STW
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Swan Television |
| Founded | June 12, 1965 in Perth, Western Australia |
| Fate | Became owned-and-operated station of Nine Network |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | Perth, Western Australia |
| Products | Television broadcasting, local news programming |
| Owner | Nine Network (Nine Entertainment Co.) |
Number of employees | ~100 (at launch) (1965) |
| Parent | Nine Network |
| Website | www |
STW is a television broadcaster located in Perth, Western Australia, and operates under the ownership of the Nine Network. Its signal is transmitted from a shared mast situated in Carmel, Western Australia. The station’s callsign, STW, represents Swan Television, Western Australia.
Early Years
In February 1964, Swan Television was granted a licence to launch Perth’s second commercial television channel. Among its investors was Ansett Transport Industries, which also initiated Melbourne’s ATV-0 later that same year.
Broadcasting commenced at 5:30 pm on Saturday, 12 June 1965, from a custom-built facility located in the Dianella suburb of Perth, employing approximately 100 personnel.
The official inauguration was conducted by Western Australia’s Premier, David Brand, following the screening of a documentary titled Montage of Perth. The initial lineup included the film Guys and Dolls, MGM’s production The World's Greatest Showman, and a repeat of TV Spells Magic, a variety program originally created for Sydney’s TEN-10 launch earlier that year.
At its inception, STW collaborated with rival station TVW-7 through TV Facilities, a joint enterprise that allowed both commercial broadcasters in Perth to share access to network programs sourced from the east coast.
Developments in the 1970s and 1980s
Significant achievements for STW during this period include producing the notable drama series The Drifter in 1973 featuring Alan Cassell, as well as broadcasting Perth’s inaugural full-colour television news bulletin in November 1974. The station earned its first Logie Award in 1971 for the locally created variety show Spotlight.
STW operated independently until 1978 when it aligned with the Nine Network, thereby securing direct access to its content. In 1984, businessman Alan Bond purchased STW for just under $50 million, incorporating it into Bond Media. Following Bond’s acquisition of the Nine Network from Kerry Packer, STW became an owned-and-operated station within the network.
On 17 April 1984, STW9 pioneered 24-hour broadcasting in Perth and introduced the city’s first hour-long news bulletin, preceding its competitors.
In 1989, Bond Media sold STW to Sunraysia Television for A$95 million while simultaneously acquiring Sunraysia's STV-8 for A$18 million. This transaction adhered to Federal cross-media ownership regulations restricting nationwide media control.
Transition into the 2000s
Digital television broadcasts by STW commenced in January 2001 on VHF Channel 8, while analogue transmissions continued on Channel 9.
In January 2007, Sunraysia Television issued a profit warning after reporting a 12% fall in revenue over six months attributed to weak local advertising and poor ratings despite a robust state economy. This announcement triggered speculation regarding potential takeovers, with PBL and regional operator WIN Television emerging as prospective acquirers.
By February 2007, PBL Media declared intentions to purchase STW-9 for A$136.4 million subject to shareholder consent. Nonetheless, major stakeholder WIN also indicated interest, resulting in shareholders approving WIN’s improved bid by June 2007.
2010s
On 1 May 2012, WIN introduced Gold, a datacasting channel under its ownership.
In 2013, Nine Entertainment Co. purchased STW from WIN, completing the acquisition by 30 September and transforming it into an owned-and-operated station alongside Nine Network’s five major metropolitan outlets.
On 19 September 2016, STW relocated to modern studios at 253–267 St Georges Terrace in Perth’s central business district, concluding its 51-year tenure at the original Dianella site.
2020s
STW-9 Perth marked its 60th anniversary on 12 June 2025.
News and current affairs
STW airs national Nine News content including Today, Weekend Today, Today Early News, 9News Morning, 9News Afternoon, A Current Affair, and 60 Minutes.
Since May 2020, the station has broadcast Nine News Late from Monday through Thursday, with Michael Thomson serving as anchor.
9News Perth
Produced live at STW’s Perth studios, 9News Perth features key broadcasts such as 9News Afternoon hosted by Monika Kos, the primary 6pm news presented by Michael Thomson on weeknights and Tracy Vo during weekends. Sports segments are delivered by Matthew Pavlich from Monday to Thursday and Paddy Sweeney from Friday to Sunday. Weather updates for Perth and regional Western Australia are provided by Scherri-Lee Biggs on weeknights and Natalia Cooper on weekends.
Tracy Vo substitutes for Michael Thomson on weeknights, while Natalia Cooper covers for Tracy Vo on weekends. Paddy Sweeney fills in for Matthew Pavlich in sports coverage when required.
Presenters
Weeknights
- Michael Thomson (News) (2018–present)
- Matthew Pavlich (Sport) (Mon–Wed, 2018–present)
- Paddy Sweeney (Sport) (Thu–Sun)
- Scherri-Lee Biggs (Weather) (Sun–Wed)
- Natalia Cooper (Weather) (Thu–Sat)
Weekends
- Tracy Vo
9News Afternoon
- Monika Kos (2020–present)
Late News
- Tracy Vo
- Natalia Cooper
Reporters
- Jamie Freestone
- Michael Stamp
- Louise Rennie
- Connor McGoverne
- Kelly Williams
- Rachael Clifford
- Ezra Holt
- Brittany Hoskins
- Emma Griffiths
- Sarah Smith
- Amber Wilkinson
- Kelly Haywood
- Bianca Carbone
- Brooke Comerford
- Andrew Du
- Bonnie Raynor (sports)
- Erin Harwood (sports)
- Owen Leonard (sports)
Local programming
STW-9 has developed and aired local news, current affairs, and special interest shows such as a Western Australia version of A Current Affair, a localized 4:30pm news bulletin, the gardening program Garden Gurus (still broadcast across Nine Network stations), lifestyle show Just Add Water, and the travel series Postcards WA.
Appealathon
Appealathon served as STW’s dedicated fundraising initiative, similar to TVW's Telethon, staging its own continuous 24-hour telethon throughout the 1970s and 1980s.
Established in 1975, Appealathon raised more than $53.5 million for charitable causes, supporting four primary organisations: the Activ Foundation, Civilian Maimed & Limbless Association, Paraplegic/Quadriplegic Association, and Rocky Bay. Additionally, it provided yearly assistance to numerous other groups and took part in over 50 fundraising activities around Perth, including events such as the City to Surf and Rottnest Channel Swim.
In 2009, stewardship of Appealathon was handed over to Variety WA.
Broadcasting information
Prior to 25 June 2013, the analogue primary channel was transmitted on VHF-9 at 196.25 MHz with a 7 MHz PAL bandwidth. From 25 June 2013 onwards, the digital transport stream has been broadcast on VHF-8 at 191.5 MHz using a 7 MHz 64-QAM modulation.
| LCN | Channel | Resolution and format | Encoding and audio details |
|---|---|---|---|
| 9 | 9 | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 5550 kbit/s Dolby Digital audio at 256 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
| 90 | 9HD | 1440x1080i HD Lite | H.262 video at 15250 kbit/s Dolby Digital audio at 448 kbit/s |
| 92 | 9Gem | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 5550 kbit/s Dolby Digital audio at 256 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
| 93/99 | 9Go! | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio at 256 kbit/s |
| 94 | 9Life | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio at 256 kbit/s |
| 95 | 9Gem HD | 1440x1080i HD Lite | H.262 video Dolby Digital audio at 256 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio at 256 kbit/s |
| 96 | 9Rush | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio at 256 kbit/s |
| 97 | extra | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video MPEG-1 Audio Layer II audio at 256 kbit/s |