Television in Great Scorria

Television arrived to Great Scorria as a state-run service in 1974. The reasons for the late arrival included a lack of economical prosperity and political issues. Now Great Scorria is learning how to export.
==History==
===Setting the service===
Instability had dominated Great Scorria in the 1950s and most of the 60s. The main political party, the National Coalition, said that setting up a television service in Great Scorria was deemed "too expensive", not to mention that the service would "bring unequality to Scorrians".
Combined talks of a government-led television service did not start until 1964, yet the talks were quickly halted because there was no budget to sustain a burgeoning channel. In 1971, the Great Scorria Broadcasting Corporation successfully applied for a television license but needed assistance from abroad. In September 1972, the GSBC decided to refurbish the former production lot of Northulic Pictures (abandoned a few years earlier) into a television studio but with the condition of asking Northulic to pay for the reconversion. The television service was to be in black and white because color equipment at the time was deemed to be expensive, not to mention that they wouldn't steal from the Northulian and New Michillian broadcasters.
===The GSBC era===
GSBC Television started regular broadcasts on December 16, 1974, at 5:50pm. Initially the television service was limited to Kimberly. At the time, under federal law, each state capital was going to have a separate television station, and that Kimberly would be the first in the nationwide rollout. The station was known under the KITV-1 callsign, emulating HKTV-1 in the New Michillies. The national rollout, according to GSBC plans, was the following:
*KITV-1 Kimberly (January 1974)
*NPTV-3 Neptune (March 1974)
*BKTV-5 Bikini (June 1974)
*AJTV-2 Ajoe (November 1974)
*SYTV-4 Senya (February 1975)
*KWTV-1 Kawuro (April 1975)
*PRTV-3 Pearl (June 1975)
Eventually GSBC managed to open all stations within less than one year, AJTV opened in August 1974, SYTV in October 1974, KWTV in December 1974 and PRTV in March 1975.
The television service had KITV as its central hub, meaning that all imports and news footage had to be sent to Kimberly first and then to the other cities later. The state of Pearl, being located outside of the mainland, faced difficulties in logistics and would often get news footage with nearly a week of delay. There was, however, an advantage: local stations had state-level newscasts with stories usually read from local newspapers using their permission. The service also relied on advertising, which as of 2018 continues to be its successor's largest source of revenue.
In September 1976, the GSBC started experimenting microwave links, linking KITV to NPTV. The GSBC Network News were first read on 16 September 1976 on the two linked stations. Budgetary issues prompted the delay of the expansion of the service. BKTV and AJTV wouldn't be served by the microwave links until March 1977, SYTV until June 1977 and KWTV until October 1977. PRTV, however, had to stay independent from the main network because it was physically impossible to bring some sort of network to the islands due to lack of equipment, but there were also claims that signals from SYTV were strong in days of favorable weather conditions. In 1977, the GSBC also started satellite links to broadcast international sporting events, the signals from the satellite were in color but the physical nature of the transmissions made it still be in black and white.
===From GSBC to TVGS===
In 1979, the Great Scorria Broadcasting Corporation decided to divide its operations, claiming that the combined state radio and television service was generating losses, even for a service that was still broadcasting in black and white. The plan was to divide the GSBC into two new state entities: Radio Great Scorria and Television Great Scorria. In readiness for the new service, the GSBC started experimental color transmissions in September 1979. On February 29th, 1980, the GSBC was dissolved, GSBC Television shut down at 11:25pm. The following day, Television Great Scorria signed on with full-color broadcasts at 5:20pm using the nationwide link created by the GSBC. Under TVGS, the list of priorities to improve the nationwide television service included the launch of a satellite link to Pearl, the usage of satellite links and the creation of a second channel.
Television Great Scorria had become a statutory board like its radio counterpart, and this gave them more autonomy to produce content for the broadcaster, in a similar situation to the Lenapore Broadcasting Corporation.
===The changes===
TVGS quickly benefitted from the advantages and set a launch date for the second service: January 1982. TVGS quickly abandoned individual callsigns because, as a unified national service, it wouldn't make any sense. Until the economic reforms of 1985, TVGS noticed a sharp increase of local production, exporting said series to countries in South East Sondria and the Northulian continent. TVGS moved headquarters in September 1982 to accomodate the already-plagued second channel. The old premises were abandoned until 1986 when TVGS ordered a demolition and the area was later redeveloped for residential use.
