Prime Television
Encyclopedia
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
affiliate.
PRIME's administration and broadcast facilities are based in Canberra
, alongside the network's parent company Prime Media Group Limited and the playout facilities for the Golden West Network
.
, Dubbo and Griffith
, RVN/AMV in Albury
and Wagga Wagga, and NEN/ECN in Tamworth
and Taree
.
CBN-8 Orange
began on 17 March 1962, followed by CWN-6 Dubbo on 1 December 1965. The two stations were both licensed to Country Broadcasting Services (also the owner of radio station 2GZ
in Orange). CWN-6 was a direct relay of CBN-8 - this meant that the two stations formed the country's first regional network, CBN/CWN.
At the same time, RVN-2 Wagga Wagga
began on 19 June 1964, and MTN-9 Griffith
began on 15 December 1965. The two stations merged in 1971 as the Riverina and North East Victoria Television Service Pty Ltd, RVN/AMV on air.
In northern New South Wales, NEN-9 Tamworth
began transmission on 27 September 1965, with a relay in Armidale
(NEN-1, later NEN-10) on 15 July 1966. ECN-8 Taree
started on 27 May 1966. At one stage, ECN-8 was tied NRN-11 Coffs Harbour
(now owned by Southern Cross Broadcasting
as Southern Cross Ten
), however the two stations split. NEN later merged with ECN as NEN-9/ECN-8.
, Lithgow
, Mudgee, Cobar
, Kandos
and Rylstone
and Bathurst
.
Colour television was introduced at the same time as the rest of the country, on 1 March 1975 - one of the single most expensive processes undertaken by CBN to date. The station was a prominent broadcaster of local sporting events including Tennis
and Rugby
. In 1979 a documentary titled Goin' Down The Road, about the 1978 National Rodeo Titles won the network a Logie award
for an 'Outstanding Contribution by a Regional Station'.
Midstate produced a number of local programs, including the Weekend Report, Early Shift, Rural Roundup and Around the Schools. Since 1968 CBN was able to access the Postmaster General
's microwave link for national news and other major events.
Midstate Television was bought out by media magnate Paul Ramsay's Ramcorp Ltd. in October 1987. It was soon merged with Ramcorp's other stations, RVN/AMV and NEN/ECN. The name The Prime Network had been in use since 1986. By 1988 the network began to show increased Seven Network
programming in readiness for aggregation.
When aggregation took place, Prime began broadcasting to both southern New South Wales
and northern Victoria
. Transmission problems meant that aggregation in southern New South Wales
took place in two stages - first the Australian Capital Territory
and NSW south coast on 31 March 1989, followed by Orange
, Dubbo, and Wagga Wagga on 31 December 1989. These changes led to the de-merger of RVN-AMV, with RVN becoming CBN-2.
Griffith
remained a one-station market, however instead of taking programming from Prime in line with the network's other stations, MTN-9 relayed programming mainly from WIN Television
in southern New South Wales. A supplementary license, AMN-31, was successfully bid for by MTN in 1996, providing a relay of Prime Television. Soon after the station was purchased by WIN Television
, which undertook a number of minor changes - mainly changing the news service to WIN News
, and using entirely WIN branding. AMN-31 remains a relay of Prime. Similarly, the Mildura
license area remained separate from the remainder of Victoria, albeit with a single station, STV-8, later bought out by WIN Television
in 1996. In 1997 Prime was successful in bidding for a new license for the area at a cost of $3.2 million. PTV-31 began broadcasting the following year.
Although advertising revenue increased post-aggregation, local programming declined as a result of the costs incurred by the network's expansion - an estimated $45 million had been spent by Ramcorp during and in the lead-up to aggregation. After losses of $50 million, it was not until 1993 that the renamed Prime Television Limited
posted a profit.
In November 1996, PRIME's parent company, Prime Television Limited
, purchased the Golden West Network
, a merged group of four stations; BTW-3 Bunbury
, VEW-8 Kalgoorlie
, GTW-11 Geraldton
and GSW-9 Albany
. Western Australia, similar to Griffith and Mildura, remained a one-station commercial market until 1999 when GWN became a Seven Network
affiliate, after WIN Television
began transmission as an affiliate of both the Nine Network
and Network Ten
.
The network began to expand into New Zealand in 1997, when a number of licenses were purchased from United Christian Broadcasters
for an estimated $3.6 million. Prime Television New Zealand
began broadcasting on 30 August 1998, with a nightly local news program in both Waikato
and Christchurch
. Prime also expanded into Argentina
with the purchase of the Canal 9
network.
throughout its carriage of the 2000 Summer Olympics
in Sydney
. The network's relationship with Seven was further developed throughout the early 2000s, leading to the unsuccessful introduction of 7onPrime branding for Seven Network
-produced programs.
