WIN Television
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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| Type | Broadcast television network |
|---|---|
| Country |  Australia |
| Availability | Regional Australia |
| Slogan | “Still the One” |
| Owner | Oberon Broadcasters |
| Key people | Bruce Gordon (Owner) |
| Launch date | 1989 |
| Website | wintv.com.au |
WIN Television or WIN is an Australian regional television network. It broadcasts in all Australian states and territories with the exception of Northern Territory.
It is owned by WIN Corporation, controlled by the privately held Oberon Broadcasters, owned by Bruce Gordon.
It was originally a single Wollongong-only station, WIN-4, before expanding into other states by acquiring other television stations. As a result, WIN TV is the largest regional broadcaster, in terms of both size and audience. The only areas that it doesn't broadcast to are the five major capitals, northern and far western New South Wales, the Northern Territory, northern South Australia, and a few small isolated areas.
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[edit] Logo
WIN television used to widely use a modified version of the Nine Network logo on all its stations, regardless of if they were a sole Nine Network affiliate or not. However, in the last few years of the dotted logo's life, WIN preferred to use their own 'map of Australia' logo for some of its on-screen graphics - most notably, for watermarks in most regions - and promotions on other media (such as their website). This logo contained 'WIN' wordmark in the same typeface used for their version of the dotted logo, but often did not contain the nine dots - print advertisements and WIN's website, for example, used the dots, however the watermarks typically did not. Following the most recent removal of the dots from the Nine Network logo on the 30th of January 2006, WIN Television's logo has changed to match; however the old 'map of Australia' logo has still been occasionally seen.
[edit] Southern New South Wales
WIN's first station, WIN-4, was located in Wollongong. Television Wollongong Transmission Ltd began broadcasting on the 18 March 1962, and broadcast on VHF channel 4. The station's callsign stands for Wollongong (and the) Illawarra Network or, fitting in with the Australian callsign scheme, Wollongong Illawarra New (South Wales). It was originally owned by Rupert Murdoch, who sold it ten years later to Paramount International Television chief Bruce Gordon. Murdoch did this so he could buy controlling interests in capital city stations TEN-10 Sydney and ATV-0 (now ATV-10) Melbourne.
Coverage expanded a few years later, with WIN-11 Moruya and Batemans Bay, WIN-3 Narooma, WIN-6 Bega and WIN-3 Eden.
With aggregation looming, the long links WIN and the Nine Network had would put them in good stead; they would pick up the Nine Network affiliate for Southern New South Wales. In 1989, WIN expanded into the rest of Southern New South Wales, with new stations WIN-31 Canberra, WIN-39 Orange, WIN-52 Bathurst, WIN-63 Dubbo and WIN-62 Wagga, amongst others, and new facilities in Orange, Wagga and Canberra.
News bulletins are produced from Wollongong and Canberra; the Canberra news bulletin is the top rating (and only half-hour) commercial bulletin in the ACT.
[edit] Griffith
WIN TV expanded further into Griffith, New South Wales, purchasing MTN-9 Griffith and supplementary station AMN-31 Griffith from its local owners in 1998. The station had previously been part of the Prime Television network of stations. The station already had links with WIN, taking its feed from its Wollongong base. For information on MTN pre-1998, please read the Prime Television topic. On 18 August 2006 WIN Television announced that Griffith's locally produced news bulletin would be axed and merged with Wagga Wagga's 30 minute news bulletin which is read and produced in Wollongong, New South Wales.
[edit] Victoria
WIN Television Victoria began as several stations serving the western parts of Victoria. They were:
- GMV-6 Shepparton, beginning on the 23 December 1961
- BTV-6 Ballarat, launching on 27 April 1962, and
- STV-8 Mildura, which started on the 25 November 1965.
In the 1980s, BTV-6 and GMV-6 would become part of Associated Broadcasting Services, who also owned radio station 3MP in Melbourne and a regional radio network including 3UL Warragul (now 3GG), 3YB Warrnambool and 3SR Shepparton.
In the 1990's, ABS would be brought out by ENT Limited, who also owned TVT-6 in Hobart. STV-8 Mildura would also join BTV-6 and GMV-6, having earlier been part of the Southern Cross Network, along with BCV-8 Bendigo and GLV-8 Gippsland. This brought on a name change to Television Victoria, otherwise known as VIC TV.
VIC TV became the affiliate of the Nine Network in 1992, expanding across regional Victoria. BTV and GMV's callsigns were changed to VTV, but STV's was kept intact (Mildura wasn't included in aggregation). In 1994, ENT was brought out by WIN TV, and VIC TV became WIN Television Victoria.
