Seven Network
Encyclopedia
The Seven Network is an Australian television network owned by Seven West Media Limited. It dates back to 4 November 1956, when the first stations on the VHF7
frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.
It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach. Since 2007, Seven is the highest rating television network in Australia, ahead of the Nine Network
and Network Ten
in second and third place respectively.
In 2011 the Seven network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers . Seven is the first to do this since the introduction of the OZatm ratings system in 2001.
, Sydney. National news and current affairs programming is based at studios in Martin Place
. In 2009, Seven moved its Epping-based production operations to a purpose-built high-definition television production facility at the Australian Technology Park
in Eveleigh
. The majority of content is broadcast out of the network's digital Broadcast Centre in the Melbourne Docklands
.
, licensed to The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
(owners of two local papers at the time, The Herald
and The Sun
), was the first station in the country to use the VHF7 frequency. It launched on 4 November 1956, soon joined on 2 December by Amalgamated Television Services ATN
-7 in Sydney.
The two stations did not immediately begin sharing resources, and instead formed content-sharing partnerships with their VHF9 counterparts by 1957: ATN
partnered with Melbourne's GTV-9, while HSV paired up with Sydney's TCN
-9. HSV's relationship with the Victorian Football League (forerunner to the Australian Football League
) began in April 1957, when the station broadcast the first ever live Australian rules football
match.
TVW
-7 Perth began broadcasting almost two years later, on 16 October 1959, as the city's first commercial station. It was licensed to TVW Limited, a subsidiary of West Australian Newspapers
, publisher of The West Australian
. BTQ-7 followed on 1 November, signing on as Brisbane's second commercial television station. Throughout this time, the stations operated independently of each other, with schedules made up of various simple, and relatively inexpensive, programs, such as Pick a Box and spinoffs of popular radio shows. In the early 1960s, coaxial cable links, formed initially between Sydney and Melbourne, allowed the sharing of programmes and simultaneous broadcasts of live shows.
In 1960, Frank Packer
, the owner of Sydney's TCN
-9, bought a controlling share of Melbourne's GTV-9, in the process creating the country's first television network and dissolving the ATN-7/GTV-9 and HSV-7/TCN-9 partnerships. Left without their original partners, ATN and HSV joined together to form the Australian Television Network in 1963 together with the other capital city Channel 7 stations.
ADS-7 in Adelaide launched on 24 Oct 1959 as the final capital city VHF7 station. The station later swapped frequencies with SAS-10, however, with the latter becoming SAS-7 in December 1987.
The newly-formed network began to produce and screen higher-budget programming in order to attract greater numbers of viewers, most notably Homicide, a series which would continue for another 12 years to become the nation's longest running drama series. However, it was not until 1970 that a national network logo appeared, albeit still with independently owned and operated stations with localized advertising campaigns.
Colour television was introduced across the network in 1975, along with a new logo incorporating a bright ring of the colours of the visual light spectrum. Rupert Murdoch
made an unsuccessful bid for the Herald and Weekly Times
, owners of HSV-7, in 1979, later going on to gain control of rival ATV-10. Fairfax, however, successfully bought a 14.9% share of the company later in the same year.
in 1981, and Sons and Daughters
, which began in 1982. Wheel of Fortune
began its twenty five year run in July, 1981, produced from ADS-7's studios in Adelaide
. The 1980 Summer Olympics
in Moscow were shown live on the network the year before. Neighbours
began on Seven in 1985, but low ratings in Sydney led to the cancellation of the new series at the end of the year; the show later moved to Network Ten
and went on to achieve international success.
Perth
-based businessman Robert Holmes à Court
, through his business the Bell Group, bought TVW
-7 from its original owners, West Australian Newspapers
in 1982. The Herald and Weekly Times
, owner of HSV-7 and ADS-7, was sold to Rupert Murdoch
in December 1986 for an estimated $
1.8 billion. Murdoch's company, News Limited
, sold off HSV to Fairfax soon afterwards, for $320 million. Fairfax went on to axe a number of locally-produced shows in favour of networked content from its Sydney counterpart, ATN
-7 (also owned by Fairfax at the time).
Cross-media ownership laws introduced in 1987 forced Fairfax to choose between its print and television operations – it chose the former, and later sold off its stations to Qintex Ltd.
, owned by businessman Christopher Skase
. Qintex had previously bought, and subsequently sold off, stations in Brisbane
and regional Queensland before taking control of the network. The next year, another new logo was introduced along with evening soap Home and Away
and a relaunched Seven National News, now known as Seven News. The network expanded in 1988 when Skase bought out TVW
for $130 million.
Despite the network's successes, a failed $1.5 billion bid for MGM Studios
in the same year sent Qintex into receivership. Christopher Skase fled Australia in 1990 in order to escape extradition. The business' assets were bundled together by receivers and made into a new company, the Seven Network Limited
, in 1991.
Real Life
, a national current-affairs programme hosted by Stan Grant, similar in format to the Nine Network
's A Current Affair, was launched in 1992 but was later replaced by the more successful Today Tonight
.
The network was listed on the stock exchange in 1993, soon after the entry of subscription television provider Australis. One of Seven's most popular series, A Country Practice
, ended in 1993 after 1058 episodes. 1994 saw the introduction of Blue Heelers
, which after a number of timeslot changes, was moved in 1998 to Wednesdays. This was in order to make room for a new series, medical drama All Saints
. Both dramas rated quite highly, and along with new lifestyle shows Better Homes and Gardens and The Great Outdoors, resulted in a stronger ratings position for the network.
In 1995, Sunshine Television
, a Seven Network affiliate in regional Queensland, was purchased by the network's parent company, Seven Network Limited
. Sunshine Television's regional stations effectively became a part of the Seven Network, identical in appearance and programming to the rest of the business' stations. Seven Queensland won the annual audience ratings for the first time in 1998.
A successful $1.3 billion bid for United Artists
was made in conjunction with Kirk Kerkorian
in 1996; the network sold its stake two years later for $US389 million. Seven took control of Australia Television
, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
's Asian satellite channel, in 1997. The ABC still maintained a share in the network, and continued to produce news and current affairs programming for it.
The year 2000 saw former Nine executive David Leckie
appointed as head of television operations, re-launching the network with an updated logo, new advertising campaign in time for the network's coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney. The opening ceremony was one of the highest-ever rating television programmes in the country, with 6.5 million viewers, contributing to the network winning the ratings year for the first time in twenty-two years, but lost it to Channel Nine.
Digital television was introduced to most of the network's coverage area on 1 January 2001. This was soon followed by the gradual introduction of wide screen and high definition programming.
2006 marked the 50th anniversary of television in Australia. To celebrate, Seven aired a number of anniversary specials and reused some of its old promos.
In January 2006, the Seven Network, Pacific Magazines
and online portal Yahoo! Australia and New Zealand
combined in a joint venture
to form Yahoo!7
, representing all three companies' online assets.
Seven HD
was officially announced on 15 September 2007, with the Seven Media Group announcing their intention to start a high definition
multichannel, that was initially expected to launch in December 2007. However, Seven HD
became the first free-to-air commercial television channel introduced to metropolitan areas since 1988, when it launched prior on 15 October 2007, with 25th Hour
being the first programme broadcast at 10:30pm.
By the end of 2007, the Seven Network had proven itself to become the most watched network in the country dominating morning and prime time slots with a total 29.1% audience share across the 5 major cities and winning 38 weeks over Channel Nine's two weeks, stealing their traditional crown as the number one network.
On 14 February 2008, the Seven Media Group and Foxtel
officially signed an agreement allowing Seven's digital signal to be transmitted via Foxtel's cable and satellite services. Seven became available on Foxtel in Early 2009. Prior to this, Seven was only transmitted via cable on Foxtel
in an analogue format, however Seven is available on Austar's
satellite services now via the Mystar PVR.
Sevens ongoing success from 2005, 2006, 2007 led to fourth ratings win for 2008 with a 29.5% audience share across the 5 major cities and with 28 weekly wins over Nine's 11 weekly wins, with one tie between them.
In 2009, Seven used Guy Sebastian
's #1 Aria selling song Like it Like That for their summer station promo.
On 25 September 2009, Seven announced its new digital channel. On 1 November 2009, Seven officially launched 7Two
.
On 25 September 2010, Seven launched their new HD digital channel 7mate
aimed at men 16–49. The first program to be broadcast was the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final
.
In January 2011, the big red 7 logos were expanded to GWN7 and Prime7's rebranding respectively. The news buletins wwere renamed as GWN7 News and Prime7 News. GWN and Prime relaunched on 16 January 2011 at 6:00pm, digital channels are branded as 7TWO and 7mate.
Seven announced it is set to expand into digital datacasting known as Television 4
in metropolitan markets in December 2011 on channel 74.. As a datacasting channel, the content on the channel will be regulated, and consist of mostly information, and the scope for entertainment limited. It shows mainly Australian made programs, and infomercials.
, launched in 2001, received two million viewers in its Sunday timeslot, however, it was axed after its second season due to declining audience numbers.
In 2004, Seven launched the internationally well-known game show Deal or No Deal
to the 5.30pm weekday timeslot as a lead-in to the networks' main news bulletin, and later in the year Dancing with the Stars
, based on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
, was also launched. The following year, a number of new programmes premiered, from the United States network ABC
, including Desperate Housewives
and Lost
. At the same time, Seven's news and public affairs ratings began to increase in viewers, with Today Tonight
beginning to challenge rival A Current Affair, with the new format of Sunrise
leading to increased competition with its rival, the Nine Network
's Today
. Seven's evening news bulletins
also started to take the lead with successes in most cities.
The network launched a number of new series in 2006, including Prison Break
, Dancing with the Stars
spin-off It Takes Two, How I Met Your Mother
, and My Name Is Earl
, And saw long running series "Blue Heelers
" Ending its 13th season run after declining ratings sense late 2003. The ongoing success of these programmes resulted in a narrow loss to the Nine Network
for the year, primarily due to Nine's coverage of the 2006 Commonwealth Games
in Melbourne.
In 2007, Seven Network launched morning TV with the Sunrise's Current Affairs
spin off The Morning Show hosted by Larry Emdur
& ex-Sportsworld
presenter Kylie Gillies
. They also promoted new shows such as Brothers & Sisters, Heroes
, and The Rich List
. The year also saw the launch of the Beautiful Sunday lineup consisting of Australia's Got Talent
, Ugly Betty
, Grey's Anatomy
and What About Brian
during their "Seven in '07" campaign year.
In 2008, Seven launched new local drama Packed to the Rafters
whch became the year's top rating show with an average of 1.938 million viewers.