Local news bulletins for Newcastle
, the Gold Coast
, Canberra
, and Wollongong
were axed in 2001 due to falling ratings and the anticipated costs of the switch to digital television
. This, and the closure of a number of news bulletins by Southern Cross Broadcasting
, prompted the Australian Broadcasting Authority
to investigate the adequacy of regional news services The ABA later mandated that stations broadcast a minimum level of local content, based on a points system - two points per minute for local news, and one point per minute for other local content, excluding paid advertisements.
Prime formed a partnership with the Nine Network
(affiliated in Australia to competitor WIN Television
), giving its owner, PBL Media
the option to purchase a 50% share of Prime Television New Zealand
in return for access to original programming, and cross-promotion in PBL's New Zealand magazine titles. Following this, Prime Television New Zealand began to take on branding and programming similar to that of the Nine Network
. In November 2005, Prime Television New Zealand
was purchased by subscription television provider SKY Network Television
for $NZ
30 million, completed after approval by New Zealand's Commerce Commission
in February 2006.
Mildura Digital Television
, a digital-only station in Mildura
began transmissions in 2006 as a joint venture between Prime Television Limited
and WIN Corporation
. Section 38B of the Broadcasting Services Act allowed for the provision of a third station owned by either one or both existing networks. MDT is a direct relay of Ten Melbourne
, albeit with local advertising.
Prime Television announced on 21 December 2009 that it would start broadcasting 7TWO
on 23 December 2009.
aimed at men 16-49. The first program to be broadcast was the drawn 2010 AFL Grand Final
. On 15 January 2011, Prime Media Group reported that Prime and GWN
were to rebrand as Prime7 and GWN7 respectively. The news bulletins has changed to Prime7 News and GWN7 News, during that, 7TWO and 7MATE dropped the "Prime" logo on the multichannels. Prime and GWN relaunched on 16 January 2011 at 6:00pm.
, with some differences. Since the network's inception it has featured a broad range of original local programming, currently including children's program The Saturday Club, music show X:Press as well as community service segment Prime InfoNet, a series of short updates listing local community events.
Prime's overnight schedule also differs from the Seven Network feed, containing infomercials from Danoz Direct, Home Shopping, and a feed from pay television channel Expo
. Past programming from Prime Television has been recognised nationally, with some local productions winning the Logie Award
for 'Outstanding Contribution by a Regional Television Station'. The network has won Logies for Goin' Down The Road (CBN-8, 1979), Naturally (NEN-9/ECN-8, 1984), Stranded (Prime Television, 1993), Rest in Peace (Prime Television, 1994), and No Time For Frailty (Prime Television, 1996).
Prime7 News is the network's local news service. Full bulletins are produced for the towns and surrounding regions originally covered by the stations "Midstate 6,8,9 Television", Orange
/Dubbo, "RVN-2/AMV-4", Albury
/Wodonga
and "9/8 Television" (NEN-9/ECN-8) Tamworth
/Taree
, prior to the aggregation. of regional television services in New South Wales that occurred in the early 1990s. In other areas two-minute news updates are shown at various times of the day.
Prime7 News is presented live, from local studios weeknightly at 6pm in most areas, with the exception of Orange and Wagga Wagga where both bulletins presented from Canberra, followed by a delayed bulletin of Seven News
. The Albury and Orange Prime7 News bulletins are presented by Daniel Gibson
with Madelaine Collignon presenting the weather. Elspeth Taylor and sport presenter Bill North present the Tamworth and North Coast bulletins, while in Wagga Wagga the news presenter is presented by Doug Hogan. Each region has its own reporter, such as Port Macquarie's Amanda Douglas.
News bulletins for the Gold Coast
, Newcastle
, Canberra
, and Wollongong
were axed in 2001 (in the Gold Coast's case, 2000). At the same time, the network's Moree
news bureau, which provided stories for the Tamworth
bulletin, was closed. This, as well as the closure of bulletin by Southern Cross Ten
in parts of Queensland
and New South Wales
, prompted an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Authority
. New rules were later set out requiring regional stations to offer minimum levels of local content, over a six-week period.
Two-minute news updates were introduced to Newcastle, Wollongong and Canberra in 2004. These updates are presented by Natalie Forrest, Daniel Gibson
(weather), Madelaine Collignon (fill-in weather) and Renee Bogatko (fill-in news). Weekend weathers to the markets of Newcastle/Hunter Valley, Tamworth, North Coast NSW and South East QLD/Gold Coast are presented by Craig Moore.
