page_title: Television in Australia
section_title: Broadcasting
hierarchical_section_title: Television in Australia / Broadcasting
caption_attribution_description: English: Photo of the Seven Network headquarters in Melbourne, Australia. Taken by cls in August 2006.
context_page_description: Television in Australia began experimentally as early as 1929 in Melbourne with radio stations 3DB and 3UZ, and 2UE in Sydney, using the Radiovision system by Gilbert Miles and Donald McDonald, and later from other locations, such as Brisbane in 1934.
  Mainstream television was launched on 16 September 1956 in Willoughby, New South Wales with Nine Network station TCN-9-Sydney. The new medium was introduced by advertising executive Bruce Gyngell with the words "Good evening, and welcome to television", and has since seen the transition to colour and digital television.
  Local programs, over the years, have included a broad range of comedy, sport, and in particular drama series, in addition to news and current affairs. The industry is regulated by the Australian Communications and Media Authority, through various legislation, regulations, standards and codes of practice, which also regulates radio and in recent years has attempted to regulate the Internet.
context_section_description: Television broadcasting in Australia is available in a colour digital format, via a range of means including terrestrial television, satellite television as well as a number of cable services. Both free-to-air and subscription channels and networks are available. The analogue network has been phased out, with the last service being switched off in December 2013.
  In most areas there is a choice of three free-to-air commercial broadcasters as well as two national public broadcasters, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation and the Special Broadcasting Service. A third, recently established, National Indigenous Television service is available in many remote areas.
  Commercial television is dominated by three major metropolitan-based networks, the Seven Network and Network 10, which own stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, and the Nine Network which owns stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Darwin, Adelaide and Perth. In addition to its metropolitan assets, Seven owns regional station Seven Queensland and Nine owns regional station NBN Television.
  Regional television in Australia consists of independently owned networks 'affiliated' to metropolitan stations. WIN Television is the country's largest regional broadcaster in terms of population reach, followed by Prime7, GWN7, NBN Television, Southern Cross Austereo, and Imparja Television. Some regional centres have three commercial broadcasters, while others — such as regional Western Australia and remote central & eastern Australia — have two, and others — such as Mount Gambier and Broken Hill — have only one commercial broadcaster. In two broadcaster markets, the two incumbent commercial broadcasters applied for and were granted a third, digital-only license, while in single broadcaster markets, the incumbent commercial broadcaster was granted a second, and later a third license, to provide additional programming.  This has resulted in the establishment of a number of channels including Tasmanian Digital Television, Mildura Digital Television, and Darwin Digital Television.
  Subscription television in Australia consists of Foxtel in metropolitan areas and throughout Western Australia, AUSTAR in the regional areas of eastern and central states, and Optus Television in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane. A number of smaller operators including SelecTV, TransACT, UBI World TV, and Neighbourhood Cable provide niche or local services.  Most operators provide the same or similar channels. There are few genuine local channels and few independent channels.  One exception is the World Movies channel owned by a consortium including SBS Television and companies owned by Kerry Stokes and the Australian Radio Network.
  Community television progressively launched between the 1980s to the 2000s. The sector is represented nationally by the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia. Community stations include TVS, C31 Melbourne, 31 Brisbane, C31 Adelaide and Access 31; many recognisable mainstream personalities originated from community television, including Rove McManus and Wil Anderson and Kayne Tremills
caption: The Seven Network's broadcast centre in the Melbourne Docklands area.
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