In 2009, a new weekly public affairs show Sunday Night
launched in the Sunday 6:30 position to a shaky start but by the end of the year was easily winning its slot and rating up to 250,000 more than rival Nine Network
's long-running 60 Minutes
. 2009 also saw Thank God You're Here
move to Seven after previously airing on Network Ten
for its first three seasons. The year also saw the final episode of long-running Australian medical drama All Saints
.
In 2010, Seven launched a series of AFL and NRL-based entertainment shows in an effort to take on Nine's The AFL Footy Show
and The NRL Footy Show
and also provide a bargaining chip for the AFL and also the NRL rights negotiations when they come up for renewal. The AFL-based series is called The Bounce
and will be hosted by Peter Helliar
with the NRL-based series called The Matty Johns Show
, hosted by former Footy Show host Matthew Johns.
The Bounce
was pulled from the air after just five episodes. It is said that the show has been put into production hiatus. The show was replaced by reruns of British comedy, The Vicar of Dibley
. It was said that the show would return for the final series in September 2010.
Seven has been strong in the ratings since 2007, but was hit fairly hard in 2010 when the Nine Network
introduced a new lineup of programs, including the return of Light Entertainment program Hey Hey It's Saturday
, and general entertainment programs like Top Gear Australia
which rated extremely well in the 2010 period, the success of Millionaire Hot Seat
, the premiere of Underbelly
, and regrowth of Nine News and ACA. Nine won 17 weeks in 2010, their greatest success since 2006. At one stage, the Nine Network
almost threatened to overtake the Seven Network as No.1 in 2010.
Australian programming shown on the network includes dramas City Homicide
, family dramedy Packed to the Rafters
, soap Home and Away
, period bushranger drama Wild Boys
and Winners and Losers lifestyle shows; Better Homes and Gardens, The Great Outdoors and New Idea TV
, comedy/variety; Kath & Kim
, The Matty Johns Show
, Thank God You're Here
and TV Burp, gameshows; Deal or No Deal and Minute to Win It
, reality; The X Factor, Dancing with the Stars
, Australia's Got Talent
, My Kitchen Rules
, Beauty and the Geek Australia
, Conviction Kitchen
factuals; Medical Emergency
, The Zoo
, RSPCA Animal Rescue
, Find My Family
, The Force
, Crash Investigation Unit
, Border Security, SCU: Serious Crash Unit
, Surf Patrol
, Gangs of Oz
, Beyond the Darklands
, The World's Strictest Parents
, Airways, Iron Chef Australia
, Four Weddings
, The One and The Amazing Race Australia
.
In 2012 Seven will add to its Australian content with the new hour drama "A Place to Call Home" from the creators of Packed to the Rafters, an untitled project from the creators of Kath & Kim
, a new sports themed panel show called "Sports Fever!" and new interview style show called "Pictures of You" both from Working Dog Productions, a dating show called "Please Marry My Boy" and a local version of Coastwatch.
Children's programming includes It's Academic
, The Wiggles specials
, Go Go Stop
, Toybox, Playhouse Disney
and Saturday Disney
, Toon Disney
, Jetix
.
The network has established output deals with a number of American production studios, including NBC Universal
, The Walt Disney Company
and ABC Studios. Imported programming currently includes The Amazing Race
, Desperate Housewives
, Grey's Anatomy
, How I Met Your Mother
, Private Practice, American Dad!
, Bones
, Castle
, Criminal Minds
, Family Guy
, 30 Rock
, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
, Cougar Town
, Royal Pains
, Hung
, Parenthood
, Parks and Recreation
, Covert Affairs
, Jersey Shore
, Keeping Up with the Kardashians
, Downton Abbey
, Outsourced
, Body of Proof
, Teen Wolf
, Great Migrations
upcoming titles include ITV's Vera
, and Titanic miniseries and US titles: Whitney
, Once Upon a Time
, Man Up
, GCB, Up All Night
, Revenge
, The River
, Alphas, Missing
, Bent
, BFF
, Scandal
and Against the Wall
.
Seven also broadcast catalogue titles from 20th Century Fox
produced prior to 2007 until rights to more recent Fox titles now belong to the Network Ten respectively.
The Seven Network's news service is called Seven News
. After trailing for many years to National Nine News
, Seven rebounded effective from February 2005 onwards, and claimed to be Australia's number one television news and current affairs service. Seven News produces Sunrise
, The Morning Show
, Weekend Sunrise, Seven Morning News
, Seven 4.30 News
, Seven News (the flagship locally-produced 6pm bulletins), Seven's Late News Updates, Today Tonight
and Sunday Night
. During the early hours of 4am to 6am, Seven rebroadcasts some of American television network NBC
's news and current affairs programming, including Today, Weekend Today
, Dateline NBC
and Meet the Press
. Since the 1980s, Seven also adopted NBC News' main theme, The Mission, as the theme for Seven's news programming.
In recent years, under the guidance of former longtime National Nine News chief Peter Meakin, Seven's news and current affairs division has produced more locally-focussed content, which has been lifting ratings for key markets such as Sydney and Melbourne
. Since February 2005, the ratings of Deal or No Deal, Seven News and Today Tonight have gradually increased. Seven News was the highest-rating news service nationally in both the 2005 and 2006 ratings seasons. A key aspect of Seven's recent ratings dominance in news and current affairs has been attributed to Deal or No Deals top rating audience, which provides Seven News with a large lead-in audience. In 2007 and 2008 Seven News completed a clean sweep across the five capital cities in terms of being the most watched 6pm news bulletin. On 5 July 2008 Channel Seven introduced a watermark on news and current affairs programmes.
However since Ian Ross
's retirement from Seven News, Nine News has had a high surge in viewers, and Seven News have had a slight drop by around 100,000 - 200,000, The fall of ratings on Seven News can be partly explained by the lead-in game show program, Deal or No Deal, which saw its audience decline from a high of just under one million at its peak to about 500,000 on 1 November 2010.
Seven is a major player in Australian sports broadcasting. The 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney resulted in huge ratings for the network, with over 6.5 million Australians viewing the telecast of opening and closing ceremonies. The broadcast also ran on the short-lived C7 Sport
subscription channel.
In 1998 Nine and pay TV provider Foxtel nabbed the rights to televise AFL games games with Seven for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In 2001, Ten
, won the rights to televise AFL matches from 2002 onwards. This ended Seven's famous 45-year run as the exclusive AFL football broadcaster. On 5 January 2006 the Australian Football League
accepted a bid from Seven and Ten
to broadcast AFL
games from 2007–2011 at a cost of A$
780 million.
Seven's most popular recurring sporting events include the Olympic Games
, AFL Premiership Season
, the Australian Open Golf
, the Australian Open Tennis
, Bledisloe Cup Rugby
, Melbourne Cup Carnival
, Mount Buller World Aerials
, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
, the Tri-Nations Rugby, V8 Supercars and the Champ Car World Series
.
Seven had exclusive Australian free-to-air, pay television, online and mobile telephony
broadcast rights to the 2008 Summer Olympics
in Beijing. The live telecast of the XXIX Olympiad was shared by both the Seven Network and SBS Television. Seven broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies and mainstream sports including swimming, athletics, rowing, cycling and gymnastics. In stark contrast, SBS TV
provided complementary coverage focused on long-form events such as soccer, road cycling, volleyball, and table tennis.
Seven's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
was widely criticised by viewers, with many angry at the networks contractual obligation to show AFL
football over the Olympics. Viewers also complained that many team sports were delayed, with the absence of Roy and HG
and with seemingly large amounts of advertising breaks during live events upsetting some viewers. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee
awarded Seven the 'Golden Rings' award for "Best Olympic Programme". The award is given for the best overall Olympic coverage.
high definition. On 18 March 2007, test simulcasts for 1080i
commenced in the Sydney and Melbourne markets, Adelaide and Perth followed on 24 June 2007, with Brisbane
following on 25 June 2007, and regional Queensland on 26 June 2007. Prior to this, the Seven Network provided a 576p
enhanced-definition
service.
Seven is broadcast in metropolitan areas and regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations including ATN
Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide, TVW
Perth as well as STQ
Queensland. Seven Network programming is also carried into other areas of regional Australia by locally-branded affiliate networks Prime Television
, Golden West Network
(14% owned by the Seven Network), Southern Cross Television
, and WIN Television
in South Australia
.
On 1 April 2008, ATN
Sydney began broadcasting a digital signal to Foxtel and Austar's
satellite and cable subscribers.
and a relaunched Seven Nightly News (later to become Seven News).
Following a decade in use, 1 January 2000 saw the launch of a current ribbon logo in conjunction with the launch of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics
. Seven made the controversial move and did away with the circle logo. In its place with the free-flowing ribbon was the slogan 'The One to Watch' which had been in use since 1999. However in 2003, Seven would drop the slogan.
The ribbon logo was used in conjunction with five other variants of differing colours between 2000–2002, These included red, orange, yellow, green and blue, to symbolise passion, involving, fun, life and energy respectively. The logo was simplified in 2003, losing its gradient, shadows and colour-coded usages to become solid red.
During this period, there have been various slogans used such as 'Lucky Seven' (2004), 'Gottaloveit!' (2005-11) and 'One Place' (2011-?)
Very high frequency
Very high frequency is the radio frequency range from 30 MHz to 300 MHz. Frequencies immediately below VHF are denoted High frequency , and the next higher frequencies are known as Ultra high frequency...
frequency were established in Melbourne and Sydney.
It is currently the second largest network in the country in terms of population reach. Since 2007, Seven is the highest rating television network in Australia, ahead of the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
and Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
in second and third place respectively.
In 2011 the Seven network won all 40 out of 40 weeks of the ratings season for total viewers . Seven is the first to do this since the introduction of the OZatm ratings system in 2001.
Headquarters
Seven's administration headquarters are based in a converted warehouse at Jones Bay Wharf in PyrmontPyrmont, New South Wales
Pyrmont is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Pyrmont is located 2 kilometres south-west of the Sydney central business district in the local government area of the City of Sydney...
, Sydney. National news and current affairs programming is based at studios in Martin Place
Martin Place, Sydney
Martin Place, formerly known as Moore Street, is a pedestrian mall in the central business district of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. Home to the Reserve Bank of Australia, the Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Macquarie Bank and other corporations, Martin Place is synonymous with corporate...