A number of well-known news presenters and television personalities began their careers at Prime7 News, including former Today
co-host Jessica Rowe
, The Morning Show
co-host Kylie Gillies
, and It Takes Two host Grant Denyer
. Kerryn Johnston presented Prime's Wollongong bulletin until it was axed, when she moved to WIN Television
where she currently co-anchors the network's Illawarra bulletins.
PAL
and standard definition digital
format. Since June 2007 a 1080i
high definition
simulcast has also been available, replacing the network's former 576p
service. Prime is viewed mainly through free-to-air
terrestrial
transmitter
s, although subscription cable also provided by TransACT
and Neighbourhood Cable
in the Australian Capital Territory
and Ballarat
, respectively.
Prime broadcasts to southern New South Wales
through stations based in Orange and Dubbo, northern New South Wales
from stations in Tamworth and Taree, Victoria
from its Albury
-Wodonga
-based station AMV, and Mildura
via PTV
. Prime is relayed to Griffith
by the WIN Television
-owned supplementary station AMN.
. Following the 2011 relaunch, a new logo was introduced which features the Seven Network
logo.
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
and Dubbo, New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, and has since expanded to cover regional New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
and the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
as a Seven Network
Seven Network
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...
affiliate.
PRIME's administration and broadcast facilities are based in Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, alongside the network's parent company Prime Media Group Limited and the playout facilities for the 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...
.
Origins
Prime Television originally began as a group of separate stations and networks - Midstate Television in OrangeOrange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, Dubbo and Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
, RVN/AMV in Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
and Wagga Wagga, and NEN/ECN in Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
and Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
.
CBN-8 Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
began on 17 March 1962, followed by CWN-6 Dubbo on 1 December 1965. The two stations were both licensed to Country Broadcasting Services (also the owner of radio station 2GZ
2GZ
2GZ is an Australian radio station, licensed to Orange, New South Wales. It is owned and operated by Macquarie Regional RadioWorks, and transmits on 105.1 MHz on the FM band. It originally broadcast on 990kHz, before switching to 1089kHz, before switching to the FM band...
in Orange). CWN-6 was a direct relay of CBN-8 - this meant that the two stations formed the country's first regional network, CBN/CWN.
At the same time, RVN-2 Wagga Wagga
Wagga Wagga, New South Wales
Wagga Wagga is a city in New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Murrumbidgee River, and with an urban population of 46,735 people, Wagga Wagga is the state's largest inland city, as well as an important agricultural, military, and transport hub of Australia...
began on 19 June 1964, and MTN-9 Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
began on 15 December 1965. The two stations merged in 1971 as the Riverina and North East Victoria Television Service Pty Ltd, RVN/AMV on air.
In northern New South Wales, NEN-9 Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
began transmission on 27 September 1965, with a relay in Armidale
Armidale, New South Wales
Armidale is a city in the Northern Tablelands, New South Wales, Australia. Armidale Dumaresq Shire had a population of 19,485 people according to the 2006 census. It is the administrative centre for the Northern Tablelands region...
(NEN-1, later NEN-10) on 15 July 1966. ECN-8 Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
started on 27 May 1966. At one stage, ECN-8 was tied NRN-11 Coffs Harbour
Coffs Harbour, New South Wales
-History:By the early 1900s, the Coffs Harbour area had become an important timber production centre. Before the opening of the North Coast Railway Line, the only way to transport large items of heavy but low value, such as timber, was by coastal shipping. This meant sawmillers on the North Coast...
(now owned by Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting Limited was a diversified Australian media company, that owned and operated a variety of media businesses, primarily radio and television.-History:...
as Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
), however the two stations split. NEN later merged with ECN as NEN-9/ECN-8.
Television 6-8-9
As a result of the financial difficulties that many independent stations faced, MTN-9 joined CWN-6 and CBN-8 to form Television 6, 8, 9 in 1973 (later known as Midstate Television). Relays were launched in PortlandPortland, New South Wales
Portland is a town in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia. At the 2006 census, Portland had a population of 1,881 people. The town was named after Australia's first cement works.-Location:...
, Lithgow
Lithgow, New South Wales
Lithgow is a city in the Central Tablelands of New South Wales, Australia and is the centre of the local political division City of Lithgow. It is located in a mountain valley named Lithgow's Valley by John Oxley in honour of William Lithgow, the first Auditor-General of New South Wales.Lithgow is...
, Mudgee, Cobar
Cobar, New South Wales
-Notable people:*Nik Kosef, former rugby league player for the Manly-Warringah Sea Eagles, 1996 premiership player, NSW & Australia representative*Ernie Toshack, cricketer, member of Bradman's Invincibles* Jemma Heather, state representative 4 times....
