TVW
| Company type | Subsidiary |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | 16 October 1959 |
| Founder | James Cruthers (founding general manager) |
| Headquarters | Perth , Australia |
Area served | Western Australia |
Key people | Ray Kuka (Seven News director), Rick Ardon, Susannah Carr, Angela Tsun, Tim McMillan (news presenters) |
| Products | Television broadcasting, digital channels Seven Network, 7two, 7mate, 7flix, Racing.com |
| Owner | Seven West Media |
TVW is a television broadcaster based in Perth, Western Australia, and is entirely owned by Seven West Media. It holds the distinction of being Western Australia's inaugural television station, commencing operations on 16 October 1959. TVW transmits five DVB channels—Seven Network, 7two, 7mate, 7flix, and Racing.com—using a modulated 64-QAM signal. Its main channel was simulcast on VHF channel 7 until analogue transmissions ended in 2013. The station's callsign represents TeleVision Western Australia.
History
The first commercial television licence in Perth was awarded to TVW Limited, a subsidiary of West Australian Newspapers (WAN), publisher of The West Australian, on 13 October 1958. Under the leadership of founding general manager James Cruthers, TVW launched its broadcasts on 16 October 1959, with Governor Charles Gairdner officiating the opening ceremony. Early programming combined popular American series with local productions such as Spotlight, which featured Rolf Harris. The broadcast signal originated from Bickley in the Darling Ranges.
TVW enjoyed a monopoly on commercial television until 1965, when competitor STW-9 began operations. Despite the arrival of STW-9, TVW retained a commanding market position, leveraging six years as the sole commercial outlet—a factor that helped solidify the Seven Network's strong foothold in Perth compared to Nine.
After STW-9's debut, both stations collaborated through a joint venture called TV Facilities to jointly secure programming rights both domestically and internationally. This partnership reduced expenses and minimized bidding conflicts. Allocation of programs was determined by coin tosses, with TVW benefiting from prior rights held before STW-9’s launch.
In 1971, TVW Enterprises expanded by acquiring SAS-10 in Adelaide (currently SAS-7). By 1979, TVW had formed an affiliation with eastern states’ Seven Network stations. The Bell Group purchased TVW and SAS in 1982, leading to a network affiliation swap between SAS and ADS in Adelaide in 1987 due to conflicting network interests.
Complete network coverage arrived in Perth in 1988 when NEW aligned with Network Ten. That same year, Qintex acquired TVW but collapsed in 1989, resulting in the station entering receivership. The network was publicly listed in 1991; by 1995, businessman Kerry Stokes had gained control over both TVW and the broader Seven Network. Since then, TVW has consistently maintained a leading share of Perth’s television audience.
Starting January 2001, TVW began digital broadcasts on VHF Channel 6 while continuing analogue transmissions on VHF Channel 7 until analogue services ceased at 09:00 on 16 April 2013.
TVW’s final analogue transmission during the digital transition featured a Toyota commercial preceding Sunrise.
In 2006, Stokes acquired a 15% interest in West Australian Newspapers. The company later purchased the Seven Network in 2011, creating Seven West Media and reuniting TVW with its original owner. In February 2015, TVW moved from its longtime Gay Street studios in Dianella to a new high-definition broadcast facility located in Osborne Park within West Australian Newspapers’ premises.
Programming
Seven Perth predominantly airs content from the Seven Network.
Locally produced shows broadcast also across regional Western Australia via GWN7 include:
- Go Racing: Coverage and analysis of racing events across Perth and the Eastern States
- Have a Go TV: Features on travel, finance, sports, and health hosted by Tod Johnston
- Home In WA: Programs focusing on lifestyle, construction, and renovations
- Fishing Western Australia: Dedicated to fishing activities within WA
- Our WA: Special presentations showcasing various aspects of life in Western Australia
- Flashpoint: A discussion program addressing issues relevant to West Australians, hosted by Tim McMillan alongside Peter Rowsthorn
Nationally broadcast programs via Seven Network and its affiliates include:
- The Force: Behind the Line: A documentary series centered on the Western Australia Police
Filmed at Dianella
Studio 1
Up to February 2015 (prior to relocation to Osborne Park HD studios)
- Seven News
- Today Tonight (Perth Edition)
- Seven 4.30 News (Perth Edition)
Programs previously produced at Dianella studios
- Channel Seven Perth Telethon (until 2003)
- The Early Bird Show
- A*mazing – Produced at BTQ-7 from 1994 to 1996
- Time Masters – Produced at BTQ-7 starting in 1996
- A variety of local productions including Fat Cat's Funtime Show, Good Morning Perth, Family Feud, alongside numerous news and sports broadcasts spanning 1959 to 2010
Seven News
Seven News Perth is overseen by director Ray Kuka, with weekday evening editions anchored by Rick Ardon and Susannah Carr. Weekend broadcasts are hosted by Angela Tsun and Tim McMillan. Ryan Daniels leads sports coverage on weeknights, while weekend sports are presented by Adrian Barich. Weather segments are delivered by Samantha Jolly during the week and Charlotte Goodlet on weekends. The newscast is simultaneously aired on Seven Regional WA (previously known as GWN7) across regional Western Australia, and was formerly simulcast on Curtin FM radio until 2016.