. In 2009, Seven moved its Epping-based production operations to a purpose-built high-definition television production facility at the Australian Technology Park
Australian Technology Park
The Australian Technology Park is a business and technology centre in Eveleigh, an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia...
in Eveleigh
Eveleigh, New South Wales
Eveleigh is an inner-city suburb of Sydney, in the state of New South Wales, Australia. Eveleigh is located about 3 kilometres south of the Sydney central business district and is part of the local government area of the City of Sydney.- History :...
. The majority of content is broadcast out of the network's digital Broadcast Centre in the Melbourne Docklands
Melbourne Docklands
Docklands is an inner city suburb in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia occupying an area extending up to 2 km west of and adjacent to Melbourne's Central Business District . Its Local Government Area is the City of Melbourne...
.
Origins
The Seven Network began as a group of independent stations in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. HSV-7 MelbourneMelbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
, licensed to The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
The Herald and Weekly Times Limited is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, who purchased HWT in 1987.-Newspapers:...
(owners of two local papers at the time, The Herald
The Herald (Melbourne)
The Herald was a broadsheet newspaper published in Melbourne, Australia from 1840 to 1990.The Port Phillip Herald was first published as a semi-weekly newspaper on 3 January 1840 from a weatherboard shack in Collins Street. It was the fourth newspaper to start in Melbourne.The paper took its name...
and The Sun
The Sun News-Pictorial
The Sun News-Pictorial, commonly known as The Sun, was a morning daily tabloid newspaper in Melbourne, Australia established in 1922 and closed in 1990.It was part of The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd stable of Melbourne newspapers...
), was the first station in the country to use the VHF7 frequency. It launched on 4 November 1956, soon joined on 2 December by Amalgamated Television Services ATN
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
-7 in Sydney.
The two stations did not immediately begin sharing resources, and instead formed content-sharing partnerships with their VHF9 counterparts by 1957: ATN
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
partnered with Melbourne's GTV-9, while HSV paired up with Sydney's TCN
TCN
TCN stands for:* Take Care Now, a private company providing out-of-hours medical cover in England* TanenbaumCHAT North Campus, a private Hebrew high school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada* TCN-9, a Sydney television station...
-9. HSV's relationship with the Victorian Football League (forerunner to the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
) began in April 1957, when the station broadcast the first ever live Australian rules football
Australian rules football
Australian rules football, officially known as Australian football, also called football, Aussie rules or footy is a sport played between two teams of 22 players on either...
match.
TVW
TVW
TVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
-7 Perth began broadcasting almost two years later, on 16 October 1959, as the city's first commercial station. It was licensed to TVW Limited, a subsidiary of West Australian Newspapers
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
, publisher of The West Australian
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
. BTQ-7 followed on 1 November, signing on as Brisbane's second commercial television station. Throughout this time, the stations operated independently of each other, with schedules made up of various simple, and relatively inexpensive, programs, such as Pick a Box and spinoffs of popular radio shows. In the early 1960s, coaxial cable links, formed initially between Sydney and Melbourne, allowed the sharing of programmes and simultaneous broadcasts of live shows.
In 1960, Frank Packer
Frank Packer
Sir Douglas Frank Hewson Packer, KBE , was an Australian media proprietor who controlled Australian Consolidated Press and the Nine Network.-Biography:...
, the owner of Sydney's TCN
TCN
TCN stands for:* Take Care Now, a private company providing out-of-hours medical cover in England* TanenbaumCHAT North Campus, a private Hebrew high school in Richmond Hill, Ontario, Canada* TCN-9, a Sydney television station...
-9, bought a controlling share of Melbourne's GTV-9, in the process creating the country's first television network and dissolving the ATN-7/GTV-9 and HSV-7/TCN-9 partnerships. Left without their original partners, ATN and HSV joined together to form the Australian Television Network in 1963 together with the other capital city Channel 7 stations.
ADS-7 in Adelaide launched on 24 Oct 1959 as the final capital city VHF7 station. The station later swapped frequencies with SAS-10, however, with the latter becoming SAS-7 in December 1987.
The newly-formed network began to produce and screen higher-budget programming in order to attract greater numbers of viewers, most notably Homicide, a series which would continue for another 12 years to become the nation's longest running drama series. However, it was not until 1970 that a national network logo appeared, albeit still with independently owned and operated stations with localized advertising campaigns.
Colour television was introduced across the network in 1975, along with a new logo incorporating a bright ring of the colours of the visual light spectrum. Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
made an unsuccessful bid for the Herald and Weekly Times
The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
The Herald and Weekly Times Limited is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, who purchased HWT in 1987.-Newspapers:...
, owners of HSV-7, in 1979, later going on to gain control of rival ATV-10. Fairfax, however, successfully bought a 14.9% share of the company later in the same year.
1980s
This decade saw the introduction of stereo sound, as well as a number of successful shows, most notably A Country PracticeA Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
in 1981, and Sons and Daughters
Sons and Daughters (Australian TV series)
Sons and Daughters was a Logie Award winning Australian soap opera created by Reg Watson and produced by the Reg Grundy Organisation between 1981 and 1987. The first episode aired in December 1981, during the Christmas/New Year non-ratings period, and the official broadcast date of the final...
, which began in 1982. Wheel of Fortune
Wheel of Fortune (Australian game show)
Wheel of Fortune was an Australian television game show produced by Grundy Television. The programme aired on the Seven Network from 1981 to 2004 and November 2005 to July 2006, and is mostly based on the same general format as the original US version of the programme...
began its twenty five year run in July, 1981, produced from ADS-7's studios in Adelaide
Adelaide
Adelaide is the capital city of South Australia and the fifth-largest city in Australia. Adelaide has an estimated population of more than 1.2 million...
. The 1980 Summer Olympics
1980 Summer Olympics
The 1980 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXII Olympiad, was an international multi-sport event celebrated in Moscow in the Soviet Union. In addition, the yachting events were held in Tallinn, and some of the preliminary matches and the quarter-finals of the football tournament...
in Moscow were shown live on the network the year before. Neighbours
Neighbours
Neighbours is an Australian television soap opera first broadcast on the Seven Network on 18 March 1985. It was created by TV executive Reg Watson, who proposed the idea of making a show that focused on realistic stories and portrayed adults and teenagers who talk openly and solve their problems...
began on Seven in 1985, but low ratings in Sydney led to the cancellation of the new series at the end of the year; the show later moved to Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
and went on to achieve international success.
Perth
Perth, Western Australia
Perth is the capital and largest city of the Australian state of Western Australia and the fourth most populous city in Australia. The Perth metropolitan area has an estimated population of almost 1,700,000....
-based businessman Robert Holmes à Court
Robert Holmes à Court
Michael Robert Hamilton Holmes à Court was an entrepreneur who became Australia's first businessman worth over a billion dollars before dying suddenly of a heart attack in 1990.Holmes à Court was one of the world's most feared corporate raiders through the 1980s, having built his empire...
, through his business the Bell Group, bought TVW
TVW
TVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
-7 from its original owners, West Australian Newspapers
The West Australian
The West Australian is the only locally-edited daily newspaper published in Perth, Western Australia, and is owned by ASX-listed Seven West Media . The West is published in tabloid format, as is the state's other major newspaper, The Sunday Times, a News Limited publication...
in 1982. The Herald and Weekly Times
The Herald and Weekly Times Ltd
The Herald and Weekly Times Limited is a newspaper publishing company based in Melbourne, Australia. It is owned and operated by Rupert Murdoch's News Limited, who purchased HWT in 1987.-Newspapers:...
, owner of HSV-7 and ADS-7, was sold to Rupert Murdoch
Rupert Murdoch
Keith Rupert Murdoch, AC, KSG is an Australian-American business magnate. He is the founder and Chairman and CEO of , the world's second-largest media conglomerate....
in December 1986 for an estimated $
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
1.8 billion. Murdoch's company, News Limited
News Limited
News Limited is one of Australia's largest diversified media companies. The publicly listed company's interests span newspaper and magazine publishing, Internet, Pay TV, National Rugby League, market research, DVD and film distribution, and film and television production trading assets.News Limited...
, sold off HSV to Fairfax soon afterwards, for $320 million. Fairfax went on to axe a number of locally-produced shows in favour of networked content from its Sydney counterpart, ATN
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
-7 (also owned by Fairfax at the time).
Cross-media ownership laws introduced in 1987 forced Fairfax to choose between its print and television operations – it chose the former, and later sold off its stations to Qintex Ltd.
Qintex
Qintex Ltd. was an Australian company that came to prominence during the 1980s, until its collapse in 1989. Its main shareholder and Managing Director was Christopher Skase....
, owned by businessman Christopher Skase
Christopher Skase
Christopher Charles Skase was an Australian businessman who later became one of his country's most wanted fugitives, after his business empire crashed spectacularly and he fled to Majorca in Spain.-Early life:...
. Qintex had previously bought, and subsequently sold off, stations in Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
and regional Queensland before taking control of the network. The next year, another new logo was introduced along with evening soap Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
and a relaunched Seven National News, now known as Seven News. The network expanded in 1988 when Skase bought out TVW
TVW
TVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
for $130 million.
Despite the network's successes, a failed $1.5 billion bid for MGM Studios
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer
Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer Inc. is an American media company, involved primarily in the production and distribution of films and television programs. MGM was founded in 1924 when the entertainment entrepreneur Marcus Loew gained control of Metro Pictures, Goldwyn Pictures Corporation and Louis B. Mayer...
in the same year sent Qintex into receivership. Christopher Skase fled Australia in 1990 in order to escape extradition. The business' assets were bundled together by receivers and made into a new company, the Seven Network Limited
Seven Network Limited
The Seven Network is an Australian television network. In April, 2011, Seven Network, Pacific Magazines and Yahoo7! http://www.yahoo.com.au were acquired by West Australian Newspapers Ltd http://info.thewest.com.au/ratecard// to create Seven West Media Ltd http://www.sevenwestmedia.com.au/...
, in 1991.
1990s
Real Life (TV program)
Real Life was an Australian current affairs television program that aired on the Seven Network from 20 January 1992 to 1994.Its format was similar to other tabloid current affairs shows airing at the time, these being A Current Affair and Hinch, which had recently been axed by the Seven Network and...
, a national current-affairs programme hosted by Stan Grant, similar in format to the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's A Current Affair, was launched in 1992 but was later replaced by the more successful Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
.
The network was listed on the stock exchange in 1993, soon after the entry of subscription television provider Australis. One of Seven's most popular series, A Country Practice
A Country Practice
A Country Practice is an Australian television drama series. One of the longest-running of its kind, produced by James Davern of JNP Productions, it ran on the Seven Network for 1,058 episodes from 18 November 1981 to 22 November 1993. It was produced in ATN-7's production facility at Epping,...