A few years later, Mildura's news bulletin, which was produced at STV in Mildura was moved to Ballarat, and became pre-recorded.
[edit] Mildura Digital Television
In 2004, WIN and Prime formed a joint venture company (Mildura Digital Television) to bid for a digital supplementary license being offered for the Mildura/Sunraysia license area. It was successful, and started broadcasting in January 2006.
[edit] Queensland
WIN Television Queensland started out as television stations DDQ-10 Toowoomba (starting 13 July 1962) and RTQ-7 Rockhampton (starting 7 September 1963).
In the 1980s, DDQ-10 was changed to DDQ-0, so that Brisbane's TVQ-0 could be changed to TVQ-10.
In 1988, DDQ and RTQ merged to become Vision Television, later Star Television. Star TV was preparing to become a Network Ten affiliate in 1990 when regional Queensland would be aggregated, however, WIN Television purchased the station a few days before aggreation was due to take place. As a result, Star TV was given the Nine affiliation; the Ten affiliation going to former Nine affiliate QTV. DDQ became RTQ; Star TV became WIN Television Queensland.
News bulletins come from both studios for the different regions, with weather bulletins from the one studio.
[edit] South Australia
WIN Television South Australia was once two separate television stations:
- SES-8 Mount Gambier, which began on 25 March 1966, and
- RTS-5a Riverland (centred at Renmark and Loxton), which started 26 November 1976.
In 1999, both stations were purchased by WIN Television, and they became known as WIN South Australia. Until recently news bulletins came from both stations, however, they are now both from the one station in Mount Gambier.
The stations only take programs from Nine. WIN South Australia were granted a supplementary licence in both licence areas, under the call signs MGS in Mount Gambier and LRS in the Riverland. This station is known as WIN Ten (using Network Ten identification), taking a feed from Ten Adelaide.
[edit] Western Australia
- Main article: WIN Television WA
WIN Television was granted a license to operate in regional Western Australia in the late 1990s, and began in March 1999. It broadcasts a combination of programming from both the Nine Network and Network Ten, and is broadcast from Network Ten's Perth studios. GWN screens Seven Network programming in regional Western Australia.
WIN's Western Australian callsign is WOW, which has no official meaning.
In March 2006, WIN Television announced it was in the process of establishing a news service in regional WA. The network has advertised for news producers and editors to be based in a number of cities across the state. The bulletin premiered on Monday November 13, 2006 and airs at 6pm, with local reporters and camera crews; however the bulletin is presented from Wollongong with Kerryn Johnston and Amy Taylor. The weatherman has remained anonymous for the two days the bulletin has been on air. The Golden West Network (GWN), a Channel 7 affiliate, also produces a high-rating local news service, which screens Monday-Friday, in regional WA.
[edit] Tasmania
WIN Television began as TVT-6 Hobart, which began on the 23 May 1960.
In 1982, ENT Ltd - the owner of TNT-9 Launceston - purchased TVT-6, forming TasTV. TVT-6 became TasTV Southern Tasmania.
In 1989, TNT-9 was sold to Tricom Corporation (now Southern Cross Broadcasting), and split TasTV into two; Southern Cross in the north, TasTV in the south.
On 30 April 1994, the Tasmanian television markets were aggregated, and TVT became an affiliate of the Nine Network. In 1994, ENT was purchased by WIN, and TasTV became WIN Television Tasmania.
As of March 2005 WIN Northern Tasmania (Digital Channel), became the first local commercial station to include Now & Next, and Extended Program information on their digital transmission.
News bulletins come from Hobart. The news format was changed on 2006-01-30, with WIN News in Tasmania now a half-hour bulletin of local, national and international news. Previously, the news was split into a 6pm Tasmanian state bulletin, and a 6.30pm national news bulletin. The Hobart newspaper The Mercury reported on 2006-01-05 that the ratings didn't justify having two news bulletins, plus the airing of A Current Affair at 7pm (which is now screened at 6.30pm). The only other Tasmanian commercial news bulletin, Southern Cross Nightly News, had attained a 64.9% market share of the 6pm news audience during the 2005 survey period .
[edit] Tasmanian Digital Television
In 2002, WIN and Southern Cross joined forces to create Tasmanian Digital Television (or TDT), which launched in late 2003. TDT broadcasts mainly Network Ten programming. WIN operates the administration and sales side of the company.