Veteran presenter Jeff Newman retired in August 2009, with Natalia Cooper succeeding him until her departure in 2012. Subsequently, Angela Tsun assumed responsibilities for weather and news presentation. In 2015, Ardon and Carr celebrated three decades as a presenting team, ranking among the longest-serving news duos globally. Their dual-anchor approach has consistently maintained a dominant ratings position in Perth, regularly attracting audiences exceeding competitors by up to 100,000 viewers.
In February 2020, Tim McMillan joined Angela Tsun as weekend co-host. By February 2022, Basil Zempilas stepped down from nightly sports presenting due to his mayoral duties; Ryan Daniels took over the role, with Zempilas remaining available as a substitute.
Afternoon news bulletins are presented by Tsun, Carr, or Ardon; early evening updates are handled by Carr or Ardon. Previous weekend presenters have included Yvette Mooney (until 2008) and various rotating hosts prior to the transition to Osborne Park in 2015. Substitute presenters encompass Tina Altieri, Elle Georgiou, Amelia Broun, Samantha Jolly (news), and Anna Hay (sport).
Presenters
| Role | Broadcast days | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | Saturday | Sunday | |
| News | Rick Ardon (1985–present) Susannah Carr (1985–present) |
Angela Tsun (2015–present) Tim McMillan (2020–present) | |||||
| Sport | Ryan Daniels (2022–present) | Adrian Barich (2007–present) | |||||
| Weather | Samantha Jolly (2015–present) | ||||||
Former presenters
- Yvette Mooney (weekends) – passed away in 2022
Today Tonight
Between 1995 and 2019, the local evening news was succeeded by a regionally produced edition of the current affairs show Today Tonight, presented by Monika Kos. This program featured a mix of reports from its Adelaide counterpart and local journalists, regularly achieving higher ratings than its competitor A Current Affair.
On 29 November 2019, both the local and Adelaide versions were discontinued, following the earlier termination of combined Sydney/Melbourne and Queensland editions in 2014.
Mascot
Seven Perth is distinguished by its mascot, Fat Cat (Francis Aloysius Thomas Cat), who traditionally marks the conclusion of children’s programming each night at 7:30 pm. Fat Cat stands as the sole remaining television mascot in Western Australia, unlike former mascots such as STW-9's Flapper the elephant and NEW-10's Kenny Kidna.
Primarily associated with Telethon fundraising efforts, Fat Cat-themed dolls are retailed through Friendlies Chemists and Bendigo Bank to aid the cause. Additionally, Seven promotes "TV Man," a personified analogue television character featuring a red number 7, which appears nationally in promotional campaigns.
Telethon
TVW hosts an annual Telethon event benefiting the Princess Margaret Hospital for Children (now Perth Children's Hospital), the Telethon Kids Institute, and approximately forty other Western Australian organizations. Since its inception in 1968, this initiative has raised over $500 million (as of 2023). Although fundraising activities take place throughout the year, they culminate in a 26-hour live broadcast from RAC Arena in Perth, usually held in October. The event features personalities from the Seven Network alongside Australian performers, with past international guests including Michael Jackson, Stevie Wonder, and Celine Dion. Broadcast simultaneously across Western Australia, it holds the distinction of being the world’s highest per capita fundraising telethon ($13.94 per WA resident). The 50th Perth Telethon in 2017 generated $36.4 million for distribution among more than forty local beneficiaries. It is televised on TVW7 both locally and statewide.
Christmas Pageant
Each year, the station organizes a Christmas parade through Perth’s central business district, traditionally scheduled for the first Saturday in December. This parade is regarded as the largest Christmas procession in the southern hemisphere, featuring over 600 floats and involving around 60,000 participants since it began in 1972. Thousands gather annually to witness this event. The parade was cancelled twice: once in 2015 due to adverse weather conditions and again in 2020 as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Broadcast information
Digital transmission frequency: VHF channel 6 at 177.5 MHz (7 MHz bandwidth, 64-QAM modulation)
| LCN | Channel | Resolution | Compression details | Alternate resolution | Alternate compression details |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 7 | 7 | 1440x1080i 16:9 HD Lite | H.262 video at 10770 kbit/s Dolby Digital audio at 384 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 6500 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
| 72 | 7two | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 6500 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s | ||
| 73 | 7mate | 1440x1080i 16:9 HD Lite | H.262 video at 10770 kbit/s Dolby Digital audio at 384 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 6500 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
| 76 | 7flix | 720x576i 16:9 SD | H.262 video at 6500 kbit/s MPEG-1 Audio Layer II at 256 kbit/s |
Note: During live sports coverage, HD broadcasting alternates between channels 7 and 7mate, with only one channel transmitting in HD simultaneously.