, Kandos
Kandos, New South Wales
Kandos is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in the Mid-Western Regional Council. It is located on the Bylong Valley Way. At the 2006 census, Kandos had a population of 1,306 people.The main non-agricultural industry is the production of cement...
and Rylstone
Rylstone, New South Wales
Rylstone is a small town in New South Wales, Australia, in the Central Tablelands region within the Mid-Western Regional Council local government area. It is located on the Bylong Valley Way road route...
and Bathurst
Bathurst, New South Wales
-CBD and suburbs:Bathurst's CBD is located on William, George, Howick, Russell, and Durham Streets. The CBD is approximately 25 hectares and surrounds two city blocks. Within this block layout is banking, government services, shopping centres, retail shops, a park* and monuments...
.
Colour television was introduced at the same time as the rest of the country, on 1 March 1975 - one of the single most expensive processes undertaken by CBN to date. The station was a prominent broadcaster of local sporting events including Tennis
Tennis
Tennis is a sport usually played between two players or between two teams of two players each . Each player uses a racket that is strung to strike a hollow rubber ball covered with felt over a net into the opponent's court. Tennis is an Olympic sport and is played at all levels of society at all...
and Rugby
Rugby football
Rugby football is a style of football named after Rugby School in the United Kingdom. It is seen most prominently in two current sports, rugby league and rugby union.-History:...
. In 1979 a documentary titled Goin' Down The Road, about the 1978 National Rodeo Titles won the network a Logie award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for an 'Outstanding Contribution by a Regional Station'.
Midstate produced a number of local programs, including the Weekend Report, Early Shift, Rural Roundup and Around the Schools. Since 1968 CBN was able to access the Postmaster General
Postmaster-General's Department
The Postmaster-General's Department was created at Federation in 1901 to control all postal services within Australia. Its minister was the Postmaster-General. In mid-1975 it was disaggregated into the Australian Telecommunications Commission and the Australian Postal Commission...
's microwave link for national news and other major events.
Aggregation
Seven Network
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...
programming in readiness for aggregation.
When aggregation took place, Prime began broadcasting to both southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
and northern Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
. Transmission problems meant that aggregation in southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
took place in two stages - first the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
and NSW south coast on 31 March 1989, followed by Orange
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
, Dubbo, and Wagga Wagga on 31 December 1989. These changes led to the de-merger of RVN-AMV, with RVN becoming CBN-2.
Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
remained a one-station market, however instead of taking programming from Prime in line with the network's other stations, MTN-9 relayed programming mainly from 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 southern New South Wales. A supplementary license, AMN-31, was successfully bid for by MTN in 1996, providing a relay of Prime Television. Soon after the station was purchased by 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...
, which undertook a number of minor changes - mainly changing the news service to WIN News
WIN News
WIN News is a local television news service in parts of regional Australia, produced by WIN Television. 20 regional bulletins are presented from studios in Wollongong, Canberra, Ballarat, Rockhampton, Toowoomba, Mount Gambier, Hobart and Perth.-History:As well as its flagship nightly...
, and using entirely WIN branding. AMN-31 remains a relay of Prime. Similarly, the Mildura
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
license area remained separate from the remainder of Victoria, albeit with a single station, STV-8, later bought out by 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 1996. In 1997 Prime was successful in bidding for a new license for the area at a cost of $3.2 million. PTV-31 began broadcasting the following year.
Although advertising revenue increased post-aggregation, local programming declined as a result of the costs incurred by the network's expansion - an estimated $45 million had been spent by Ramcorp during and in the lead-up to aggregation. After losses of $50 million, it was not until 1993 that the renamed Prime Television Limited
Prime Television Limited
Prime Media Group Limited is an Australian-based media corporation, owner of regional television network Prime7 in eastern Australia, the GWN7 in regional Western Australia, and a number of radio stations in Queensland....
posted a profit.
In November 1996, PRIME's parent company, Prime Television Limited
Prime Television Limited
Prime Media Group Limited is an Australian-based media corporation, owner of regional television network Prime7 in eastern Australia, the GWN7 in regional Western Australia, and a number of radio stations in Queensland....
, purchased the 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...
, a merged group of four stations; BTW-3 Bunbury
Bunbury, Western Australia
The port city of Bunbury is the third largest city in Western Australia after the State Capital Perth and Mandurah. It is situated south of Perth's central business district...