[edit] News, Programming and Identification
WIN produces local news for most of its licence areas, except for some parts of Queensland. These bulletins are aired at 6pm weeknights and are repeated in place of Nightline most late nights except Queensland where a separate late news bulletin is produced that airs in Queensland licence areas.
WIN has become infamous with its "cheap & nasty" news sets. Before 2005 WIN News's sets and graphics were described as "bland", "out-of-date", and cheap. In February 2005, WIN News took on a completely different news package, with a new opener, graphics and a new set.
However this drew criticism almost immediately. The new sets were completely blue with the background "chromakey". Viewers complained about the fuzziness that surrounded the news presenters and the text used for some graphics were unreadable. By mid 2005 WIN News has gone back to the previous opener (except for Canberra and Queensland), but the set remained the same except for slight graphic changes to astons.
In January 2006 WIN News was revamped again, inline with the relaunching of Channel Nine and National Nine News, this new look was actually praised by some as being better quality then National Nine News, but by others, seen as again just another cheap unsuccessful imitation.
To date, WIN News is still produced and broadcast in the old style 4:3 ratio, and have still failed to move to new technology and meet with the need for widescreen broadcasts.
News Presenters are: Rockhampton, Cairns and Townsville Paul Taylor (news and sport) and Peter Byrne (weather) Sunshine Coast and Toowoomba Anne-Louise Kruger (news), Nicola Rae (sport, Sunshine Coast), Pat O’Shea (sport, Toowoomba) and Peter Byrne (weather) Canberra Peter Leonard (news), Phil Small (sport) and Jessica Good (weather) Wollongong and South Coast Geoff Phillips and Kerryn Johnston (news and weather) and Amy Taylor (sport) Griffith, Orange, Dubbo and Wagga Wagga Geoff Phillips (news and weather) and Amy Taylor (sport) Regional Victoria Denis Walter (news), Gareth Hall (sport) and Bianca Carmona (weather) Riverland, SA David Klarr (news and sport) and Sharny McLean (weather) SA South-East David Klarr (news and weather) and Sharny McLean (sport) Regional Western Australia Kerryn Johnston (news and weather) and Amy Taylor (sport)
Hobart News - 6pm, 7 nights a week Weeknights: John Remess (news and weather) and Colin McNiff (sport) Weekends: Penny Tame (news and weather)
Thanks to mediaspy.org
WIN programming that is seen on the Nine Network and on fellow Nine affiliate NBN. These include Destinations, a travel program, and Goodsports, a children's program. The latter was first produced by their Tasmanian station.
Finally, WIN has got a terrible track record when it comes to station identification. The network uses watermarks on all programs, and uses special watermarks (on screen logos during programmes) for news, sports and live programming. They often coverup Nine's own logos during such broadcasts. Their Australian map watermark (on screen logos during programmes) was once a target of hate mail to the station, but in further use, the watermark has been changed to be more appealing to the viewer. Also, they change the production end boards of the Nine Network to their own.
[edit] Ownership in other networks
WIN's majority owner, Bruce Gordon, recently increased his stake in Network Ten, in what could be viewed as an attempt to become a major media player in Australia once media ownership laws are changed (which is widely expected to occur during the forthcoming term of the Howard government). WIN also holds shares in PBL and 44% of Sunraysia Television.
In addition to this, WIN owns pay-TV provider SelecTV [4], and has brought a stake in SP Telemedia, which owns fellow Nine affiliate NBN.
[edit] Radio stations
WIN Corporation, WIN Television's parent company, also owns two FM radio stations in New South Wales:
- i98FM Wollongong/Illawarra (call sign 2WIN, 98.1 MHz)
- C91.3FM Campbelltown (call sign 2MAC, 91.3 MHz)
[edit] References
↑ Lower, Gavin. "Jobs on the line as WIN axes local news", The Mercury, 2006-01-05.
↑ "Griffith disappointed at loss of local WIN service", ABC Riverina, 2006-08-18.
↑ Rowe, Tim. "Local news hit hard in merger", The Daily Advertiser, 2006-08-19.
[edit] See also
[edit] External links
- WIN Television web site
- Australian Television Archive article on WIN4 Wollongong
- ABA radio and TV licensing web site
| Free-To-Air Television Networks in Australia |
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Main: ABC TV | ABC2 | Seven Network | Nine Network | Network TEN | SBS TV |
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Affiliates: Prime (GWN) | Southern Cross | NBN | WIN | Southern Cross Ten |
