Seven (Southern Cross Austereo)
| Company type | Television network affiliate |
|---|---|
| Industry | Broadcasting |
| Founded | 1982 |
| Founder | Southern Cross Austereo |
| Headquarters | Hobart , Australia |
Area served | Tasmania, Darwin, Spencer Gulf, Broken Hill, Remote Central and Eastern Australia |
| Products | Television broadcasting (Seven Network affiliate) |
| Owner | Southern Cross Austereo (until 2025), Seven West Media (from July 2025) |
| Parent | Southern Cross Austereo (until 2025), Seven West Media (from July 2025) |
Southern Cross Seven was an Australian television network operated by Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) across regions including Tasmania, Darwin, the Spencer Gulf, Broken Hill, and remote areas of eastern and central Australia. It functioned as the main affiliate for the Seven Network within these territories.
In July 2025, ownership of these stations transferred to Seven West Media after a previous agreement with Australian Digital Holdings did not proceed.
Origins
The Southern Cross brand began in 1982 with a modest group of three regional Victorian stations: GLV-8 (Gippsland), BCV-8 (Bendigo), and STV-8 (Mildura). GLV holds the distinction of being Australia's inaugural regional television station, launching in December 1961, followed by BCV and STV in later years. In 1980, GLV-10 shifted to VHF channel 8 due to frequency reallocations in Melbourne.
Initially named Southern Cross TV8 in 1982, the network later adopted the title Southern Cross Network in 1989. After STV-8 was acquired by businessman Alan Bond and subsequently sold to ENT Limited—owners of Vic TV and Tas TV—it departed from the network. At first, the network operated as a "cherry picking" service, selecting programming from all three metropolitan commercial networks before settling as a Network Ten affiliate during aggregation.
1960s to the 1970s
TNT-9 in Tasmania commenced operations on 26 May 1962, officially opened by Tasmania's Governor Lord Rowallan. The GTS/BKN service was established as an independent commercial broadcaster in the Spencer Gulf region in 1968, expanding coverage to Port Lincoln and Broken Hill by the mid-1970s.
1980s to the 1990s
On 13 May 1989, ENT Ltd. sold TNT-9 to Southern Cross Broadcasting, which incorporated it into its growing network.
Tasmania's television market underwent aggregation on 30 April 1994, resulting in two primary stations: Southern Cross, which served as a dual affiliate for Seven and Ten networks, and TAS TV, which broadcast Nine Network content; both began statewide coverage simultaneously.
The aggregation process for remote Central and Eastern Australia—encompassing vast parts of the Northern Territory and western Queensland—was completed last. Due to limited terrestrial broadcast reach, these areas primarily received programming via satellite or retransmission. Imparja Television operated as a dual affiliate for Nine and Ten networks, while Seven Central provided exclusive Seven Network content.
2000s and 2010s
In April 2002, Southern Cross Broadcasting expanded its regional presence by acquiring Spencer Gulf Telecasters. That same year saw Southern Cross collaborate with WIN Corporation to launch Tasmanian Digital Television (TDT), which became Tasmania’s sole Network Ten affiliate; Southern Cross handled transmission responsibilities.
Southern Cross Broadcasting further extended its holdings in 2003 by purchasing Seven Darwin and Seven Central stations, retaining their exclusive affiliation with the Seven Network. On 31 December 2003, Network Ten programming was introduced to the Upper Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions through SGS/SCN, which formally joined Southern Cross’s network in May 2005.
Centralised broadcast presentation commenced on 3 December 2004 from Southern Cross’s play-out facility in Canberra. By May 2005, Darwin’s service had been integrated into Southern Cross’s network lineup, adopting dual affiliations with both Seven and Network Ten.
In partnership with PBL Media, Southern Cross launched Darwin Digital Television in April 2008—a digital-only station affiliated solely with Network Ten—following their joint venture established in 2007.
On 3 July 2007, Southern Cross Broadcasting endorsed a takeover proposal valued at A$1.35 billion from Macquarie Media Group, finalized on 5 November 2007.
By early 2009, Southern Cross Tasmania ceased airing all Network Ten content except for AFL matches, concentrating exclusively on Seven Network programming after TDT secured full Ten affiliation.
On 29 August 2015, Southern Cross incorporated Racing.com into its channel offerings across Tasmania, Broken Hill, Spencer Gulf, and Darwin. Subsequently, on 25 July 2016 it announced plans to broadcast New Zealand’s home shopping channel Yesshop as a datacast service; however, Yesshop discontinued operations by September that year due to financial difficulties.
A high-definition simulcast for the Tasmanian station debuted on 22 March 2017.
Starting from 1 July 2018, Southern Cross phased out its local station branding for Seven-affiliated channels in favor of generic Seven Network branding. Although there were intentions to rebrand news bulletins as Seven News, these plans were postponed amid concerns regarding editorial autonomy.
On 3 December 2018, the Tasmanian station rebranded its news program to Nightly News, followed by GTS/BKN on 14 January 2019. Around that period, production of the Spencer Gulf edition relocated from Canberra to TNT’s studio located in Hobart.
2025 divestment to Seven West Media
On 27 February 2025, Southern Cross Austereo (SCA) revealed plans to sell its television stations located in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill, Tasmania, Darwin, as well as Remote Central and Eastern Australia to Australian Digital Holdings. This announcement followed the previous disposal of their 10-affiliated stations, signaling SCA’s intention to withdraw entirely from the television broadcasting sector.