, ended in 1993 after 1058 episodes. 1994 saw the introduction of Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
, which after a number of timeslot changes, was moved in 1998 to Wednesdays. This was in order to make room for a new series, medical drama All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
. Both dramas rated quite highly, and along with new lifestyle shows Better Homes and Gardens and The Great Outdoors, resulted in a stronger ratings position for the network.
In 1995, Sunshine Television
STQ
STQ is the call sign of a regional television station in Queensland, Australia.It can also mean:*STQ, the IATA airport code for St. Marys Municipal Airport in Pennsylvania*STQ, the ISO language code for the Saterland Frisian language*Skill testing question...
, a Seven Network affiliate in regional Queensland, was purchased by the network's parent company, Seven Network Limited
Seven Network Limited
The Seven Network is an Australian television network. In April, 2011, Seven Network, Pacific Magazines and Yahoo7! http://www.yahoo.com.au were acquired by West Australian Newspapers Ltd http://info.thewest.com.au/ratecard// to create Seven West Media Ltd http://www.sevenwestmedia.com.au/...
. Sunshine Television's regional stations effectively became a part of the Seven Network, identical in appearance and programming to the rest of the business' stations. Seven Queensland won the annual audience ratings for the first time in 1998.
A successful $1.3 billion bid for United Artists
United Artists
United Artists Corporation is an American film studio. The original studio of that name was founded in 1919 by D. W. Griffith, Charles Chaplin, Mary Pickford and Douglas Fairbanks....
was made in conjunction with Kirk Kerkorian
Kirk Kerkorian
Kerkor "Kirk" Kerkorian is an American businessman who is the president/CEO of Tracinda Corporation, his private holding company based in Beverly Hills, California. Kerkorian is known as one of the important figures in shaping Las Vegas and, with architect Martin Stern, Jr...
in 1996; the network sold its stake two years later for $US389 million. Seven took control of Australia Television
Australia Network
Australia Network, originally Australia Television International and later ABC Asia Pacific, is a free-to-air international satellite television service operated by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation since 2006. The television and online service broadcasts 24 hours a day on 7 days a week, to...
, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Australian Broadcasting Corporation
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation, commonly referred to as "the ABC" , is Australia's national public broadcaster...
's Asian satellite channel, in 1997. The ABC still maintained a share in the network, and continued to produce news and current affairs programming for it.
2000s
David Leckie
David John Leckie is the Chief Executive Officer of the Seven Media Group.David Leckie was educated at Newington College and is an Economics graduate of Macquarie University. Prior to his appointment by Kerry Stokes to Seven, he was associated with the Nine Network for 23 years...
appointed as head of television operations, re-launching the network with an updated logo, new advertising campaign in time for the network's coverage of the 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney. The opening ceremony was one of the highest-ever rating television programmes in the country, with 6.5 million viewers, contributing to the network winning the ratings year for the first time in twenty-two years, but lost it to Channel Nine.
Digital television was introduced to most of the network's coverage area on 1 January 2001. This was soon followed by the gradual introduction of wide screen and high definition programming.
2006 marked the 50th anniversary of television in Australia. To celebrate, Seven aired a number of anniversary specials and reused some of its old promos.
In January 2006, the Seven Network, Pacific Magazines
Pacific Magazines
Pacific Magazines is a magazine publisher operating in Australia and New Zealand, owned by Seven Media Group. It has it roots in the Southdown Press, the publishers of New Idea and long owned by the Murdoch family...
and online portal Yahoo! Australia and New Zealand
Yahoo!
Yahoo! Inc. is an American multinational internet corporation headquartered in Sunnyvale, California, United States. The company is perhaps best known for its web portal, search engine , Yahoo! Directory, Yahoo! Mail, Yahoo! News, Yahoo! Groups, Yahoo! Answers, advertising, online mapping ,...
combined in a joint venture
Joint venture
A joint venture is a business agreement in which parties agree to develop, for a finite time, a new entity and new assets by contributing equity. They exercise control over the enterprise and consequently share revenues, expenses and assets...
to form Yahoo!7
Yahoo!7
Yahoo!7 is a 50-50 partnership between the Seven Network and Yahoo! Inc. in Australia.As part of the Yahoo! Inc. and the Seven Media Group, Yahoo!7 brings together the online assets of Yahoo! Inc. and the television and magazine content of the Seven Network and Pacific Magazines...
, representing all three companies' online assets.
Seven HD
Seven HD
Seven HD was an Australian television channel, owned by the Seven Media Group, that launched on 15 October 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan areas, Tasmania and Regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations, as well...
was officially announced on 15 September 2007, with the Seven Media Group announcing their intention to start a high definition
High-definition television
High-definition television is video that has resolution substantially higher than that of traditional television systems . HDTV has one or two million pixels per frame, roughly five times that of SD...
multichannel, that was initially expected to launch in December 2007. However, Seven HD
Seven HD
Seven HD was an Australian television channel, owned by the Seven Media Group, that launched on 15 October 2007. The channel was available to high definition digital television viewers in metropolitan areas, Tasmania and Regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations, as well...
became the first free-to-air commercial television channel introduced to metropolitan areas since 1988, when it launched prior on 15 October 2007, with 25th Hour
25th Hour
25th Hour is a 2002 American drama film directed by Spike Lee and is based on the novel The 25th Hour written by David Benioff, who also wrote the screenplay. The film stars Edward Norton, Philip Seymour Hoffman, Barry Pepper, Rosario Dawson, Anna Paquin, and Brian Cox...
being the first programme broadcast at 10:30pm.
By the end of 2007, the Seven Network had proven itself to become the most watched network in the country dominating morning and prime time slots with a total 29.1% audience share across the 5 major cities and winning 38 weeks over Channel Nine's two weeks, stealing their traditional crown as the number one network.
On 14 February 2008, the Seven Media Group and Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
officially signed an agreement allowing Seven's digital signal to be transmitted via Foxtel's cable and satellite services. Seven became available on Foxtel in Early 2009. Prior to this, Seven was only transmitted via cable on Foxtel
Foxtel
Foxtel is an Australian pay television company, operating cable, direct broadcast satellite television and IPTV services. It was formed in 1995 through a joint venture established between Telstra and News Corporation....
in an analogue format, however Seven is available on Austar's
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
satellite services now via the Mystar PVR.
In 2009, Seven used Guy Sebastian
Guy Sebastian
Guy Theodore Sebastian is an Australian pop, R&B, and soul singer-songwriter who was the first winner of Australian Idol in 2003. He is currently a judge on the Australian version of The X Factor. Sebastian has released six top ten platinum/multi platinum albums, including a number-one and...
's #1 Aria selling song Like it Like That for their summer station promo.
On 25 September 2009, Seven announced its new digital channel. On 1 November 2009, Seven officially launched 7Two
7Two
7TWO is an Australian free-to-air standard definition digital television channel which was launched by the Seven Network on Sunday 1 November 2009 at 12pm....
.
2010s
On 18 January 2010, Seven launched the online catch-up TV website called PLUS7.On 25 September 2010, Seven launched their new HD digital channel 7mate
7mate
7mate is an Australian free-to-air high definition digital television channel, which was launched by the Seven Network on 25 September 2010.The network stated that 7mate would contain sport and regular programs aimed primarily at a male audience, with programming drawn from a combination of new...
aimed at men 16–49. The first program to be broadcast was the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final
2010 AFL Grand Final
The 2010 AFL Grand Final is either of two Australian rules football contests between the Collingwood Football Club and the St Kilda Football Club. Together they are considered the 114th annual Grand Final of the Victorian Football League/Australian Football League, and were staged to determine the...
.
In January 2011, the big red 7 logos were expanded to GWN7 and Prime7's rebranding respectively. The news buletins wwere renamed as GWN7 News and Prime7 News. GWN and Prime relaunched on 16 January 2011 at 6:00pm, digital channels are branded as 7TWO and 7mate.
Seven announced it is set to expand into digital datacasting known as Television 4
Television 4
TV4ME is a digital datacasting service that launched on 18 September 2011 by Prime Media Group and Brand New Media. It is available to homes in Prime7's viewing area on Channel 64. As a datacasting channel, the content on the channel is regulated, it must consist of mostly information, and the...
in metropolitan markets in December 2011 on channel 74.. As a datacasting channel, the content on the channel will be regulated, and consist of mostly information, and the scope for entertainment limited. It shows mainly Australian made programs, and infomercials.
Additional programs
Always GreenerAlways Greener
Always Greener was an Australian television drama/comedy series that aired on the Seven Network which followed the fortunes of two families, one from the city and the other from the country, when they decide to switch homes and start a new direction in life for themselves...
, launched in 2001, received two million viewers in its Sunday timeslot, however, it was axed after its second season due to declining audience numbers.
In 2004, Seven launched the internationally well-known game show Deal or No Deal
Deal or No Deal (Australian game show)
Deal or No Deal is an Australian game show airing on the Seven Network and in New Zealand on Prime . It was the first international version of the game show, after the original Dutch version. It was the first of the versions to use the Deal or No Deal name...
to the 5.30pm weekday timeslot as a lead-in to the networks' main news bulletin, and later in the year Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
, based on the BBC's Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing
Strictly Come Dancing is a British television show, featuring celebrities with professional dance partners competing in Ballroom and Latin dances. The title of the show suggests a continuation of the long-running series Come Dancing, with an allusion to the film Strictly Ballroom...
, was also launched. The following year, a number of new programmes premiered, from the United States network ABC
American Broadcasting Company
The American Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network. Created in 1943 from the former NBC Blue radio network, ABC is owned by The Walt Disney Company and is part of Disney-ABC Television Group. Its first broadcast on television was in 1948...
, including Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
and Lost
Lost (TV series)
Lost is an American television series that originally aired on ABC from September 22, 2004 to May 23, 2010, consisting of six seasons. Lost is a drama series that follows the survivors of the crash of a commercial passenger jet flying between Sydney and Los Angeles, on a mysterious tropical island...
. At the same time, Seven's news and public affairs ratings began to increase in viewers, with Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
beginning to challenge rival A Current Affair, with the new format of Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
leading to increased competition with its rival, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's Today
Today (Australian TV program)
Today and Weekend Today are Australian breakfast television programmes, the show is often referred to as The Today Show. The show has been broadcast live by the Nine Network each morning since 1982...
. Seven's evening news bulletins
Seven News
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven...
also started to take the lead with successes in most cities.
The network launched a number of new series in 2006, including Prison Break
Prison Break
Prison Break is an American television serial drama created by Paul Scheuring, that was broadcast on the Fox Broadcasting Company for four seasons, from 2005 until 2009. The series revolves around two brothers; one has been sentenced to death for a crime he did not commit, and the other devises an...
, Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
spin-off It Takes Two, How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, and My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl
My Name Is Earl is an American television comedy series created by Greg Garcia that was originally broadcast on the NBC television network from September 20, 2005, to May 14, 2009, in the United States...
, And saw long running series "Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers
Blue Heelers is an Australian police drama series which depicted the lives of police officers stationed at the fictional Mount Thomas police station in a small town in Victoria.- Overview :...
" Ending its 13th season run after declining ratings sense late 2003. The ongoing success of these programmes resulted in a narrow loss to the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
for the year, primarily due to Nine's coverage of the 2006 Commonwealth Games
2006 Commonwealth Games
The 2006 Commonwealth Games were held in Melbourne, Victoria, Australia between 15 March and 26 March 2006. It was the largest sporting event to be staged in Melbourne, eclipsing the 1956 Summer Olympics in terms of the number of teams competing, athletes competing, and events being held.The site...
in Melbourne.
In 2007, Seven Network launched morning TV with the Sunrise's Current Affairs
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
spin off The Morning Show hosted by Larry Emdur
Larry Emdur
Larry Emdur is an Australian television personality. He is currently co-hosting Saturday's Weekend Sunrise alongside Samantha Armytage....
& ex-Sportsworld
Sportsworld
Sportsworld was an Australian Sunday morning sports information program shown on Seven Network. The program was broadcast from 9.00am - 11.00am following Weekend Sunrise on a Sunday morning, from Seven's Martin Place streetfront studios in Sydney....
presenter Kylie Gillies
Kylie Gillies
Kylie Gillies is a television presenter for the Seven Network based in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia. She currently co-hosts The Morning Show with Larry Emdur.-Career:...
. They also promoted new shows such as Brothers & Sisters, Heroes
Heroes (TV series)
Heroes is an American science fiction television drama series created by Tim Kring that appeared on NBC for four seasons from September 25, 2006 through February 8, 2010. The series tells the stories of ordinary people who discover superhuman abilities, and how these abilities take effect in the...
, and The Rich List
The Rich List (Australian game show)
For other versions of the show, please see The Rich List.The Rich List is an Australian game show which is based on the format initially created for transmission in the United Kingdom created by 12 Yard. The game consists of two teams who name as many items relating to a topic as they can while...
. The year also saw the launch of the Beautiful Sunday lineup consisting of Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show which premiered on 18 February 2007 on the Seven Network. The show was based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell...
, Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty
Ugly Betty is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Silvio Horta, which premiered on ABC on September 28, 2006, and ended on April 14, 2010. The series revolves around the character Betty Suarez and is based on Fernando Gaitán's Colombian telenovela soap opera Yo soy Betty, la fea...
, Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
and What About Brian
What About Brian
What About Brian is an American comedy-drama television series created by Dana Stevens and co-produced by J.J. Abrams' company Bad Robot Productions. The series premiered on April 16, 2006, on ABC, as a midseason replacement and concluded on March 26, 2007...
during their "Seven in '07" campaign year.
In 2008, Seven launched new local drama Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
whch became the year's top rating show with an average of 1.938 million viewers.
In 2009, a new weekly public affairs show Sunday Night
Sunday Night
Sunday Night, later named Michelob Presents Night Music, was a late-night television show which aired for two seasons between 1988 and 1990. The show featured performers in a wide variety of musical genres but was particularly known as a showcase for jazz and electric music. It was hosted by Jools...
launched in the Sunday 6:30 position to a shaky start but by the end of the year was easily winning its slot and rating up to 250,000 more than rival Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
's long-running 60 Minutes
60 Minutes
60 Minutes is an American television news magazine, which has run on CBS since 1968. The program was created by producer Don Hewitt who set it apart by using a unique style of reporter-centered investigation....
. 2009 also saw Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
move to Seven after previously airing on Network Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
for its first three seasons. The year also saw the final episode of long-running Australian medical drama All Saints
All Saints (TV series)
All Saints is an Australian medical drama which first screened on the Seven Network. The series debuted on 24 February 1998 and concluded its run on 27 October 2009...
.
In 2010, Seven launched a series of AFL and NRL-based entertainment shows in an effort to take on Nine's The AFL Footy Show
The AFL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award winning Australian sports television program, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates.This show, which is dedicated to the AFL and Australian rules football, made its debut on 24 March 1994 at the same time as the other version which relates to the NRL and rugby...
and The NRL Footy Show
The NRL Footy Show
The Footy Show is a Logie Award-winning Australian sports variety television programme, shown on the Nine Network and its affiliates. Following the success of the AFL program of the same name, the Nine Network quickly developed a version for the rugby league market. The rugby league version has...
and also provide a bargaining chip for the AFL and also the NRL rights negotiations when they come up for renewal. The AFL-based series is called The Bounce
The Bounce (TV series)
The Bounce was an Australian sports television program which debuted 24 March 2010 at 6:30pm in most states on the Seven Network....
and will be hosted by Peter Helliar
Peter Helliar
Peter Jason Matthew Helliar is an Australian comedian, actor and writer. Most famous for his work on television as Rove McManus' sidekick on The Loft Live from 1997 to 1998 and on Rove from 1999 and 2009...
with the NRL-based series called The Matty Johns Show
The Matty Johns Show
The Matty Johns Show is an Australian variety television show largely focused on the National Rugby League competition, starring former rugby league player Matthew "Matty" Johns. It first aired in 2010 on Thursdays at 7.30pm in New South Wales and Queensland, on the Seven Network. The show usually...
, hosted by former Footy Show host Matthew Johns.
The Bounce
The Bounce (TV series)
The Bounce was an Australian sports television program which debuted 24 March 2010 at 6:30pm in most states on the Seven Network....
was pulled from the air after just five episodes. It is said that the show has been put into production hiatus. The show was replaced by reruns of British comedy, The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley
The Vicar of Dibley is a British sitcom created by Richard Curtis and written for its lead actress, Dawn French, by Curtis and Paul Mayhew-Archer, with contributions from Kit Hesketh-Harvey. It aired from 1994 to 2007...
. It was said that the show would return for the final series in September 2010.
Seven has been strong in the ratings since 2007, but was hit fairly hard in 2010 when the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
introduced a new lineup of programs, including the return of Light Entertainment program Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday
Hey Hey It's Saturday was a long-running variety television program on Australian television. It initially ran for 27 years , debuting on the Nine Network on 9 October 1971 and broadcasting its last episode on 20 November 1999. Its host throughout its entire run was Daryl Somers, who would later...
, and general entertainment programs like Top Gear Australia
Top Gear Australia
Top Gear Australia was an Australian motoring television series based on the BBC series Top Gear.The show premiered on SBS One on 29 September 2008 at 7:30 pm AEST, with its first season consisting of 8 episodes...
which rated extremely well in the 2010 period, the success of Millionaire Hot Seat
Millionaire Hot Seat
Hot Seat is a spin-off of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire that began airing on Australia's Nine Network on 20 April 2009, and is hosted by Eddie McGuire, as with the original version of the show...
, the premiere of Underbelly
Underbelly
Underbelly Limited is an English company that operates a series of four venues at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in Scotland. From 2000-2004, Underbelly, Cowgate was the only venue operated by Underbelly. In 2005, Underbelly added the Baby Belly venue. In 2006, these venues were joined by the E4...
, and regrowth of Nine News and ACA. Nine won 17 weeks in 2010, their greatest success since 2006. At one stage, the Nine Network
Nine Network
The Nine Network , is an Australian television network with headquarters based in Willoughby, a suburb located on the North Shore of Sydney. For 50 years since television's inception in Australia, between 1956 and 2006, it was the most watched television network in Australia...
almost threatened to overtake the Seven Network as No.1 in 2010.
Programming
New programs introduced in 2005 led to a ratings increase, following a relatively poor 2004. A number of programs introduced in 2006 continued on in 2007, in addition to many new entries – the bulk of which imported from US television networks.Australian programming shown on the network includes dramas City Homicide
City Homicide
City Homicide was an Australian television drama series that aired on the Seven Network between 27 August 2007 – 30 March 2011. The series was set on the Homicide floor of a metropolitan police headquarters in Melbourne...
, family dramedy Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters
Packed to the Rafters is an Australian family-orientated television series which premiered on the Seven Network on Tuesday 26 August 2008 at 8:30 pm. The drama series features a mix of lighthearted comedy woven through the plot. It revolves around the Rafter family facing work pressures and...
, soap Home and Away
Home and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
, period bushranger drama Wild Boys
Wild Boys
Wild Boys is an Australian television period drama series that began airing on the Seven Network on 4 September, 2011. It is produced by Julie McGauran and Sarah Smith from Southern Star and John Holmes...
and Winners and Losers lifestyle shows; Better Homes and Gardens, The Great Outdoors and New Idea TV
New Idea
New Idea is a long-running Australian weekly magazine published by Pacific Magazines and aimed at women.-History:The magazine was first published in 1902 by Fitchett Bros. Southdown Magazines purchased Fitchett Bros...
, comedy/variety; Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, The Matty Johns Show
The Matty Johns Show
The Matty Johns Show is an Australian variety television show largely focused on the National Rugby League competition, starring former rugby league player Matthew "Matty" Johns. It first aired in 2010 on Thursdays at 7.30pm in New South Wales and Queensland, on the Seven Network. The show usually...
, Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here
Thank God You're Here is an Australian television improvised comedy program created by Working Dog Productions, which premiered on Network Ten on 5 April 2006, and aired for the first three seasons with Seven for the fourth season...
and TV Burp, gameshows; Deal or No Deal and Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It
Minute to Win It is an American prime time game show on NBC hosted by Guy Fieri. Contestants take part in a series of 60-second challenges that use objects that are commonly available around the house....
, reality; The X Factor, Dancing with the Stars
Dancing with the Stars (Australian TV series)
Dancing with the Stars is a Logie Award-winning, Australian light entertainment reality show airing on the Seven Network and filmed live from the HSV-7 studios in Melbourne...
, Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent
Australia's Got Talent is an Australian reality television talent show which premiered on 18 February 2007 on the Seven Network. The show was based on the Got Talent series format that originated in the United Kingdom with Simon Cowell...
, My Kitchen Rules
My Kitchen Rules
My Kitchen Rules is an Australian competitive cooking game show broadcast on the Seven Network. The series is produced by the team who created the Seven reality show My Restaurant Rules, and was put into production based on the success of Network Ten's MasterChef Australia.-Format:The show sees...
