ABQ
| Company type | Public broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | November 2, 1959 in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Queensland |
| Products | Television programming, regional broadcasting |
| Website | www |
ABC Television Queensland transmits national content from the ABC television network based in Brisbane, Queensland, operating across various channels under the ABC call sign. The Brisbane production facilities also generate selected regional programming.
The original call sign for the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's Brisbane TV outlet was ABQ or ABQ-2, which commenced transmission on 2 November 1959 as the third television station in Queensland. The letter "Q" identifies Queensland.
Situated within a custom-designed complex on Brisbane’s South Bank, ABC Television serves audiences statewide through an extensive array of relay transmitters.
History
Broadcasting in Brisbane by ABC Television started on 2 November 1959, with the "Q" symbolizing Queensland.
During the 2000s, ABC’s digital channels were accessible via the now-discontinued Optus Aurora free-to-air satellite service and have been available through the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) platform since 2010.
Originally housed in Toowong with a transmitter located at Mount Coot-tha, ABC’s studios were closed in December 2006 following an unusually high rate of breast cancer cases among employees, which prompted an independent health investigation. This resulted in the dispersion of television and radio operations across several Brisbane locations: ABC Radio stayed near Toowong; ABC News moved to Network Ten's Mount Coot-tha facilities; ABC Innovation and Online teams operated from QUT Kelvin Grove; while other divisions were based at Coronation Drive and West End.
On 10 January 2012, ABC consolidated its Brisbane operations into newly constructed premises at South Bank.
The analogue transmission serving Brisbane, Gold Coast, and Sunshine Coast was officially terminated on 28 May 2013.
Current operations at ABC Television Brisbane
All ABC functions are now centralized within the South Bank complex. As of 2021, numerous transmitters distribute multiple ABC channels throughout Queensland.[1]
Programming
The programming lineup for ABC Television Brisbane primarily consists of national content with specific local segments for news, current affairs, rugby league, and state election coverage.
Local content
ABC News Queensland is anchored by Jessica van Vonderen from Monday to Thursday and Lexy Hamilton-Smith from Friday through Sunday. Weather updates are provided by Jenny Woodward Sunday to Thursday, while financial reports are delivered by Alan Kohler based in Melbourne.
Previous presenters of the bulletin include Matt Wordsworth, Rod Young, and Andrew Lofthouse. Both Young and Lofthouse later became lead anchors for major 6:00 pm news bulletins on Seven (BTQ) and Nine (QTQ), respectively. Between 2009 and 2012, Seven's bulletin co-anchored by Young consistently outperformed Nine's ratings. However, by 2017, Nine regained dominance in south-east Queensland viewership.[2][3][4][5]
Relay stations
The stations listed below currently or previously rebroadcast ABQ signals throughout Queensland:
("|ABRAQ ") ("|Roma ") ("|Roma ") ("|7(VHF)8(VHF) ") ("|14 December 1973 ") ("|R A"= Roma ") ("|2 kW
0.5 kW ") ("|103 m
105 m ") ("|Timbury Hills ") ("|ABRDQ ") ("|Richmond ") ("|Richmond ") ("|6(VHF)
7(VHF) ") ("|4 June 1971 ") ("|R D"= Richmond ") ("|0.2 kW
0.05 kW ") ("|70 m
70 m ") ("|Richmond ") ("|ABSQ ") ("|Southern Downs ") ("|Warwick ") ("|1(VHF)
45(UHF)") ("|4 July 1966 ") ("|S "Southern Downs") ") ("|200 kW
500 kW") ("|255 m
316 m") ("|Passchendaele Ridge") ("|ABSEQ ") ("|Springsure ") ("|Springsure ") ("|8(VHF)
46(UHF)") ("|17 February 1975 ") ("|S E " Springsure") ("|0.8 kW
2 kW") ("|280 m
283 m") ("|Roddas Lookout") ("|ABSGQ ") ("|St George ") ("|St George ") ("|8(VHF)
12(VHF)") ("|8 March 1974 ") ("|S T G " St George") ("|0.13 kW
0.033 kW") ("|63 m
64 m") ("|St George") ("ABTQ") ("Townsville") ("Townsville") ("3(VHF)
