ABN (TV station)
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | November 5, 1956 in Sydney, Australia |
| Headquarters | Ultimo, Sydney , Australia |
Area served | New South Wales |
Key people | Jeremy Fernandez (news presenter), Lydia Feng (news presenter), Tom Saunders (weather), Alan Kohler (finance segment) |
| Products | Television programming, news broadcasts |
| Owner | Australian Broadcasting Corporation |
| Website | abc |
ABC Television in New South Wales provides both national and regional content through the ABC television network, operating from its main base in Sydney.
Originally known as ABN or ABN-2, this was the initial call sign for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Sydney television outlet. It commenced transmissions on 5 November 1956, becoming the second TV broadcaster in Sydney and New South Wales. The original production facilities were situated at Gore Hill until March 2004, when the station's operations were relocated to the Corporation’s headquarters in Ultimo, where it joined forces with ABC Radio, Radio Australia, ABC-TV Set Construction, and ABC Australia. Despite this move, the primary transmitter continues to be located at Gore Hill. The broadcast reaches viewers throughout New South Wales via a network of relay transmitters and is also available through domestic satellite delivery on the Viewer Access Satellite Television platform.
History
Australia’s inaugural national public television service launched in Sydney at 7:00pm on 5 November 1956 as ABN-2, with Prime Minister Robert Menzies officiating the opening. The first broadcast included news presenters Michael Charlton and James Dibble delivering the initial bulletin. The station transitioned to full-time colour broadcasts in March 1975.
For more than four decades, ABC’s Sydney television studios operated from Gore Hill, starting in 1958 until their closure and sale in 2002. Subsequently, all activities were transferred to the Ultimo broadcasting centre. The station also featured programming sourced from community channels in other states, such as Aurora Community Channel and National Indigenous Television.
The rollout of digital television by ABN commenced in January 2001 on VHF Channel 12, alongside continued analogue broadcasts on VHF Channel 2. The analogue transmission servicing Sydney and nearby areas was discontinued at 9:00am on 3 December 2013.
In December 2024, the flagship 7pm ABC News bulletin shifted production from Ultimo to the Corporation’s newly established studios in Parramatta, reflecting a strategic update in production locations.
Local programming
The programming schedule of ABN closely aligns with the national ABC lineup except for variations in news, current affairs, sports coverage, and election broadcasts.
ABC News New South Wales is presented by Jeremy Fernandez from Sunday to Thursday and Lydia Feng on Fridays and Saturdays. Evening bulletins include weather updates for NSW provided by Tom Saunders and a national finance segment hosted by Alan Kohler broadcasting from Melbourne.
Digital multiplex
| LCN | Service | SD/HD |
|---|---|---|
| 2 & 21 | ABC TV | SD |
| 20 | ABC TV HD | HD |
| 22 | ABC Kids/Family | SD |
| 23 | ABC Entertains | SD |
| 24 | ABC News | SD |
Relay stations
ABN extends its broadcast reach throughout New South Wales through numerous relay stations:
| Call | Region served | City | Channels (Analog/Digital) |
First air date | 3rd letter's meaning | ERP (Analog/Digital) |
HAAT (Analog/Digital) |
Transmitter location |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABCN | Central Tablelands | Orange | 1 VHF (analog ended 2012) 36 UHF (digital) |
31 March 1964 | Central Tablelands | 160 kW / 570 kW | 655 m / 677 m | Mount Canobolas |
| ABDN | Grafton/Kempsey area | Coffs Harbour | 2 VHF (analog ended 2012) 36 UHF (digital) |
28 June 1965 | Dorrigo | 160 kW / 250 kW | 661 m / 730 m | Mount Moombil |
| ABGN | Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area | Griffith | 7 VHF (analog) 11 VHF (digital) |
25 July 1966 | Griffith | 200 kW / 50 kW | 416 m / 412 m | Mount Bingar |
| ABHN | Newcastle/Hunter Valley | Newcastle | 5A VHF (analog ended) 37 UHF (digital) |
5 June 1963 | Hunter River | 200 kW / 250 kW | 405 m / 440 m | Mount Sugarloaf |
| ABLN | Broken Hill region | Broken Hill | 2 VHF (analog ended) 10 VHF (digital) |
14 December 1965 | Unknown | 5 kW / 4 kW | 95 m /104 m | Rocky Hill |
| ABMN | South West Slopes/Eastern Riverina | Wagga Wagga | 0 VHF (analog) 46 UHF (digital) |
30 April1965 | Unknown | 200 kW /600 kW | 466 m /543 m | Mount Ulandra |
| ABMIN | Mungindi | Mungindi | 10 VHF (analog only) | 7 January1974 | MungindI | 0.1 kW | 59 m | Mungindi |
| ABQN | Central Western Slopes | Dubbo | 11 VHF (analog) 12 VHF (digital) |
12 September1966 | Unknown | 400 kW /100 kW | 638 m /638 m | Mount Cenn Cruaich |
| ABRN | Richmond and Tweed Rivers area | Lismore | 6 VHF (analog) 29 UHF (digital) |
20 April1964 | Richmond and Tweed | 200 kW /200 kW | 621 m /645 m | Mount Nardi |
| ABSN | Bega/Cooma region | Bega | 8 VHF (analog only) | 29 June1966 | South East | 200 kW | 428 m | Brown Mountain |
| ABTN | Manning River area | Taree | 6 VHF (analog) 7 VHF (digital) |
29 April1966 | Taree | 315 kW /80 kW | 599 m /599 m | Middle Brother |
| ABUN | Upper Namoi | Tamworth | 7 VHF (analog) 8 VHF (digital) |
27 September1965 | Upper Namoi | 72 kW /22.5 kW | 859 m /849 m | Mount Dowe |
| ABWN | Illawarra region | Wollongong | 56 UHF (analog) 51 UHF (digital) |
28 October1963 | Wollongong | 960 kW /250 kW | 618 m /618 m | Knights Hill |