, VEW-8 Kalgoorlie
Kalgoorlie, Western Australia
Kalgoorlie, known as Kalgoorlie-Boulder, is a town in the Goldfields-Esperance region of Western Australia, and is located east-northeast of state capital Perth at the end of the Great Eastern Highway...
, GTW-11 Geraldton
Geraldton, Western Australia
Geraldton is a city and port in Western Australia located north of Perth in the Mid West region. Geraldton has an estimated population at June 2010 of 36,958...
and GSW-9 Albany
Albany, Western Australia
Albany is a port city in the Great Southern region of Western Australia, some 418 km SE of Perth, the state capital. As of 2009, Albany's population was estimated at 33,600, making it the 6th-largest city in the state....
. Western Australia, similar to Griffith and Mildura, remained a one-station commercial market until 1999 when GWN became a Seven Network
Seven Network
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...
affiliate, after 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...
began transmission as an affiliate of both 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...
.
The network began to expand into New Zealand in 1997, when a number of licenses were purchased from United Christian Broadcasters
United Christian Broadcasters
United Christian Broadcasters is an international Christian broadcasting and media group. Through affiliates in twenty five countries, it operates radio and television stations and publishes and broadcasts Bob Gass's free daily devotionals The Word for You Today and word4u2day...
for an estimated $3.6 million. Prime Television New Zealand
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
began broadcasting on 30 August 1998, with a nightly local news program in both Waikato
Waikato
The Waikato Region is a local government region of the upper North Island of New Zealand. It covers the Waikato, Hauraki, Coromandel Peninsula, the northern King Country, much of the Taupo District, and parts of Rotorua District...
and Christchurch
Christchurch
Christchurch is the largest city in the South Island of New Zealand, and the country's second-largest urban area after Auckland. It lies one third of the way down the South Island's east coast, just north of Banks Peninsula which itself, since 2006, lies within the formal limits of...
. Prime also expanded into Argentina
Argentina
Argentina , officially the Argentine Republic , is the second largest country in South America by land area, after Brazil. It is constituted as a federation of 23 provinces and an autonomous city, Buenos Aires...
with the purchase of the Canal 9
Canal 9 (Argentina)
Canal 9 is an Argentine television network based in Buenos Aires. It is a general entertainment station which offers news, soap operas, talk shows, and movies.-History:...
network.
2000s
The renamed Argentine network Azul Televisión was sold for $108 million in early 2000 due to lower-than-expected performance. During the same year, Prime benefited greatly from its affiliation with the Seven NetworkSeven Network
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...
throughout its carriage 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
Sydney
Sydney is the most populous city in Australia and the state capital of New South Wales. Sydney is located on Australia's south-east coast of the Tasman Sea. As of June 2010, the greater metropolitan area had an approximate population of 4.6 million people...
. The network's relationship with Seven was further developed throughout the early 2000s, leading to the unsuccessful introduction of 7onPrime branding for Seven Network
Seven Network
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...
-produced programs.
Local news bulletins for Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, and Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
were axed in 2001 due to falling ratings and the anticipated costs of the switch to digital television
Digital television
Digital television is the transmission of audio and video by digital signals, in contrast to the analog signals used by analog TV...
. This, and the closure of a number of news bulletins by Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting Limited was a diversified Australian media company, that owned and operated a variety of media businesses, primarily radio and television.-History:...
, prompted the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority
The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Australian government agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
to investigate the adequacy of regional news services The ABA later mandated that stations broadcast a minimum level of local content, based on a points system - two points per minute for local news, and one point per minute for other local content, excluding paid advertisements.
Prime formed a partnership with 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...
(affiliated in Australia to competitor 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...
), giving its owner, PBL Media
PBL Media
Nine Entertainment Co. is a media company owned by CVC Asia Pacific.Originally a 50/50 joint venture with Consolidated Media Holdings, in June 2007 PBL announced that it would sell a further 25% to CVC for A$ 515 million...
the option to purchase a 50% share of Prime Television New Zealand
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
in return for access to original programming, and cross-promotion in PBL's New Zealand magazine titles. Following this, Prime Television New Zealand began to take on branding and programming similar to that 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...
. In November 2005, Prime Television New Zealand
Prime Television New Zealand
Prime is the seventh national free-to-air television station in New Zealand. The station airs a mixed group of programmes, largely imported from Australia, the UK and the United States, as well as free-to-air rugby union, cricket and rugby league matches....
was purchased by subscription television provider SKY Network Television
SKY Network Television
Sky Network Television Limited , , is a New Zealand pay television service. On 30 June 2011, Sky had 829,421 subscribers, which comprises:*808,617 digital subscribers*20,840 other subscribers...
for $NZ
New Zealand dollar
The New Zealand dollar is the currency of New Zealand. It also circulates in the Cook Islands , Niue, Tokelau, and the Pitcairn Islands. It is divided into 100 cents....