, Beauty and the Geek Australia
Beauty and the Geek Australia
Beauty and the Geek Australia is an Australian reality television series on the Seven Network hosted by Bernard Curry. It is based on the US version Beauty and the Geek created by Ashton Kutcher....
, Conviction Kitchen
Conviction Kitchen
Conviction Kitchen is a Canadian documentary/reality television series that premiered September 13, 2009, on Citytv. Starring Toronto-based chef Marc Thuet and his wife Biana Zorich, the series documents the process of launching a restaurant, Conviction, to be staffed by rehabilitated ex-convicts...
factuals; Medical Emergency
Medical Emergency
Medical Emergency is an Australian reality television series screened on the Seven Network. Medical Emergency is narrated by actor Chris Gabardi who also appeared in drama series All Saints. It was previously hosted and narrated by actress Georgie Parker, who also appeared in All Saints...
, The Zoo
The Zoo
The Zoo is a one-act comic opera, with music by Arthur Sullivan and a libretto by B. C. Stephenson, writing under the pen name of Bolton Rowe. It premiered on 5 June 1875 at the St. James's Theatre in London , concluding its run five weeks later, on 9 July 1875, at the Haymarket Theatre...
, RSPCA Animal Rescue
RSPCA Animal Rescue
RSPCA Animal Rescue is an Australian reality television series screening on the Seven Network. The program follows RSPCA inspectors rescue and protect Australian animals. The program is hosted by The Wiggles' Anthony Field....
, Find My Family
Find My Family
Find My Family is an Australian television documentary series airing on the Seven Network, the first two seasons were narrated and presented by actor Jack Thompson...
, The Force
The Force: Behind the Line
Episodes of The Force consist of three to four individual stories featuring police officers going about every day duties, including burglaries, drug-related cases, traffic cases and murder investigations. The choice of stories is usually balanced to include action-oriented stories as well as...
, Crash Investigation Unit
Crash Investigation Unit
Crash Investigation Unit is an Australian factual television series on the Seven Network hosted by Damian Walshe-Howling. The series premiered on 27 August 2008....
, Border Security, SCU: Serious Crash Unit
SCU: Serious Crash Unit
SCU: Serious Crash Unit is a New Zealand documentary series, which airs on TV2 in New Zealand, and other networks around the world. The show is currently in production of a 4th series, due to be released early 2008, while an Australian version of SCU is premiering in 2008 under the title Crash...
, Surf Patrol
Surf Patrol
Surf Patrol, Australia's Lifesavers is an Australian reality television series that airs on the Seven Network. The series is produced by the Australian production company Cornerbox, the producers of Seven's other factual series The Force and Border Security...
, Gangs of Oz
Gangs of Oz
Gangs of Oz is an Australian television documentary series on the Seven Network narrated by actor Colin Friels. The show looks at real stories of Australia's criminal underworld with accounts from criminals, their families and the police who risk their lives to catch them.-Episodes:Season 1*Episode...
, Beyond the Darklands
Beyond the Darklands (TV series)
Beyond the Darklands is an Australian true crime television series that airs on the Seven Network. It is narrated by Samuel Johnson, with each episode focusing on a certain criminal , with commentary from clinical psychologist Dr Leah Giarratano providing insight into the minds of the...
, The World's Strictest Parents
The World's Strictest Parents
The World's Strictest Parents is a television series developed by TwentyTwenty Television, originally broadcast in Britain by the BBC. America's CMT and Australia's Channel Seven have both created localised versions of the programme, with the CMT episodes frequently rebroadcasting on MTV...
, Airways, Iron Chef Australia
Iron Chef Australia
Iron Chef Australia is an Australian cooking show based on the Japanese show Iron Chef, as well as its American adaptation Iron Chef America...
, Four Weddings
Four Weddings
Four Weddings is a programme shown on the UK channel, Sky Living. The first series was aired in 2009 with a second series in 2010 and a third in 2011....
, The One and The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia
The Amazing Race Australia is an Australian reality television game show based on the American reality television series, The Amazing Race that is broadcast on the Seven Network. The series features eleven teams of two who are in a pre-existing personal relationship, and follow the various...
.
In 2012 Seven will add to its Australian content with the new hour drama "A Place to Call Home" from the creators of Packed to the Rafters, an untitled project from the creators of Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim
Kath & Kim is a Logie Award-winning character-driven Australian television situation comedy series. The series was created by, and is written by Jane Turner and Gina Riley who play the title characters: a suburban mother and daughter with a dysfunctional relationship...
, a new sports themed panel show called "Sports Fever!" and new interview style show called "Pictures of You" both from Working Dog Productions, a dating show called "Please Marry My Boy" and a local version of Coastwatch.
Children's programming includes It's Academic
It's Academic
It's Academic is a televised academic quiz competition for high school students, currently airing on two NBC affiliates in Washington, D.C. and Central Virginia and one CBS affiliate Baltimore, Maryland . The show has been on the air since October 7, 1961, making it the longest...
, The Wiggles specials
The Wiggles
The Wiggles are a children's group formed in Sydney, Australia in 1991. Their original members were Anthony Field, Phillip Wilcher, Murray Cook, Greg Page, and Jeff Fatt. Wilcher left the group after their first album...
, Go Go Stop
Go Go Stop
Go Go Stop is a televised children's quiz show, produced by the Australian Seven Network, and fronted by former The Big Arvo co-host Jesse Tobin. Each week, three schools compete to win a weekly prize. One student from each school appears on the show daily...
, Toybox, Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney
Playhouse Disney was Disney Channel's television block for programs aimed at entertaining preschool aged children, often airing as its own channel outside the United States. It was introduced in 1997 after Disney Channel's move to basic cable from premium cable, with a target audience of children...
and Saturday Disney
Saturday Disney
Saturday Disney is a children's program which has aired on the Seven Network in Australia for over 20 years, with the first episode going to air on 20 January 1990. Although, according to the hosts during the 800th episode of the show, they revealed the show premiered in March 1990, causing...
, Toon Disney
Toon Disney
Toon Disney was an American cable television channel owned by The Walt Disney Company. A spinoff of Disney Channel, it mostly aired children's animated series and some live action programming. Its format had similarities to those of Cartoon Network and Nicktoons...
, Jetix
Jetix
Jetix was a worldwide children's television programming brand owned by The Walt Disney Company. The Jetix brand was used for blocks and channels featuring action-related and adventure-related live-action and animated programming. It was also what Disney eventually turned Fox Kids into...
.
The network has established output deals with a number of American production studios, including NBC Universal
NBC Universal
NBCUniversal Media, LLC is a media and entertainment company engaged in the production and marketing of entertainment, news, and information products and services to a global customer base...
, The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company
The Walt Disney Company is the largest media conglomerate in the world in terms of revenue. Founded on October 16, 1923, by Walt and Roy Disney as the Disney Brothers Cartoon Studio, Walt Disney Productions established itself as a leader in the American animation industry before diversifying into...
and ABC Studios. Imported programming currently includes The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race
The Amazing Race is a reality television game show in which teams of two people, who have some form of a preexisting personal relationship, race around the world in competition with other teams...
, Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives
Desperate Housewives is an American television comedy-drama series created by Marc Cherry and produced by ABC Studios and Cherry Productions. Executive producer Cherry serves as Showrunner. Other executive producers since the fourth season include Marc Cherry, Bob Daily, George W...
, Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy
Grey's Anatomy is an American medical drama television series created by Shonda Rhimes. The series premiered on March 27, 2005 on ABC; since then, seven seasons have aired. The series follows the lives of interns, residents and their mentors in the fictional Seattle Grace Mercy West Hospital in...
, How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother
How I Met Your Mother is an American sitcom that premiered on CBS on September 19, 2005, created by Craig Thomas and Carter Bays.As a framing device, the main character, Ted Mosby with narration by Bob Saget, in the year 2030 recounts to his son and daughter the events that led to his meeting...
, Private Practice, American Dad!
American Dad!
American Dad! is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane and owned by Underdog Productions and Fuzzy Door Productions. It is produced in association with 20th Century Fox Television...
, Bones
Bones (TV series)
Bones is an American crime drama television series that premiered on the Fox Network on September 13, 2005. The show is based on forensic anthropology and forensic archaeology, with each episode focusing on an FBI case file concerning the mystery behind human remains brought by FBI Special Agent...
, Castle
Castle (TV series)
Castle is an American comedy-drama television series, which premiered on ABC on March 9, 2009. The series is produced by Beacon Pictures and ABC Studios. On January 10, 2011, Castle was renewed for a fourth season...
, Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds
Criminal Minds is an American police procedural drama that premiered September 22, 2005, on CBS. The series follows a team of profilers from the FBI's Behavioral Analysis Unit based in Quantico, Virginia. The BAU is part of the FBI National Center for the Analysis of Violent Crime...
, Family Guy
Family Guy
Family Guy is an American animated television series created by Seth MacFarlane for the Fox Broadcasting Company. The series centers on the Griffins, a dysfunctional family consisting of parents Peter and Lois; their children Meg, Chris, and Stewie; and their anthropomorphic pet dog Brian...
, 30 Rock
30 Rock
30 Rock is an American television comedy series created by Tina Fey that airs on NBC. The series is loosely based on Fey's experiences as head writer for Saturday Night Live...
, It's Always Sunny In Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia
It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia is an American television sitcom that premiered on FX on August 4, 2005. New episodes continue to air on FX, with reruns playing on Comedy Central, general broadcast syndication, and WGN America—the first-ever cable-to-cable syndication deal for a sitcom...
, Cougar Town
Cougar Town
Cougar Town is an American television sitcom that premiered on ABC on September 23, 2009. The series focuses on a recently divorced woman in her forties facing the often humorous challenges, pitfalls and rewards of life's next chapter, along with her son, ex-husband, and friends who together make...
, Royal Pains
Royal Pains
Royal Pains is a USA Network television series that premiered on June 4, 2009, starring Mark Feuerstein, Paulo Costanzo, Jill Flint and Reshma Shetty. The series is based in part on actual concierge medicine practices of independent doctors and companies...
, Hung
Hung (TV series)
Hung is a comedy-drama series, which premiered on HBO on June 28, 2009. The series was created by Dmitry Lipkin and Colette Burson and stars Thomas Jane as Ray Drecker, a struggling suburban Detroit high school baseball coach who resorts to male prostitution. The second season premiered on June 27,...
, Parenthood
Parenthood (2010 TV series)
Parenthood is an American comedy-drama television series developed by Jason Katims and produced by Imagine Television and Universal Media Studios. The first season premiered on March 2, 2010 on NBC...
, Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation
Parks and Recreation is an American comedy television series on NBC that focuses on Leslie Knope , a mid-level bureaucrat in the parks department of Pawnee, a fictional town in Indiana. Created by Greg Daniels and Michael Schur, the series debuted on April 9, 2009; it has run for three seasons and...
, Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs
Covert Affairs is a USA Network television series starring Piper Perabo and Christopher Gorham. The one-hour drama premiered on Tuesday, July 13, 2010. The show concluded its first season on September 14, 2010 and was renewed for a second season on August 19, 2010. The second season began airing on...
, Jersey Shore
Jersey Shore
The Jersey Shore is a term used to refer to both the Atlantic coast of the U.S. state of New Jersey and the adjacent resort and residential communities. . The New Jersey State Department of Tourism considers the Shore Region, Greater Atlantic City, and the Southern Shore to be distinct, each having...
, Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians
Keeping Up with the Kardashians is an American reality television series that airs on E!. The series premiered in October 2007. It focuses on the personal and professional lives of the members of the Kardashian and Jenner family. There will be a 7th Season to premiere in 2012.As of September 2011,...
, Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey
Downton Abbey is a British television period drama series, produced by NBC Universal-owned British media company Carnival Films for the ITV network. The series is set during the late Edwardian era and the First World War on the fictional estate of Downton Abbey in Yorkshire, and features an...
, Outsourced
Outsourced (TV series)
Outsourced is an American television sitcom set in an Indian workplace. It was based on the John Jeffcoat film of the same name and adapted by Ken Kwapis and Universal Media Studios for NBC. The series originally ran from September 23, 2010 to May 12, 2011...
, Body of Proof
Body of Proof
Body of Proof is an American medical drama television series created by Chris Murphey and produced by ABC Studios. Starring Dana Delany as medical examiner Dr. Megan Hunt, the series premiered on March 29, 2011 on ABC....
, Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf
Teen Wolf is a 1985 American fantasy comedy film released by Atlantic Releasing Corporation starring Michael J. Fox as Scott Howard, a high school student who discovers that his family has an unusual pedigree when he finds himself transforming into a werewolf...
, Great Migrations
Great Migrations
Great Migrations is a seven-episode nature documentary television miniseries that airs on the National Geographic Channel, featuring the great migrations of animals across the globe. This is truly one of the greatest pieces of nature documentary there is. The producer, David Hamlin, has won 3...
upcoming titles include ITV's Vera
Vera (TV series)
Vera is a British detective television series based on the works of crime author Ann Cleeves. It stars Brenda Blethyn and is broadcast on ITV1.-Summary:...
, and Titanic miniseries and US titles: Whitney
Whitney (TV series)
Whitney is an American sitcom that premiered on NBC on September 22, 2011, where it airs in the 9:30 pm /8:30 pm Thursday night timeslot. The show stars Whitney Cummings...
, Once Upon a Time
Once Upon a Time (TV series)
Once Upon a Time is an American fairy tale drama television series that premiered on Sunday October 23, 2011, on ABC. New episodes air Sunday nights at 8:00 pm ET/7:00 pm CT....
, Man Up
Man Up (TV series)
Man Up! is an American situation comedy series that debuted on ABC-TV as a Fall entry in the 2011–12 United States network television schedule...
, GCB, Up All Night
Up All Night (TV series)
Up All Night is an American television comedy series created by Emily Spivey that premiered on NBC on September 14, 2011, at 10 p.m. , before assuming its regular time slot on Wednesday, September 21, 2011, at 8 p.m....
, Revenge
Revenge (TV series)
Revenge is an American television drama inspired by the Alexandre Dumas novel The Count of Monte Cristo starring Madeleine Stowe and Emily VanCamp. It debuted on ABC on September 21, 2011, and currently airs on Wednesday nights at 10:00 pm Eastern/9:00 pm Central...
, The River
The River (TV series)
The River was a British TV series from 1988 starring David Essex, Katy Murphy and David Ryall.The River follows the tranquil life of lovable, Cockney, ex-convict Davey Jackson who is lock keeper on the canal near the village of Chumley-on-the-Water. His peaceful life is turned upside down by the...
, Alphas, Missing
Missing (TV series)
Missing, hosted by Alex Paen, is a weekly syndicated TV series in the United States profiling real cases of missing persons. The series debuted in 2003....
, Bent
Bent (TV series)
Bent is an upcoming American romantic comedy television series created by Tad Quill for NBC. It stars Amanda Peet as a recently divorced lawyer and David Walton as the irresponsible contractor hired to remodel her kitchen...
, BFF
Best Friends Forever (TV series)
Best Friends Forever is an upcoming American television comedy series created by Lennon Parham and Jessica St. Clair that will air on NBC. The series will be a midseason replacement for the 2011–2012 NBC primetime season.-Series synopsis:...
, Scandal
Scandal (TV series)
Scandal is an upcoming American drama series starring Kerry Washington which will debut on ABC as a mid-season replacement in the 2011–12 television season. The series was created by Shonda Rhimes. Seven episodes will be produced for the first season...
and Against the Wall
Against the Wall (TV series)
Against the Wall is an American drama television series created by Annie Brunner. The series stars Rachael Carpani as Abby Kowalski, a police detective who recently joined the Internal Affairs division of the Chicago Police Department....
.
Seven also broadcast catalogue titles from 20th Century Fox
20th Century Fox
Twentieth Century Fox Film Corporation — also known as 20th Century Fox, or simply 20th or Fox — is one of the six major American film studios...
produced prior to 2007 until rights to more recent Fox titles now belong to the Network Ten respectively.
News and current affairs
Seven News
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven...
. After trailing for many years to National Nine News
National Nine News
Nine News is the news service of the Australian Nine Network.Nine News's flagship bulletin is the nightly 6:00pm localised bulletin, produced by networked owned-and-operated stations in Sydney , Melbourne , Brisbane and Darwin alongside localised bulletins produced by the WIN-owned Nine Network...
, Seven rebounded effective from February 2005 onwards, and claimed to be Australia's number one television news and current affairs service. Seven News produces Sunrise
Sunrise (TV program)
Sunrise is an Australian breakfast television program, broadcast on the Seven Network. On weekdays the programme follows Seven Early News, and runs from 6am through to 9am.-History:...
, The Morning Show
The Morning Show (TV program)
The Morning Show is an Australian morning talk show that premiered on the Seven Network on 18 June 2007. The show airs between 9am and 11:30am weekdays and follows Seven's breakfast news program Sunrise, with both programs closely interlinked....
, Weekend Sunrise, Seven Morning News
Seven News
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven...
, Seven 4.30 News
Seven News
Seven News is the television news service of the Seven Network in Australia.National bulletins are presented from Seven's high-definition studios in Martin Place, Sydney, while flagship 6pm bulletins are produced in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, and Perth. The network also produces Seven...
, Seven News (the flagship locally-produced 6pm bulletins), Seven's Late News Updates, Today Tonight
Today Tonight
Today Tonight is a controversial Australian News and Current Affairs program, produced by the Seven Network and shown weeknightly at in direct competition with rival Nine Network program A Current Affair....
and Sunday Night
Sunday Night (Australian TV program)
Sunday Night is an Australian news and current affairs program produced and broadcast by the Seven Network. The program airs on Sunday nights at 6:30 pm, and is presented by Seven News Sydney presenter Chris Bath.-Overview:...
. During the early hours of 4am to 6am, Seven rebroadcasts some of American television network NBC
NBC
The National Broadcasting Company is an American commercial broadcasting television network and former radio network headquartered in the GE Building in New York City's Rockefeller Center with additional major offices near Los Angeles and in Chicago...
's news and current affairs programming, including Today, Weekend Today
Weekend Today
Weekend Today is the unofficial title of the weekend editions of Today, an American morning news and talk show which airs daily on NBC.-History:...
, Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC
Dateline NBC, or Dateline, is a U.S. weekly television newsmagazine broadcast by NBC. It previously was NBC's flagship news magazine, but now focuses on true crime stories. It airs Friday at 9 p.m. EST and after football season on Sunday at 7 p.m. EST.-History:Dateline is historically notable for...
and Meet the Press
Meet the Press
Meet the Press is a weekly American television news/interview program produced by NBC. It is the longest-running television series in American broadcasting history, despite bearing little resemblance to the original format of the program seen in its television debut on November 6, 1947. It has been...
. Since the 1980s, Seven also adopted NBC News' main theme, The Mission, as the theme for Seven's news programming.
In recent years, under the guidance of former longtime National Nine News chief Peter Meakin, Seven's news and current affairs division has produced more locally-focussed content, which has been lifting ratings for key markets such as Sydney and Melbourne
Melbourne
Melbourne is the capital and most populous city in the state of Victoria, and the second most populous city in Australia. The Melbourne City Centre is the hub of the greater metropolitan area and the Census statistical division—of which "Melbourne" is the common name. As of June 2009, the greater...
. Since February 2005, the ratings of Deal or No Deal, Seven News and Today Tonight have gradually increased. Seven News was the highest-rating news service nationally in both the 2005 and 2006 ratings seasons. A key aspect of Seven's recent ratings dominance in news and current affairs has been attributed to Deal or No Deals top rating audience, which provides Seven News with a large lead-in audience. In 2007 and 2008 Seven News completed a clean sweep across the five capital cities in terms of being the most watched 6pm news bulletin. On 5 July 2008 Channel Seven introduced a watermark on news and current affairs programmes.
However since Ian Ross
Ian Ross (news)
Ian Ross was a presenter for Seven News in Sydney. Commonly known as "Roscoe", Ross began his career in 1957 at Sydney radio station 2GB. He returned to Sydney as National Nine News reporter in 1965. Ross stayed at Nine for 38 years, where he is most known for his position as Today news presenter...
's retirement from Seven News, Nine News has had a high surge in viewers, and Seven News have had a slight drop by around 100,000 - 200,000, The fall of ratings on Seven News can be partly explained by the lead-in game show program, Deal or No Deal, which saw its audience decline from a high of just under one million at its peak to about 500,000 on 1 November 2010.
Sport
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
in Sydney resulted in huge ratings for the network, with over 6.5 million Australians viewing the telecast of opening and closing ceremonies. The broadcast also ran on the short-lived C7 Sport
C7 Sport
C7 Sport was a pay-TV service in Australia, owned and run by Kerry Stokes' Seven Network. The service was carried on the Austar and Optus Vision pay-TV networks between 1995 and 2002, when it was removed in controversial circumstances...
subscription channel.
