AMV (TV station)
| Company type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | September 7, 1964 |
| Headquarters | Albury , Australia |
Area served | Wagga Wagga, Albury-Wodonga, Riverina, North East Victoria |
| Products | Television broadcasting, local news programming |
Number of employees | 120 (mid-1980s) |
| Parent | Prime Media Group |
AMV is a television broadcaster based in Australia, catering to audiences in areas surrounding Wagga Wagga and Albury-Wodonga, located in the southwestern part of New South Wales and the northeastern region of Victoria. For an extended period, it was combined with RVN-2 under the banner of the Riverina and North East Victoria Television Service.
Founding and licensing background
AMV-4 commenced transmission on 7 September 1964, delivering programming sourced from Sydney’s three commercial channels (ATN-7, TCN-9, TEN-10) alongside original local content such as coverage of the Albury Gold Cup, the Ovens and Murray Football League Grand Final, and the 1988 Miss Australia competition. Since its inception, the station has consistently produced a thirty-minute regional news segment on weeknights—currently known as Prime7 News—with local news and sports segments created in Albury but aired from Prime7’s headquarters in Canberra.
The broadcaster’s license was granted to Albury-Upper Murray TV Limited on 4 October 1962. Key investors included Amalgamated Wireless Australasia, Hoyts, the newspaper The Border Morning Mail, and various local enterprises, fulfilling the condition that at least half of the ownership be held by local stakeholders.
RVN's early development before launch
When the commercial television license for the Riverina region was announced, multiple local entities submitted applications. Among these were Young-based radio station 2LF, municipal councils and businesses from the Young-Cootamundra vicinity, the The Daily Advertiser newspaper of Wagga Wagga, radio broadcaster 2WG, local entrepreneurs, smaller press outlets, and licensed clubs.
The proposal from 2LF merged with that of the Advertiser–2WG consortium, distributing shares as follows: 10% to 2LF, 20% to 2WG, and 15% to The Advertiser, with remaining shares allocated to other local investors. Following an inquiry by the Australian Broadcasting Control Board, this combined group (Riverina Television) was awarded the license.
The first board included delegates from 2WG, 2LF, The Daily Advertiser, along with representatives from two local councils. Soon after receiving the license, both the chairman and station manager resigned due to internal disagreements; they were succeeded by Wal Hucker—a Sydney-based owner of a film animation and sound business and brother-in-law to the previous chairman. To ensure continued involvement of 2WG as required by the Control Board, the former chairman’s wife joined the board. Bill Marsden from 2LF took on the role of station manager.
A conflict arose with Wagga Wagga city council concerning a studio location near the Mount Ulandra transmitter site, resulting in rezoning efforts to designate an alternative site from residential use.
RVN utilized a mast shared with the local ABC transmitter but distinguished itself by operating its transmission equipment remotely—an industry first—under chief engineer Stuart McDonald. Construction of studios began on 31 July 1963 and concluded in early 1964.
Initial transmissions
RVN commenced broadcasting on 19 June 1964 at 7 pm, generating considerable excitement throughout the Riverina and South-West Slopes regions. Before the station's debut, promotional campaigns concentrated on informing potential viewers about purchasing television sets and installing antennas. The inaugural evening lineup included a message from the local Federal Member, footage documenting the station's construction, a concise five-minute news segment anchored by Paul Griffiths, the screening of the film The Dambusters at 9:05 pm, followed by an episode of The Jack Benny Program.
AMV-4 Albury began transmissions on 7 September 1964, featuring shows such as Cohns Cobbers’ Teleclub, Captain Gallant of the Foreign Legion, and Calvin and the Colonel. Local news was delivered by Ross Sellars, succeeded by episodes of Bonanza, the movie Lucky Me, and Mike Hammer. The broadcast day concluded at 11:35 pm.
News programming incorporated a combination of slide announcements or live readings alongside previous evening news footage sourced from ATN-7 Sydney. Both local content and advertisements were transmitted live. Notably, RVN stood out as the only regional broadcaster to report a profit—albeit a modest one—in its initial year.
RVN-AMV
Facing financial difficulties in the early 1970s, RVN and AMV merged in 1971 to establish Riverina and North East Victoria Television Service Pty Ltd. Operating under the collective brand RVN-AMV, both stations maintained separate operations until 1976, when their transmissions were consolidated in Wagga Wagga.