30 million, completed after approval by New Zealand's Commerce Commission
Commerce Commission
The Commerce Commission is a New Zealand government agency charged with enforcing legislation that promotes competition in the country's markets and prohibits misleading and deceptive conduct by traders...
in February 2006.
Mildura Digital Television
Mildura Digital Television
Ten Mildura is a joint venture television station between Prime Media Group and Win Television. Based in Mildura, Victoria, Australia, it is a digital-only Network Ten affiliate, and began broadcasting on 1 January 2006....
, a digital-only station in Mildura
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
began transmissions in 2006 as a joint venture between Prime Television Limited
Prime Television Limited
Prime Media Group Limited is an Australian-based media corporation, owner of regional television network Prime7 in eastern Australia, the GWN7 in regional Western Australia, and a number of radio stations in Queensland....
and WIN Corporation
WIN Corporation
The WIN Corporation is a Wollongong based media company, that owns the WIN Television network, NWS, and STW in Australia.It began broadcasting in Wollongong with one station in 1963. Bruce Gordon acquired control of the company in 1979 and initiated a period of growth which has seen the Network...
. Section 38B of the Broadcasting Services Act allowed for the provision of a third station owned by either one or both existing networks. MDT is a direct relay of Ten Melbourne
ATV-10
ATV is a television station in Melbourne, Australia, part of Network Ten - one of the three major Australian commercial television networks.-History:...
, albeit with local advertising.
Prime Television announced on 21 December 2009 that it would start broadcasting 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....
on 23 December 2009.
2010s
On 25 September 2010, Prime began transmission of the new HD digital channel 7mate7mate
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...
. On 15 January 2011, Prime Media Group reported that Prime and GWN
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...
were to rebrand as Prime7 and GWN7 respectively. The news bulletins has changed to Prime7 News and GWN7 News, during that, 7TWO and 7MATE dropped the "Prime" logo on the multichannels. Prime and GWN relaunched on 16 January 2011 at 6:00pm.
Programming
Prime's programming schedule is almost identical to that of its metropolitan affiliate, the Seven NetworkSeven Network
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...
, with some differences. Since the network's inception it has featured a broad range of original local programming, currently including children's program The Saturday Club, music show X:Press as well as community service segment Prime InfoNet, a series of short updates listing local community events.
Prime's overnight schedule also differs from the Seven Network feed, containing infomercials from Danoz Direct, Home Shopping, and a feed from pay television channel Expo
Expo Channel
Expo Channel is an Australian home shopping channel. It is owned by Direct Group Pty Ltd, a marketing and direct sales company based in Sydney, which also owns sister channel TVSN.-History:...
. Past programming from Prime Television has been recognised nationally, with some local productions winning the Logie Award
Logie Award
The TV Week Logie Awards are the Australian television industry awards, which have been presented annually since 1959. Renamed by Graham Kennedy in 1960 after he won the first 'Star Of The Year' award, the name 'Logie' awards honours John Logie Baird, a Scotsman who invented the television as a...
for 'Outstanding Contribution by a Regional Television Station'. The network has won Logies for Goin' Down The Road (CBN-8, 1979), Naturally (NEN-9/ECN-8, 1984), Stranded (Prime Television, 1993), Rest in Peace (Prime Television, 1994), and No Time For Frailty (Prime Television, 1996).
News
Orange, New South Wales
Orange is a city in the Central West region of New South Wales, Australia. It is west of the state capital, Sydney, at an altitude of . Orange has an estimated population of 39,329 and the city is a major provincial centre....
/Dubbo, "RVN-2/AMV-4", Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
/Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
and "9/8 Television" (NEN-9/ECN-8) Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
/Taree
Taree, New South Wales
Taree is a city on the Mid North Coast, New South Wales, Australia. Taree and nearby Cundletown were settled in 1831 by William Wynter. Since then Taree has grown to a population of around 20,000 people and is the centre of a significant agricultural district. It is 16 km from the sea coast,...
, prior to the aggregation. of regional television services in New South Wales that occurred in the early 1990s. In other areas two-minute news updates are shown at various times of the day.
Prime7 News is presented live, from local studios weeknightly at 6pm in most areas, with the exception of Orange and Wagga Wagga where both bulletins presented from Canberra, followed by a delayed bulletin of Seven 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...