Before the second half of the 80s, TVGS usually started at around 5:15pm with a news summary, followed by half an hour of shows of interest to women, children's programming from 5:50pm to 6:45pm, a quarter hour of local news, national news at 7 and primetime until closedown at around 11:30pm. On weekends there would be morning broadcasts, usually starting at 9am but taking an interregnum from 12pm to 4pm. TV2 opened at 6:30pm and ended at 11pm. In 1987, following changes to the country's economy, TV One expanded its broadcast hours, now running from 3:30pm to midnight and from 9am to midnight or later on weekends, TV2 now ran from 4:30pm to midnight every day.
===Towards a more competitive market===
1989 led to the ban on the television monopoly, which meant that Television Great Scorria had to adapt to a future where the potential new commercial competitors would have to coexist with the state-run broadcaster. TVGS had abandoned the old "public service format" and in order to sustain itself, proceeded to create Great Scorria On Air (quickly taken by the government) to fund local productions. The main news moved to 6:30pm on TV One and 10pm on TV2. Advertising also grew significantly. TV One also premiered Great Scorria's first breakfast program in 1990.
===TV3 and early crisis===
TV3 started broadcasting in early September 1993. The channel was financed by the Cirnegossai Bank and independent radio stations. However, in April 1994, Cirnegossai, who was the main owner of the channel, proceeded to sell. The channel's first few months were a fiasco and the channel needed to sell it to foreign owners. A decision was made in September to sell TV3 to the Northulian Seven Network. Under Seven, dependence on imports has grown and divested in the local content that it targeted hardly upon launch.
===Cable triumph===
Late 1993 saw the birth of Showtime, backed by Viacom. It initially offered five channels: relays of the three terrestrial channels, TV Land, an entertainment channel, and Showsports. Showtime's monopoly, which was supposed to end in 1994, was delayed when Foxtel had to wait due to the fact that they needed to operate in Northulia first before expanding to Great Scorria.
===The new millennium===
===Redefining TVGS===
TVGS changed in 2004. The first measure was to rebrand TV2 on January 5th, 2004 as a kids and entertainment channel for the youth, owing to the loss of its most lucrative imports, Home and Away and The Simpsons, to TV3, in the previous year. Children's programming slots were upgraded under the 2Kids brand. On March 31st, TV One followed suit, moving to new premises at Rowntree Street. TV2 had been broadcasting from a temporary facility in the first few years of 2004.
===An indigenous broadcaster===
According to the 2004 charter, there was a need for an indigenous television channel. This led to the improvised creation of Great Scorria Indigenous Television in October 2004, broadcasting for an hour every day. However, the channel was enthralled in a conflict with PTV, a television channel funded by non-profit organizations that aimed at being an alternative to mainstream television. PTV, despite promoting its launch, never went on air as there were claims that PTV was supposed to operate on a budget and that it was violating the law.
===Prime===
Prime started broadcasting on February 28th, 2006. The channel promised to be an alternative to the four national channels of the time. Like TV3 beforehand, the channel was at a center of a crisis and had to sell countless hours of programming to third-parties within less than a year.
===Freeview===
Freeview started experimental broadcasts in February 2007 and regular broadcasts on the 17th of September of the same year. The first new channel added was TVGS News 24.
===Digital switchover===
On 1 December 2013, all analog terrestrial broadcasts in Great Scorria terminated after nearly 40 years on air. GSITV, plagued for having a rather reduced television coverage area, became available to everybody for the first time.
===Rebrands===
All major television channels rebranded in 2016. Prime TV rebranded first, followed by a restructuring of Television Great Scorria in October of the same year. After a "soft rebrand", TV3 became Three in February 2017.
==Broadcasting==
===Terrestrial===
Since 2013, all terrestrial television broadcasts in the digital format. Freeview launched in September 2007 using the standard DVB-T technology. In early 2013, shortly before the first stages of the digital switchover, the network upgraded to DVB-T2, a unique system to Northulia.
===Cable===
Larger cities have cable services operated by Show, who acquired the Foxtel cable networks in 2009.
===Satellite===
===IPTV===
===OTT===
==Channels==
===National terrestrial===
*TVGS 1
*TVGS 2
*Three
*Three Home
*Prime
*Great Scorria Indigenous Television
==Program genres==
==Genres==
===News===
===Shows===
===Entertainment===
===Sports===
===Daytime===
===Animation===
===Events===
===Cultural programming===
===Dead zone===