STQ
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | 1965 |
| Headquarters | Maroochydore , Australia |
Area served | Regional Queensland |
| Owner | Seven Network |
STQ is a regional Queensland television station in Australia, owned and operated by the Seven Network. Its studios are located in Maroochydore on the Sunshine Coast. The callsign STQ represents Sunshine Television, Queensland.
History
The station's origins date back to the 1960s with two separate broadcasters:
- WBQ-8 serving Wide Bay-Burnett/Maryborough, which commenced operations on 10 April 1965
- MVQ-6 based in Mackay, launched on 9 August 1968
In October 1962, Wide Bay-Burnett Television secured the commercial licence for the Wide Bay-Burnett area. Its shareholders included local radio stations, print media outlets, and theatre proprietors Birch, Carroll and Coyle. WBQ-8's facilities in Maryborough comprised three studios plus outdoor areas. Initially, the station broadcast 36 hours weekly, expanding to 45 hours within two years.
The licence for MVQ-6 was awarded in September 1963 to Mackay Television Development Pty Ltd, established in 1960. The station operated from Victoria Street studios shared with radio station 4MK. MVQ-6 commenced test broadcasts on 2 August 1968 and officially launched a week later.
In 1977, WBQ rebranded as SEQ (South East Queensland), adopting the name "SEQ Sunshine Television" with the slogan Leading the Way. In 1982, MVQ began using the on-air identity "Tropical Television". Both stations aired programming from the Seven Network and Brisbane’s Seven News from BTQ.
By 1987, Qintex Limited under Christopher Skase had acquired MVQ-6 after previously purchasing SEQ-8. Qintex also controlled Seven Network stations in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane, thereby integrating MVQ-6 and SEQ-8 into the broader Seven Network content distribution.
Following the aggregation of regional Queensland markets in 1990, SEQ-8 and MVQ-6 combined operations to form the Sunshine Television Network, becoming Seven Network’s regional affiliate. The callsign was changed to STQ, accompanied by the slogan Love You Queensland, aligning its news output and branding closely with Seven’s metropolitan channels.
After Qintex’s financial collapse, ownership of Sunshine Television Network transferred to Gosford Communications in 1992. In 1995, Reg Grundy's RG Capital made offers up to $105 million for Sunshine Television but was outbid when News Corp took a 15% share and Prime Television acquired 19.9%. Subsequently, Seven Network made a successful full takeover bid. The company then rebranded as Seven Queensland, adopting Seven Network’s logos and on-air branding.
Since then, Seven Queensland’s programming schedule has closely paralleled Brisbane’s BTQ. It secured its first annual ratings victory over WIN and Southern Cross Ten in 1998 and has maintained a ratings lead consistently since.
Up until August 2017, Seven Queensland was unique among regional broadcasters in airing 7flix, reflecting its connection to Seven West Media. It was also distinctive for broadcasting the now-defunct 7food network among regional stations.
On 26 November 2018, STQ enhanced its main channel transmission by upgrading from standard definition to MPEG-2 HD.
News
Seven News produces local news bulletins every weeknight at 6 pm tailored to seven regions across Queensland: Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Wide Bay, Toowoomba, Sunshine Coast, and Rockhampton. These bulletins are followed by an abbreviated 30-minute edition of Seven News Brisbane.
Rob Brough anchors the bulletins with Joanne Desmond co-presenting editions for Cairns, Townsville, Rockhampton, and Toowoomba. Nathan Spurling delivers sports updates while Livio Regano provides weather forecasts. Luke McGarry serves as a relief sport presenter when needed.
Each region has reporters and camera teams based in local newsrooms. Studio presentations for Cairns, Townsville, Mackay, Darling Downs, Rockhampton, and Wide Bay are pre-recorded at Maroochydore studios. The Sunshine Coast bulletin is broadcast live but may switch to pre-recorded segments during events such as cyclones. Local newsrooms handle editing before final transmission from Maroochydore.
Among these editions, the Sunshine Coast bulletin has been the most successful. In 1998, WIN Television launched a rival service aiming to overtake Seven’s ratings within six months; however, after program restructuring led by station manager Laurie Patton, Seven Local News increased its audience share by six percentage points.
In response to Australian Broadcasting Authority requirements for regional content in 2004, Seven Local News reinstated bulletins for Townsville and Cairns.
On 5 March 2007, Seven Local News became the first regional Queensland news service to broadcast in widescreen standard-definition digital format.
Additional local editions were introduced on 22 November 2010 for Rockhampton/Gladstone and Central Queensland areas and on 2 November 2015 for Toowoomba and Darling Downs. This expansion made Seven News the sole provider covering all regional centres in Queensland following WIN News’ withdrawal from Mackay in May 2015. While Nine News offered local composite bulletins via Southern Cross Television between 2016 and 2019, their exit restored Seven News’ exclusive statewide coverage of regional news.
From 11 July 2016 onwards, all editions adopted the unified Seven News branding; by 5 September 2016 the previous "Local News" designation was completely phased out.
Due to budgetary constraints, bureaus previously operating in Hervey Bay and Gladstone were closed.
Relief weather presenter Rosanna Natoli departed from Seven Network after being elected Mayor of Sunshine Coast Region on 16 March 2024.
Main Transmitters
| Service Area | City | Channels (Analog/ Digital) |
Launch Date | ERP (Analog/ Digital) |
HAAT (Analog/ Digital)1 |
Transmitter Coordinates | Transmitter Site |
| Cairns | Cairns | 33 (UHF)4 11 (VHF) |
31 December 1990 | 400 kW 50 kW |
1176 m 1190 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Mount Bellenden Ker |
| Darling Downs | Toowoomba | 35 (UHF)4 34 (UHF) |
31 December 1990 | 1300 kW 500 kW |
515 m 520 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. (analog) Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. (digital) |
Mount Mowbullan |
| Mackay2 | Mackay | 6 (VHF)4 9A (VHF) |
9 August 1968 | 360 kW 90 kW |
613 m 613 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Mount Blackwood |
| Rockhampton | Rockhampton | 31 (UHF)4 38 (UHF) |
31 December 1990 | 2000 kW 500 kW |
523 m 523 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Mount Hopeful |
| Southern Downs | Warwick | 33 (UHF)4 51 (UHF) |
31 December 1990 | 600 kW 500 kW |
301 m 316 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Passchendaele, Queensland |
| Townsville | Townsville | 34 (UHF)4 38 (UHF) |
31 December 1990 | 200 kW 200 kW |
617 m 644 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Mount Stuart, Queensland |
Wide Bay-Burnett
3 |
Maryborough, Queensland | 8 (VHF)4 7 (VHF) |
10 April 1965 | 200 kW 60 kW |
646 m 646 m |
Lua error: callParserFunction: function "#coordinates" was not found. | Mount Goonaneman |
Notes:
- 1. Refers to the height above average terrain.
- 2. The Mackay station functioned as the independent MVQ from its inception in 1968 until aggregation in 1990.
- 3. Wide Bay station operated independently as WBQ from 1968 to 1978, then as SEQ until aggregation in 1990.
- 4. Analog broadcasts ceased on 6 December 2011 as part of the national analog shutdown.