". The logo underwent several redesigns, including a yellow-themed update in February 2008 accompanied by the new slogan "Connecting 2", coinciding with the shift from Channel 21 to Channel 22 on digital terrestrial platforms.

Throughout these modifications, ABC maintained its signature Lissajous curve branding. In April 2011, the logo was redesigned to better align with ABC’s primary channel identity and adopted the slogan "Always Brighter". A further refresh in 2014 introduced variations inspired by the classic Lissajous curve, which were used alongside the existing 2011 design.

On 4 December 2017, ABC2 was rebranded as ABC Comedy. This was succeeded by another rebrand to ABC TV Plus on 1 January 2021. Most recently, in May 2024, the channel transitioned to ABC Family, effective from 3 June 2024.

External links