ABC TV (Australian TV channel)
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting, Television |
| Predecessor | ABC National Television Service |
| Founded | November 5, 1956 in Sydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | Ultimo, Sydney , Australia |
| Products | Television broadcasting, Digital television, Video on demand (ABC iview) |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | abc |
ABC TV, previously known as ABC1, is Australia's national public television broadcaster, owned and managed by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It serves as the principal channel within the ABC Television portfolio. The network's main offices are located in Ultimo, Sydney.
The channel commenced operations on 5 November 1956 under the name ABC National Television Service, initially broadcasting in Sydney and Melbourne before extending its reach to other state capitals and regional locations. Throughout the 1960s and 1970s, it was referred to as either ABC National Television or simply ABC Television. Prior to the rollout of digital television in 2001, it remained the ABC's only domestically broadcast TV service. The channel adopted the ABC1 name on 8 February 2008 and underwent a further rebranding to ABC TV on 20 July 2014.
As of 2024, ABC holds the position of Australia's third most-watched television network and primary channel, ranking below the Seven Network and Nine Network, yet ahead of Network 10 and SBS TV.
Origins
The regulatory foundation for ABC Television alongside commercial broadcasters was established by the Television Act of 1953. In its 1956 Annual Report, the ABC expressed its goal to provide a "television service as truly national in character as its resources will permit."
The inaugural ABC station, ABN-2 based in Sydney, began transmission on 5 November 1956 with an official opening by Prime Minister Robert Menzies. Two weeks later, ABV-2 launched in Melbourne to cover the 1956 Summer Olympics. A dedicated television studio facility in Sydney was completed in January 1958, replacing earlier temporary setups. By 1958, essential technical infrastructure and principal transmitters were operational in both Melbourne and Sydney, with coverage reaching all Australian states by mid-1960.
1960s to the 1990s
In 1961, direct television relays linking Sydney, Melbourne, and Canberra were initiated. By 1963, microwave transmission technology enabled Adelaide-originated programs to be broadcast simultaneously across the four eastern capital cities. The installation of videotape equipment in each state capital by 1962 enhanced the efficiency of content distribution.
Teletext services were introduced in 1983 to offer closed captioning for viewers with hearing impairments. Programming underwent changes including the replacement of Nationwide with the hour-long national news program The National, which was eventually discontinued due to unsatisfactory audience response. Subsequently, ABC returned to state-specific ABC News bulletins at 7:00 pm followed by The 7.30 Report. The 1980s also saw the debut of notable programs such as Lateline and Media Watch.
2000s
To coincide with Australia's introduction of digital terrestrial television on 1 January 2001, ABC unveiled a new three-dimensional metallic logo. This period marked an expansion in digital coverage accompanied by gradual incorporation of widescreen and high-definition content. On 1 August 2001, ABC Kids launched on channel 21 as the network's inaugural digital multi-channel service; it was soon followed by Fly TV. Both channels had limited availability and were discontinued in 2003 due to budget reductions.
2005–2008: Change of status and rebranding
On 7 March 2005, ABC introduced a digital channel named ABC2 (currently known as ABC Family), positioned as the "younger counterpart" to the primary channel. Operating with a modest budget, it concentrated on regional content, including programs like Australia Wide, Landline, and Stateline.
On 8 February 2008, ABC TV underwent rebranding to become ABC1, with the standard-definition redirect channel shifting from LCN22 to LCN2. The network's tagline transitioned from There's more to television to It begins with 1. Although there were initial apprehensions about discontinuing the emblematic Lissajous curve logo, which had been in use for 43 years, ABC executives affirmed its retention to maintain brand continuity during the rebranding process.
2010–present: Rebranding and renaming
In May 2010, Brendan Dahill, formerly of BBC Worldwide, was appointed as the inaugural channel controller for ABC1, commencing his role in August of that year.
As Australia progressed through its digital television switchover, ABC phased out analogue transmissions starting in July 2010, completing the transition on 10 December 2013 in Melbourne and remote regions.