Nevertheless, by May 2025, the proposed deal with Australian Digital Holdings did not proceed. Instead, Seven West Media purchased the remaining SCA television assets for $3.75 million. The acquisition was completed on 1 July 2025.
News
As affiliates of the Seven Network, these stations broadcast a range of national programming including:
- Sunrise Early News
- Sunrise (weekdays) and Weekend Sunrise
- Seven National News At Noon
- Seven News at 4 (Seven Afternoon News)
- Seven News at 5
- 7NEWS Spotlight
The production of regional news varied across locations: TNT in Tasmania generated daily bulletins from studios in Launceston; concise updates for ITQ/QQQ serving remote communities and TND in Darwin were produced by Southern Cross Austereo’s Hobart facility.
Up until April 2023, GTS/BKN delivered a local half-hour news bulletin each weeknight tailored for audiences in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill. Additionally, a program titled Nightly News was broadcast on sister channel 7two, also produced from Southern Cross' Hobart studio until its discontinuation.
Local programming
Over time, the station has featured various local productions and specials such as Quiz Quest (a children’s quiz show), The Saturday Night Show (variety entertainment), Down The Line (morning talk and community events), Targa Tasmania (annual motorsport coverage), The Saturday Morning Fun Show (children’s programming), Tasmanian New Faces (talent showcase), and live broadcasts of the Launceston Cup.
Hook, Line and Sinker
Hook, Line and Sinker was a fishing-themed series presented by former journalists Andrew Hart and Nick Duigan.
Renovation Relief
The DIY home renovation series Renovation Relief, hosted by acclaimed wood-chopper David Foster, was supported by sponsors such as Gunns. The program focused on refurbishing residences for community volunteers or families with disabled children. This show is no longer in production.
Targa Tasmania
During the annual two-week Targa Tasmania rally event, nightly segments titled Targa Torque, anchored by Andrew Hart and Nick Duigan, aired around 10:30 pm.
Holiday at Home
Holiday at Home was a nationally broadcast lifestyle program showcasing travel destinations along Australia’s eastern coastline. Produced by Airtrax with multiple hosts throughout its run, it aired for several years.
Discover Tasmania
Produced by Southern Cross and initially hosted by Seven Network personalities Ed Halmagyi and Tim Campbell, Discover Tasmania highlighted tourist attractions within Tasmania. The series lasted two seasons; Jack Campbell took over hosting duties in season two after Tim Campbell’s transition to Nine Network in 2008.
Homes of Tasmania
Homes of Tasmania is an annual program highlighting award-winning residences, hosted by Nick Duigan alongside Andrew Hart.
Going Bush
This five-episode series, created in partnership with Forestry Tasmania, explores the Tasmanian wilderness and was presented by Nick Duigan and Andrew Hart. It was broadcast on Sunday mornings and afternoons across two seasons.
Burnie Ten – Ten Week Challenge
In the lead-up to the Burnie Ten, Mark Connelly coaches participants through a Southern Cross-backed initiative, offering weekly progress updates during commercial breaks. While early editions featured prominent Tasmanians, the 2006 season concentrated on a Launceston family involved in organizing the event.
Southern Cross Community Connect
A community-oriented program dedicated to promoting local happenings.
The Scope
Delivers information about events and activities within regional areas.
AFL NT Live Coverage
Seven Darwin provides live broadcasts of the AFL NT season on its sister channel 7two during weekend slots.
Availability
Southern Cross-owned Seven affiliates transmit in standard definition digital format, predominantly through free-to-air terrestrial transmitters, with satellite service accessible in Remote Central and Eastern Australia.
Southern Cross Austereo manages these stations airing Seven Network content:
- TNT serving Tasmania
- TND located in Darwin
- GTS covering the Spencer Gulf region of South Australia
- BKN based in Broken Hill
- ITQ operating in Mount Isa
- QQQ broadcasting to Central Australia
High definition
In June 2009, Southern Cross introduced an HD simulcast of its primary channel on digital channel 60 for TNT Tasmania and digital channel 70 for TND Darwin. These were superseded by 7mate HD on 24 October 2010, following delays caused by technical challenges and allocation of HD bandwidth for the 2010 Commonwealth Games.
Southern Cross announced the reinstatement of Southern Cross HD in Tasmania on digital channel 60 in March 2017, coinciding with the commencement of the 2017 AFL season. The service launched on 22 March 2017, relegating 7mate to standard definition on digital channel 63. Native HD broadcasts of Channel 7 content began from 19 June 2018.
The HD channel was extended to Darwin on 26 November 2018.
Logos
The original network-wide logo for Southern Cross featured a blue rounded square containing the Southern Cross star constellation in white. This emblem appeared on stations such as TNT and GLV/BCV until 1993, when GLV/BCV adopted a distinctive logo. TNT continued using it until 2000 before switching to a design featuring an orange Tasmanian tiger above the text Southern Cross. In 2005, a new blue and red star logo was introduced across the network to unify Southern Cross's television properties. Over time, elements of the Seven Network branding were incorporated, culminating in a full transition to generic network branding on 1 July 2018.