In 1998 Nine and pay TV provider Foxtel nabbed the rights to televise AFL games games with Seven for the 2000 and 2001 seasons. In 2001, Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
, won the rights to televise AFL matches from 2002 onwards. This ended Seven's famous 45-year run as the exclusive AFL football broadcaster. On 5 January 2006 the Australian Football League
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
accepted a bid from Seven and Ten
Network Ten
Network Ten , is one of Australia's three major commercial television networks. Owned-and-operated stations can be found in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth, while affiliates extend the network to cover most of the country...
to broadcast AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
games from 2007–2011 at a cost of A$
Australian dollar
The Australian dollar is the currency of the Commonwealth of Australia, including Christmas Island, Cocos Islands, and Norfolk Island, as well as the independent Pacific Island states of Kiribati, Nauru and Tuvalu...
780 million.
Seven's most popular recurring sporting events include the Olympic Games
Olympic Games
The Olympic Games is a major international event featuring summer and winter sports, in which thousands of athletes participate in a variety of competitions. The Olympic Games have come to be regarded as the world’s foremost sports competition where more than 200 nations participate...
, AFL Premiership Season
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
, the Australian Open Golf
Australian Open (golf)
The Australian Open is one of the principal annual golf tournaments on the PGA Tour of Australasia, and also the OneAsia Tour since its formation in 2009. The event was first played in 1904 and takes place toward the end of each year...
, the Australian Open Tennis
Australian Open
The Australian Open is the only Grand Slam tennis tournament held in the southern hemisphere. The tournament was held for the first time in 1905 and was last contested on grass in 1987. Since 1972 the Australian Open has been held in Melbourne, Victoria. In 1988, the tournament became a hard court...
, Bledisloe Cup Rugby
Bledisloe Cup
Rugby Union's Bledisloe Cup is contested by the Australia national rugby union team and New Zealand national rugby union team. It is named after Lord Bledisloe, the former Governor-General of New Zealand who donated the trophy in 1931. The trophy was designed in New Zealand by Nelson Isaac, and...
, Melbourne Cup Carnival
Melbourne Cup
The Melbourne Cup is Australia's major Thoroughbred horse race. Marketed as "the race that stops a nation", it is a 3,200 metre race for three-year-olds and over. It is the richest "two-mile" handicap in the world, and one of the richest turf races...
, Mount Buller World Aerials
Mount Buller, Victoria
Mount Buller is a town in Victoria, Australia east of Melbourne on the slopes of Mount Buller . Primarily a resort town, Mount Buller is popular with snowsports enthusiasts in winter due to its close location to Melbourne...
, the Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race
The Sydney to Hobart Yacht Race is hosted by the Cruising Yacht Club of Australia, starting in Sydney, Australia on Boxing Day and finishing in Hobart. The race distance is approximately...
, the Tri-Nations Rugby, V8 Supercars and the Champ Car World Series
Champ Car
Champ Car was the name for a class and specification of open wheel cars used in American Championship Car Racing for many decades, primarily for use in the Indianapolis 500 auto race...
.
Seven had exclusive Australian free-to-air, pay television, online and mobile telephony
Mobile phone
A mobile phone is a device which can make and receive telephone calls over a radio link whilst moving around a wide geographic area. It does so by connecting to a cellular network provided by a mobile network operator...
broadcast rights to the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
in Beijing. The live telecast of the XXIX Olympiad was shared by both the Seven Network and SBS Television. Seven broadcast the opening and closing ceremonies and mainstream sports including swimming, athletics, rowing, cycling and gymnastics. In stark contrast, SBS TV
SBS TV
SBS One is a national public television channel in Australia. Launched on 24 October 1980, it is the responsibility of SBS's television division, and is available nationally...
provided complementary coverage focused on long-form events such as soccer, road cycling, volleyball, and table tennis.
Seven's coverage of the 2008 Summer Olympics
2008 Summer Olympics
The 2008 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIX Olympiad, was a major international multi-sport event that took place in Beijing, China, from August 8 to August 24, 2008. A total of 11,028 athletes from 204 National Olympic Committees competed in 28 sports and 302 events...
was widely criticised by viewers, with many angry at the networks contractual obligation to show AFL
Australian Football League
The Australian Football League is both the governing body and the major professional competition in the sport of Australian rules football...
football over the Olympics. Viewers also complained that many team sports were delayed, with the absence of Roy and HG
Roy and HG
Roy & HG is an Australian comedy duo, comprising Greig Pickhaver in the role of "H [Harry] G Nelson" and John Doyle as "'Rampaging' Roy Slaven". Their act is an affectionate but irreverent parody of Australia's obsession with sport. Their characters based on archetypes in sports journalism: Nelson...
and with seemingly large amounts of advertising breaks during live events upsetting some viewers. Despite this, the International Olympic Committee
International Olympic Committee
The International Olympic Committee is an international corporation based in Lausanne, Switzerland, created by Pierre de Coubertin on 23 June 1894 with Demetrios Vikelas as its first president...
awarded Seven the 'Golden Rings' award for "Best Olympic Programme". The award is given for the best overall Olympic coverage.
Availability
Seven is simulcast in analogue, standard definition and 1080i1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
high definition. On 18 March 2007, test simulcasts for 1080i
1080i
1080i is the shorthand name for a high-definition television mode. The i means interlaced video; 1080i differs from 1080p, in which the p stands for progressive scan. The term 1080i assumes a widescreen aspect ratio of 16:9, implying a frame size of 1920×1080 pixels...
commenced in the Sydney and Melbourne markets, Adelaide and Perth followed on 24 June 2007, with Brisbane
Brisbane
Brisbane is the capital and most populous city in the Australian state of Queensland and the third most populous city in Australia. Brisbane's metropolitan area has a population of over 2 million, and the South East Queensland urban conurbation, centred around Brisbane, encompasses a population of...
following on 25 June 2007, and regional Queensland on 26 June 2007. Prior to this, the Seven Network provided a 576p
576p
576p is the shorthand name for a video display resolution. The p stands for progressive scan, i.e. non-interlaced, the 576 for a vertical resolution of 576 lines, usually with a horizontal resolution of 720 or 704 pixels. The frame rate can be given explicitly after the letter.-576p25:In other...
enhanced-definition
Enhanced-definition television
Enhanced-definition television, or extended-definition television, is a United States Consumer Electronics Association marketing shorthand term for certain digital television formats and devices...
service.
Seven is broadcast in metropolitan areas and regional Queensland through a number of owned-and-operated stations including ATN
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
Sydney, HSV Melbourne, BTQ Brisbane, SAS Adelaide, TVW
TVW
TVW can mean:*TVW, a Seven Network owned station in Perth, Western Australia*TVW, a public affairs network in the state of Washington*"tvw", the false branding callsign of WISC-TV's digital subchannel and Madison, Wisconsin's MyNetworkTV affiliate...
Perth as well as STQ
STQ
STQ is the call sign of a regional television station in Queensland, Australia.It can also mean:*STQ, the IATA airport code for St. Marys Municipal Airport in Pennsylvania*STQ, the ISO language code for the Saterland Frisian language*Skill testing question...
Queensland. Seven Network programming is also carried into other areas of regional Australia by locally-branded affiliate networks Prime Television
Prime Television
PRIME7 is an Australian television network owned by Prime Media Group Limited. Prime Television launched on 17 March 1962 as CBN/CWN in Orange and Dubbo, New South Wales, and has since expanded to cover regional New South Wales, Victoria and the Australian Capital Territory as a Seven Network...
, Golden West Network
Golden West Network
GWN7 is an Australian television network owned by the Prime Media Group that is based in Bunbury, Western Australia. The Golden West Network launched on 10 March 1967 as BTW-3 in Bunbury, and has since expanded to cover regional and remote Western Australia, servicing all areas except metropolitan...
(14% owned by the Seven Network), Southern Cross Television
Southern Cross Television
Southern Cross Television, or Southern Cross, is an Australian television network available in Tasmania, Darwin, Regional South Australia, and Central Australia. Although the programming varies from region to region, all areas are affiliated with the Seven Network and, in some areas, have a dual...
, and WIN Television
WIN Television
WIN Television is an Australian television network owned by the WIN Corporation that is based in Wollongong, New South Wales. WIN commenced transmissions on 18 March 1962 as a single Wollongong-only station, and has since expanded to 24 owned-and-operated stations with transmissions covering a...
in South Australia
SES/RTS
SES/RTS, part of the WIN Television network, are Australian television stations licensed to, and serving Mount Gambier and Riverland in South Australia. The station commenced transmissions on 25 March 1966.-History:...
.
On 1 April 2008, ATN
ATN
-Medicine:*Acute tubular necrosis, a medical condition involving the death of tubular cells that form the tubule that transports urine to the ureters*Asymmetric tonic neck reflex*Atypical trigeminal neuralgia-Television:...
Sydney began broadcasting a digital signal to Foxtel and Austar's
Austar
Austar is an Australian telecommunications company. Its main business activity is Subscription Television but it is also involved with internet access and mobile phones...
satellite and cable subscribers.
Logos
The Seven Network first used a shared logo produced and used across the metropolitan stations in 1970, featuring the numeral seven inside a ring. Colour television was introduced across the network in 1975, along with a new logo incorporating a bright ring of the colours of the visual light spectrum. This logo was used nationally until 1989, when a new red logo was introduced along with evening soap Home and AwayHome and Away
Home and Away is an Australian soap opera that has been produced in Sydney since July 1987 and is airing on the Seven Network since 17 January 1988. It is the second-longest-running drama and most popular soap opera on Australian television...
and a relaunched Seven Nightly News (later to become Seven News).
Following a decade in use, 1 January 2000 saw the launch of a current ribbon logo in conjunction with the launch of the Sydney 2000 Summer Olympics
2000 Summer Olympics
The Sydney 2000 Summer Olympic Games or the Millennium Games/Games of the New Millennium, officially known as the Games of the XXVII Olympiad, were an international multi-sport event which was celebrated between 15 September and 1 October 2000 in Sydney, New South Wales, Australia...
. Seven made the controversial move and did away with the circle logo. In its place with the free-flowing ribbon was the slogan 'The One to Watch' which had been in use since 1999. However in 2003, Seven would drop the slogan.
The ribbon logo was used in conjunction with five other variants of differing colours between 2000–2002, These included red, orange, yellow, green and blue, to symbolise passion, involving, fun, life and energy respectively. The logo was simplified in 2003, losing its gradient, shadows and colour-coded usages to become solid red.
During this period, there have been various slogans used such as 'Lucky Seven' (2004), 'Gottaloveit!' (2005-11) and 'One Place' (2011-?)