. The Albury and Orange Prime7 News bulletins are presented by Daniel Gibson
Daniel Gibson (presenter)
Daniel Gibson is an Australian television presenter and is seen weeknightly across most of the Prime Television Network as a the weather presenter....
with Madelaine Collignon presenting the weather. Elspeth Taylor and sport presenter Bill North present the Tamworth and North Coast bulletins, while in Wagga Wagga the news presenter is presented by Doug Hogan. Each region has its own reporter, such as Port Macquarie's Amanda Douglas.
News bulletins for the Gold Coast
Gold Coast, Queensland
Gold Coast is a coastal city of Australia located in South East Queensland, 94km south of the state capital Brisbane. With a population approximately 540,000 in 2010, it is the second most populous city in the state, the sixth most populous city in the country, and also the most populous...
, Newcastle
Newcastle, New South Wales
The Newcastle metropolitan area is the second most populated area in the Australian state of New South Wales and includes most of the Newcastle and Lake Macquarie Local Government Areas...
, Canberra
Canberra
Canberra is the capital city of Australia. With a population of over 345,000, it is Australia's largest inland city and the eighth-largest city overall. The city is located at the northern end of the Australian Capital Territory , south-west of Sydney, and north-east of Melbourne...
, and Wollongong
Wollongong, New South Wales
Wollongong is a seaside city located in the Illawarra region of New South Wales, Australia. It lies on the narrow coastal strip between the Illawarra Escarpment and the Pacific Ocean, 82 kilometres south of Sydney...
were axed in 2001 (in the Gold Coast's case, 2000). At the same time, the network's Moree
Morée
Morée is a commune in the Loir-et-Cher department of central France.-See also:*Communes of the Loir-et-Cher department...
news bureau, which provided stories for the Tamworth
Tamworth, New South Wales
Tamworth is a city in the New England region of New South Wales, Australia. Straddling the Peel River, Tamworth, which contains an estimated population of 47,595 people, is the major regional centre for southern New England and in the local government area of Tamworth Regional Council. The city...
bulletin, was closed. This, as well as the closure of bulletin by Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten
Southern Cross Ten is an Australian television channel broadcast by the Macquarie Media Group in Queensland, New South Wales, the Australian Capital Territory, Victoria and South Australia. The channel is owned by the Macquarie Media Group as is affiliated to Network Ten...
in parts of Queensland
Queensland
Queensland is a state of Australia, occupying the north-eastern section of the mainland continent. It is bordered by the Northern Territory, South Australia and New South Wales to the west, south-west and south respectively. To the east, Queensland is bordered by the Coral Sea and Pacific Ocean...
and New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
, prompted an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Authority
Australian Broadcasting Authority
The Australian Broadcasting Authority was an Australian government agency whose main roles were to regulate broadcasting, radiocommunications and telecommunications....
. New rules were later set out requiring regional stations to offer minimum levels of local content, over a six-week period.
Two-minute news updates were introduced to Newcastle, Wollongong and Canberra in 2004. These updates are presented by Natalie Forrest, Daniel Gibson
Daniel Gibson (presenter)
Daniel Gibson is an Australian television presenter and is seen weeknightly across most of the Prime Television Network as a the weather presenter....
(weather), Madelaine Collignon (fill-in weather) and Renee Bogatko (fill-in news). Weekend weathers to the markets of Newcastle/Hunter Valley, Tamworth, North Coast NSW and South East QLD/Gold Coast are presented by Craig Moore.
A number of well-known news presenters and television personalities began their careers at Prime7 News, including former 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...
co-host Jessica Rowe
Jessica Rowe
Jessica Rowe is an Australian television news presenter. Rowe attended Sydney Girls High School in Sydney, and completed a Communications degree at Charles Sturt University in Bathurst. During her studies she was a broadcaster with on-campus community radio station 2MCE-FM...
, 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....
co-host 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:...
, and It Takes Two host Grant Denyer
Grant Denyer
Grant Denyer is an Australian television reporter, personality and motor racing driver.-Television career:In 1997, Denyer began his career in the media, he gained a position at Prime Television in Wagga Wagga as a news reporter and journalist...
. Kerryn Johnston presented Prime's Wollongong bulletin until it was axed, when she moved to 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...
where she currently co-anchors the network's Illawarra bulletins.
Availability
Prime Television is available in analogAnalog television
Analog television is the analog transmission that involves the broadcasting of encoded analog audio and analog video signal: one in which the message conveyed by the broadcast signal is a function of deliberate variations in the amplitude and/or frequency of the signal...
PAL
PAL
PAL, short for Phase Alternating Line, is an analogue television colour encoding system used in broadcast television systems in many countries. Other common analogue television systems are NTSC and SECAM. This page primarily discusses the PAL colour encoding system...
and standard definition digital
Digital terrestrial television
Digital terrestrial television is the technological evolution of broadcast television and advance from analog television, which broadcasts land-based signals...
format. Since June 2007 a 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...