On 6 February 2011, ABC1 unveiled refreshed branding featuring idents with presenters such as Adam Hills and adopting the slogan "Think Entertainment," crafted by The Lab. The traditional Lissajous curve logo was modernized by incorporating a "1".
Brendan Dahill was promoted to Head of Programming for both ABC1 and ABC2 effective 1 January 2014.
On 20 July 2014, ABC1 simplified its name to "ABC," launching idents that combined the original 1975 Lissajous logo animation with user-generated content sourced from ABC Open. The campaign's hashtag "#OurABC" was introduced before being replaced by "Yours" on 31 December 2017. By February 2019, the classic 1975 logo was fully reinstated.
Programming
Under its charter obligations, ABC is required to deliver specific types of programming. While prioritizing news and current affairs, it also provides documentaries, educational shows, drama, comedy, variety entertainment, and sports coverage. Unlike commercial Australian broadcasters that mainly collaborate with major American studios, ABC acquires content from British, Canadian, Western European, Asian sources as well as select American companies. Its programming slate includes productions from BBC, Channel 5, Teletoon, YTV, Nelvana, Treehouse (subsidiaries of Corus Entertainment), Nickelodeon/Paramount (dating back to the early 1990s), Disney Channel/Disney XD (typically broadcast on Seven Network), NBCUniversal, DreamWorks Animation/DreamWorks Classics, PBS/WGBH, Decode Entertainment (now WildBrain Studios), Cookie Jar Group, Ragdoll Productions, DiC (currently WildBrain), Sesame Workshop, The Jim Henson Company, 20th Television/FX Networks, Toei Animation, HiT Entertainment, Warner Bros. and its subsidiaries (Warner Bros. Animation and Cartoon Network/Warner Bros. Discovery Global Networks), along with Sony Pictures Television.
News, analysis and investigations
The national news service ABC News, produced by ABC’s News, Analysis & Investigations division, offers extensive coverage across Australia. It broadcasts several daily bulletins including prominent state-based evening news at 7:00 pm that cover local through international stories pertinent to each state or territory.
Morning programming features News Breakfast beginning at 6:00 am and simulcast on the ABC News channel. The midday national bulletin ABC News at Noon is broadcast live from Ultimo studios in Sydney. Throughout the day, updates are continuously delivered nationwide via both the ABC News channel and ABC; evening bulletins are tailored to individual states.
Prime-time flagship offerings include the weeknight program 7.30 alongside weekly investigative series such as Four Corners, Australian Story, and Foreign Correspondent. Additionally, specialized shows like Landline, Insiders, Offsiders, and Media Watch focus respectively on rural affairs, political and business analysis, sports commentary, and media scrutiny.
Sport
ABC's Television, Radio, News, and Online platforms provide extensive coverage of diverse sports. Between 2008 and 2017, ABC was the inaugural broadcaster of the W-League (football). In October 2019, ABC secured the role of official free-to-air partner for the A-League and resumed W-League broadcasts under a two-year agreement that also included matches featuring the Socceroos and Matildas. Each weekend, ABC TV aired one A-League match live, along with rights to delayed broadcasts of selected finals and the Grand Final. This contract encompassed 14 rounds of the 2019/20 W-League season, the full W-League 2020 Finals Series, plus numerous Socceroos and Matildas games. From August 2021 onwards, broadcast rights for both leagues transitioned to Network 10 through a five-year deal with ViacomCBS.
Availability
ABC’s programming schedule differs across states and territories, particularly concerning news bulletins, state-specific editions of 7.30, and certain promotional content. National broadcasts are occasionally interrupted to cover state elections. Each state’s ABC station operates from its capital city, with Victoria’s output originating from either Melbourne or Sydney. The network is transmitted nationwide using standard definition via terrestrial transmitters.
ABC HD
The ABC HD channel was initially launched on 1 January 2008 as a nationwide 720p simulcast of ABN Sydney. It ceased operations on 22 July 2010 to allocate bandwidth for ABC News. The HD service was reinstated on 6 December 2016 as a localized simulcast tailored to each state, which resulted in ABC News being downgraded to standard definition.