31(UHF)") ("21 September1964") ("T Townsville") ("160k W < br >200k W ") ("635m < br >644m ") ("Mount Stuart ")
| Call | Coverage area | Location | Channels (Analog/ digital) |
Launch date | Third letter designation |
ERP (Analog/ digital) |
HAAT (Analog/ digital)1 |
Transmitter site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ABAQ | Alpha region | Alpha town | 8 (VHF) N/A |
17 February 1975 | Alpha | 0.021 kW | 88 m | Alpha |
| ABAAQ | Augathella area | Augathella | 11 (VHF) N/A |
8 March 1974 | AugathellA | 0.021 kW | 51 m | Augathella |
| ABBQ | Barcaldine region | Barcaldine | 10 (VHF) 7 (VHF) |
17 February 1975 | Barcaldine | 0.02 kW 0.005 kW |
61 m 61 m |
Barcaldine |
| ABBLQ | Blackall district | Blackall | 9 (VHF) 7 (VHF) |
17 February 1975 | BlackalL | 0.2 kW 0.05 kW |
61 m 66 m |
Blackall |
| ABCAQ | Cunnamulla zone | Cunnamulla | 10 (VHF) N/A |
8 March 1974 | CunnamullA | 0.026 kW | 41 m | Cunnamulla |
| ABCEQ | Charleville area | Charleville | 9 (VHF) 11 (VHF) |
8 March 1974 | CharlevillE | 0.26 kW 0.065 kW |
99 m 99 m |
Charleville |
| ABCLQ | Cloncurry region | Cloncurry | 7 (VHF) 6 (VHF) |
17 March 1971 | 'CL' = Cloncurry | 0.2 kW 0.05 kW |
115 m 115 m |
Mount Avarice |
| ABCTQ | Clermont district | Clermont | 10 (VHF) 54 (UHF) |
17 February 1975 | 'C' = Clermont 'T' | 0.1 kW 0.2 kW |
89 m 80 m |
Clermont |
| 'ABDQ' | 'Darling Downs' | 'Toowoomba' | '32 (UHF) 37 (UHF)' |
'16 December 1963' | 'D' = Darling Downs' | '1600 kW 500 kW' |
'570 m 549 m' |
'Mount Mowbullan' |
| 'ABDIQ' | 'Dirranbandi' | 'Dirranbandi' | '7 (VHF) N/A' |
'8 March 1974' | 'D' = Dirranband 'I | '0.016 kW' | '65 m' | 'Dirranbandi' |
| 'ABEQ' | 'Emerald' | 'Emerald' | '11 (VHF) 9 (VHF)' |
'21 December 1973' | 'E' = Emerald' | '2 kW 0.625 kW' |
'92 m 92 m' |
'Emerald' |
| 'ABGQ' | 'Goondiwindi' | 'Goondiwindi' | '6 (VHF) 56 (UHF)' |
'9 July 1973' | 'G' = Goondiwindi' | '0.5 kW 0.625 kW' |
'41 m 49 m' |
'Goondiwindi' |
| 'ABHQ' | 'Hughenden' | 'Hughenden' | '9 (VHF) 8 (VHF)' |
'30 June 1971' | 'H' = Hughenden' | '0.2 kW 0.125 kW' |
'80 m 80 m' |
'Hughenden' |
| 'ABIQ' | 'Mount Isa' | 'Mount Isa' | '6 (VHF) 7 (VHF)' |
'21 December 1970' | "I" = Mount Isa" | '1.6 kW 0.4 kW' |
'72 m 75 m' |
"DCA Hill" |
| "ABJQ" | "Julia Creek" | "Julia Creek" | "10 (VHF) N/A" |
"20 April 1971" | "J" = Julia Creek" | "0.2 kW" | "65 m" | "Julia Creek" |
| "ABLQ" | "Longreach" | "Longreach" | "6 (VHF) 10 (VHF)" |
"17 February 1975" | "L" = Longreach" | "0.7 kW 0.175 kW" |
"69 m 69 m" |
"Longreach" |
| "ABMQ" | "Mackay" | "Mackay" | "8 (VHF) 10 (VHF)" |
"21 December 1967" | "M" = Mackay" | "360 kW 90 kW" |
"611 m 613 m" |
"Mount Blackwood" |
| "ABMKQ" | "Mary Kathleen" | "Mary Kathleen" | "9 (VHF) - ceased operations in1986" | "15 December 1971" | "M K" = Mary Kathleen" | "Unknown" | "Unknown" | "Mary Kathleen" |
| "ABMLQ" | "Mitchell" | "Mitchell" | "6 (VHF) 12 (VHF)" |
"8 March 1974" | "M L" = Mitchell " | "0.2 kW 0.05 kW " |
"149 m 149 m " |
"Mitchell Escarpment " |
| "ABMNQ " | "Morven " | "Morven " | "7 (VHF) N/A " |
"8 March 1974 " | "M N" = Morven " | "0.13 kW " | "133 m " | "Morven " |
| "ABMSQ " | "Miles " | "Miles " | "9 (VHF) 63 (UHF) " |
"30 November 1973 " | "M S" = Miles " | "0.32 kW 0.8 kW " |
"132 m 132 m " |
"Miles Hill " |
| "ABNQ " | "Cairns " | "Cairns " | "9 (VHF) 8 (VHF) " |
"25 July 1966 " | "N" = North "
"|200 kW | |||
| "ABRQ " | "Rockhampton "
"|Rockhampton "
"|9 (VHF) | |||||||
| AB W Q | Wide Bay | Maryborough | 6(V H F )< br >9 A(V H F ) | 8 October1965 | W ide Bay | 240 K W < br >60K W | 601 M < br >646 M | Mount Goonaneman |
| ABWN Q | Winton | Winton | 8(V H F )< br >7(V H F ) | 15 November1974 | W into N ' ' | 1 .6 K W < br > .4 K W | 97 M < br >94 M | Rangelands |
Notes:
- 1 Height above average terrain calculated using ITU data.
- Channel assignments and power levels have been adjusted to accommodate FM radio interference management and digital transition requirements.
- Station ABMKQ discontinued service in April1986.
This network of relay transmitters ensures comprehensive coverage throughout Queensland, employing tailored frequency and power configurations to effectively reach diverse regional audiences.