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...
simulcast has also been available, replacing the network's former 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...
service. Prime is viewed mainly through free-to-air
Free-to-air
Free-to-air describes television and radio services broadcast in clear form, allowing any person with the appropriate receiving equipment to receive the signal and view or listen to the content without requiring a subscription or one-off fee...
terrestrial
Terrestrial television
Terrestrial television is a mode of television broadcasting which does not involve satellite transmission or cables — typically using radio waves through transmitting and receiving antennas or television antenna aerials...
transmitter
Transmitter
In electronics and telecommunications a transmitter or radio transmitter is an electronic device which, with the aid of an antenna, produces radio waves. The transmitter itself generates a radio frequency alternating current, which is applied to the antenna. When excited by this alternating...
s, although subscription cable also provided by TransACT
TransACT
TransACT Capital Communications is an Australian telecommunications company based in Canberra which provides broadband internet access, fixed telephony, cable television services, and mobile phone services in Canberra and a subset of these services in Queanbeyan, throughout South-east New South...
and Neighbourhood Cable
Neighbourhood Cable
Neighbourhood Cable is a telecommunications provider based in regional Victoria, Australia . Neighbourhood Cable owns and operates Hybrid Fibre Coaxial cable networks in three Victorian regional cities:* Mildura* Ballarat* Geelong...
in the Australian Capital Territory
Australian Capital Territory
The Australian Capital Territory, often abbreviated ACT, is the capital territory of the Commonwealth of Australia and is the smallest self-governing internal territory...
and Ballarat
Ballarat, Victoria
Ballarat is a city in the state of Victoria, Australia, approximately west-north-west of the state capital Melbourne situated on the lower plains of the Great Dividing Range and the Yarrowee River catchment. It is the largest inland centre and third most populous city in the state and the fifth...
, respectively.
Prime broadcasts to southern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
through stations based in Orange and Dubbo, northern New South Wales
New South Wales
New South Wales is a state of :Australia, located in the east of the country. It is bordered by Queensland, Victoria and South Australia to the north, south and west respectively. To the east, the state is bordered by the Tasman Sea, which forms part of the Pacific Ocean. New South Wales...
from stations in Tamworth and Taree, Victoria
Victoria (Australia)
Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia. Geographically the smallest mainland state, Victoria is bordered by New South Wales, South Australia, and Tasmania on Boundary Islet to the north, west and south respectively....
from its Albury
Albury, New South Wales
Albury is a major regional city in New South Wales, Australia, located on the Hume Highway on the northern side of the Murray River. It is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Albury Local Government Area...
-Wodonga
Wodonga, Victoria
Wodonga is a small city on the Victorian side of the border with New South Wales, north-east of Melbourne, Australia. Adjacent to Wodonga across the border is the New South Wales city of Albury. Wodonga is located wholly within the boundaries of the City of Wodonga LGA...
-based station AMV, and Mildura
Mildura, Victoria
Mildura is a regional city in northwestern Victoria, Australia and seat of the Rural City of Mildura local government area. It is located in the Sunraysia region, and is on the banks of the Murray River. The current population is estimated at just over 30,000.Mildura is a major agricultural centre...
via PTV
PTV (TV station)
PTV is an Australian television station licensed to, and serving the regions surrounding Mildura in Australia. The station commenced transmissions in 1997, when Prime Television won the second television license for Mildura, a non-aggregated market, in competition with WIN Television.Analogue...
. Prime is relayed to Griffith
Griffith, New South Wales
Griffith is a city in south-western New South Wales, Australia. It is also the seat of the City of Griffith local government area. Like the Australian capital, Canberra and the nearby town of Leeton, Griffith was designed by Walter Burley Griffin. Griffith was named after Sir Arthur Griffith the...
by the 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...
-owned supplementary station AMN.
Logos
Prime Television became a network in November 1988, witha shared logo produced and used across the regional stations, featuring the word Prime Television above an outlined rectangle. Aggregation occurred across the network on 31 December 1989, along with the introduction of a green logo featuring the word Prime with the letter i dotted with a globe. This logo was used across the network until 1991, when a new gold logo was introduced. Following a decade in use, 2001 saw the launch of a new simplified yellow logo, with the removal of the circle. This logo has been used since, and was launched concurrently with a similarly design logo on the Golden West NetworkGolden 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...
. Following the 2011 relaunch, a new logo was introduced which features the Seven Network
Seven Network
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...
logo.