After government regulations lifted restrictions on SD primary channels, ABC revealed plans in November 2015 to resume HD simulcasting by mid-2016; however, technical setbacks delayed this until December 2016. Unlike the previous iteration, ABC HD now delivers region-specific simulcasts encoded in MPEG-4 rather than MPEG-2 format. This relaunch improved picture quality across regions while maintaining ABC News in SD.
ABC iview
Most programs from ABC TV are accessible on demand through ABC iview, a video-on-demand and catch-up TV platform that began service on 24 July 2008.
Logo history
During its formative years, ABC TV utilized Lissajous curve graphics incorporating its initials as interstitial fillers between shows. These waveforms, originally employed by broadcast engineers for calibrating radio and television frequencies, inspired the network’s emblematic logo design. In 1963, a staff competition resulted in Bill Kennard—ABC’s senior graphic designer from 1956 to 1974—creating the now-iconic logo officially adopted on 1 May 1964.
The logo has experienced multiple revisions reflecting changes in technology and branding:
- 19 October 1974: Redesigned with a thicker crossover pattern coinciding with the introduction of colour television test broadcasts.
- 26 January 1988: Updated idents created for the Australian Bicentenary celebrations.
- 1996: Idents featured the original 1963 logo sketched in mid-air alongside the tagline It's your ABC.
- 1 January 2001: Transformed into a large three-dimensional silver design, removing the traditional "over and under" style.
- 1 January 2002: Returned to the "over and under" motif with a silver 3D effect for ABC’s seventieth anniversary; idents incorporated elements such as fire, leaf, ice, and used the slogan "Everyone's ABC," also adopted by ABC Asia Pacific.
- 2003: Idents highlighted everyday Australians.
- 19 December 2005: Idents were refreshed featuring a modified logo morphing into a television set.
- 8 February 2008: The channel was renamed ABC1 with a blue-themed logo; simultaneously, ABC2 adopted a yellow color scheme. The slogan shifted from There's more to Television to It begins with 1. Despite media speculation, management confirmed that the Lissajous curve logo would remain.
- 6 February 2011: Rebranded with new idents and an on-air logo emphasizing the slogan "Think Entertainment".
- 20 July 2014: ABC1 reverted to ABC TV branding, reinstating the classic 1975 Lissajous curve logo accompanied by the slogan "#ourABC" and refreshed gradient colors.
- 4 February 2019: A new on-air presentation reaffirmed the Lissajous curve as the central brand identity.
Slogans
- 1965–1970s: Australian Broadcasting Commission, National Television Service
- 1971: This is National Television ABC
- 1972–1975: This is ABC Television, The Good Looking Australian
- 1972–1973: Around Australia, You're in Tune with the National Network – ABC Television
- 1974: This is ABC National Television
- Christmas 1974: Wishing You a Merry Christmas From ABC National Television
- 1975 (Jan–Feb): Come on Home to ABC
- 1975: Come to Colour on ABC National Television
- 1977: You're at Home with ABC
- 1978–82: ABC-TV
- Summer 1980/81: Summer '80
- Summer 1981/82: ABC Summer
- 1982–83: ABC – Your National Network
- 1982: The Games Station
- 1985–94: You're Watching ABC, Your Australian Network
- 1986: This is ABC Television, Coming to You via Domestic Satellite Throughout Australia
- 1988–96: Natural Textures of Australia
- 1990–95: Man-Made Textures
- 1992: 8 Cents a Day
- 1993–2000: It's Your ABC
- 1994: Seeing is Believing on Your ABC
- 1 January 1999 – January 2002: You're Watching ABC, Your Australian Network – First in Australia
- 2002–2005: Everyone's ABC
- 2005–2008: There's More to Television
- 2008–2011: It Begins with 1
- Summer 2010/11: Colour Your Summer with ABC
- 2011–2014: Think Entertainment
- Summer 2011/12: Happy Summer
- 20 July 2014 – 31 December 2017: #ourABC
- 31 December 2017–present: Yours
- December 2016 – present (secondary): ABC: Original