In 1983, due to differing daylight saving time observances between New South Wales and Victoria, AMV aired RVN's programming with a one-hour delay over a three-week period. Catering to audiences spanning two states, content was customized accordingly: viewers in New South Wales received Sydney news and rugby league coverage, while Victorian audiences were presented with Melbourne news and AFL matches.
By the mid-1980s, staffing levels reached approximately 80 employees in Wagga and 40 in Albury.
Prime/Ramcorp
In 1987, Ramcorp Ltd., led by Paul Ramsay, acquired RVN-AMV and combined it with MidState Television to create Prime Television. Following the aggregation of Southern New South Wales in 1989, RVN merged with CBN to become the Seven Network affiliate competing against Ten Capital and WIN Television. Concurrently, AMV expanded its reach throughout Victoria as the Seven affiliate rivaling Vic TV and Southern Cross.
The RVN callsign was retired in 1991 when licenses for Wagga Wagga and Orange merged under CBN. At the same time, AMV transitioned from VHF channel 4 to channel 11 to facilitate FM radio broadcasting.
Prior to Victorian market aggregation (excluding Mildura) in 1992, Prime established a studio and playout facility at Mitchell Park in Ballarat to serve Western Victoria, Central Victoria, and Gippsland; meanwhile, Albury and Shepparton playout operations remained at Prime’s Albury studios. The Ballarat facility operates under the AMV license.
The station celebrated its 50th anniversary in September 2014 at its former Union Road premises before relocating to Dean Street in Albury in April 2015.
Seven News
AMV produces a nightly 30-minute Seven News bulletin targeting the Albury-Wodonga border region and North East Victoria each weeknight at 6:00 pm. This program is co-anchored by Madelaine Collignon and Nick Hose from Canberra, featuring reports from Seven’s reporters based in Albury. Weather updates are presented by Kirstie Fitzpatrick. At 6:30 pm, this is followed by an abbreviated half-hour edition of Seven’s primary Melbourne 6 pm bulletin. This scheduling began on 24 February 2014 after Seven News extended its flagship hour-long bulletins across eastern metropolitan markets following the cancellation of the current affairs show Today Tonight—a program not broadcast in this border sub-market. Although Albury is located in New South Wales, its proximity to Melbourne results in AMV sourcing programming from Seven Melbourne within the Victorian market.
Historically, local news production took place at studios on Union Road in Lavington, Albury. During the 2000s, Prime Media closed most regional studios due to modernization expenses; however, Albury’s facilities were upgraded to digital technology late in 2010. Despite this investment, Prime Media ceased local production at Union Road two months later, transferring operations to their Canberra headquarters; local presentation ended in March 2011. The former studio building was subsequently sold and converted into a church by 2016. Helen Ballard, the final local news presenter, continued her role as a reporter within the new Albury newsroom.
In regional markets including Ballarat, Bendigo, and Gippsland, brief two-minute news bulletins are delivered by Pip Waller with weather forecasts provided by Daniel Gibson.
Main transmitters
| Area Covered | City | Channels Analog (Digital) | Launch Date | Power Output Analog (Digital) | Antenna Height Analog (Digital) | Coordinates Analog (Digital) | Transmitter Site |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ballarat | Ballarat | 33 UHF (36 UHF) | March 1992 | 2000 kW (300 kW) | 663 m (713 m) | Lookout Hill | |
| Bendigo | Bendigo | 32 UHF (31 UHF) | March 1992 | 2000 kW (550 kW) | 517 m (496 m) | (digital ) | Mount Alexander |
| Goulburn Valley | Shepparton | 43 UHF (34 UHF) | March 1992 | 1200 kW (225 kW) | 377 m (378 m) | Mount Major, Victoria | |
| Latrobe Valley | Traralgon | 46 UHF (33 UHF) | March 1992 | 1000 kW (250 kW) | 515 m (487 m) | (digital ) | Mount Tassie |
| Murray River Valley | Swan Hill | 47 UHF (48 UHF) | March 1992 | 400 kW (220 kW) | 179 m (201 m) |
References |