ABC2

This article is about the Australian television channel. For other uses, see ABC2 (disambiguation).
ABC2
Launched 7 March 2005
Network ABC Television
Owned by Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Picture format 576i (SDTV) 16:9
Audience share 1.3% in metro areas (November 2009, [1])
Slogan Always Brighter
Country Australia
Language English
Broadcast area Nationally
Replaced ABC Kids channel
Fly TV
Sister channel(s) ABC
ABC HD (June 2016)
ABC3
ABC Kids
ABC News 24
Website abc.net.au/tv/channels/abc2.htm
Availability
Terrestrial
ABN Sydney (DVB-T) 546/674 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)[2]
ABV Melbourne (DVB-T) 562/690 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABQ Brisbane (DVB-T) 578/706 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABS Adelaide (DVB-T) 594 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABW Perth/Mandurah (DVB-T) 738 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABT Hobart (DVB-T) 626 @ 8 (191.5 MHz)
ABD Darwin (DVB-T) 642 @ 30 (543.5 MHz)
Freeview ABC (virtual) 22
Satellite
Foxtel (virtual) 226
VAST (virtual) 22
Cable
Foxtel/Optus (virtual) 226
TransACT (virtual) 22

ABC2 is a national public digital television multichannel in Australia. Launched on 7 March 2005, it is the responsibility of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television division, and is available nationally to digital television viewers in Australia. The channel broadcasts a range of original content supplemented with repeats of popular ABC TV programmes, magazine shows, and sport. Between the hours of 5am and 7pm daily the channel's bandwidth is used for the ABC Kids channel for young children.

History

Origins

The history of ABC2 can be traced back to 1998 when the Australian Broadcasting Authority released a report, titled Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting, recommending that the Australian Government support the early introduction of digital broadcasting as a free-to-air service with the loan of a 7 MHz channel for each broadcaster.[3] The Australian Broadcasting Corporation stated that it wished to run up to four multichannels at different times of the day or alternatively offer a high-definition television service. The corporation claimed that up to A$100 million would be needed to prepare for these services, half of which would need to be government-funded.[3]

In August 2001 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched the ABC Kids Channel, with Fly TV following in November 2001. The two multichannels, available only through digital television, broadcast a range of programming targeted at younger and teenage viewers.[4] Funding issues meant that, in June 2003, ABC Television closed ABC Kids and Fly TV.[5] Unlike its predecessors, ABC2 launched on 7 March 2005 on channel 21, independent of government funding, instead running on a budget of A$3 million per year.[6] The first programme in the launch schedule was an episode of Landline – although scheduled to begin at 6.25am, the programme was delayed ten minutes. The channel was officially inaugurated by former Minister for Communications, Senator Helen Coonan, at the Australian Parliament House in Canberra on 10 March 2005.[7]

Late 2000s

Weekly video gaming and technology programme Good Game was launched on 19 September 2006, becoming one of the first programmes in its genre to be broadcast on free-to-air television in Australia.[8] Similarly in the same year, programmes produced included Australia Wide, Short and Curly, dig tv and Late Night Legends.

Genre restrictions imposed by the Australian government on digital multichanneling were lifted along with the media ownership laws passed through the Australian parliament on 18 October 2006.[8][9] Previously limited in the subjects it could cover, ABC2 was henceforth able to carry shows identified as comedy, drama, national news, sport or entertainment.

On 1 January 2008 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation announced the introduction of live coverage and programme content on ABC2 from the Australian Film Commission, Opera Australia, and the Australian Ballet.[10]

At 12:00pm on 8 February 2008 ABC2 was rebranded with a new slogan[11] and yellow-coloured logo, complementing the new ABC TV logo, which was concurrently revamped as ABC1.[12][13] The channel also moved from channel 21 to channel 22.[14]

Controllers

In 2010, as part of a revamp of the entire ABC Television network, ABC2 hired its very first television controller, Stuart Menzies (formerly Head of ABC Documentaries).[15] ABC1 also hired its very first television controller, Brendan Dahill.

Programming

ABC2 is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations.[16] Although it has a strong focus on comedic and lifestyle programming, it also presents documentaries and educational programmes, news and current affairs, children's shows, drama, and sports.

News and Current Affairs (2005–2010)

To allow automated operation of the channel without the complications of variable length live news broadcasts, prior to the launch of ABC News 24, ABC2 broadcast hourly ABC News updates produced for ABC Online. ABC2 also launched the morning show, ABC News Breakfast, on 3 November 2008, a three-hour news program running every weekday. The program is now simulcast on ABC and ABC News 24.

ABC2 also previously ran ABC Asia Pacific News, which is produced for the Australia Network.

In May 2011, with the move of ABC News Breakfast to ABC, children's programming was relocated to ABC2 and ABC3.

Sport

Further information: ABC Sport

ABC2 broadcasts exclusive national coverage of many sporting competitions, which include the New South Wales Rugby Union, Queensland Rugby League, Victorian Football League, South Australian National Football League, West Australian Football League, and the Northern Territory Football League. The Women's National Basketball League and W-League Women's Football Competition is broadcast live on ABC2 every week. In addition to this ABC2 also broadcasts the Fed Cup and the Tiwi Islands Football League Grand Final annually.

Availability

Further information: ABC Television

ABC2 is available on all of ABC Television's digital television transmitters in 576i SD Digital, as well as on most satellite and cable services.

ABC2 does not broadcast 24 hours a day. From 6am to 7pm daily, the channel's bandwidth is used for the ABC Kids channel. ABC2's programming commences at 7pm daily and usually closes around 2am.

Logo and branding history

The channel launched with a three-dimensional logo of the numeral two. The previous idents were produced in part by Amanda Dennis (known for her work on Australia Wide, and Good Game), and were used in some form since the channel's launch, until the 2008 rebrand. ABC2's previous slogan was "More Choice, More Often". All promos featured the "Big 2" placed in famous, and iconic Australian locations, such as Port Jackson, the Melbourne Exhibition and Convention Centre and the Northern Territory. The "Big 2" was somewhat similar to the on air mascot of BBC Two in appearance. ABC2's logo was modified for the promotion of the channels launch, and for various sporting events, notably the channel's launch, where the logo appeared under-construction, and during the promotion of Australians Women's Netball where it took on the appearance of a netball.

On 8 February 2008, ABC2 updated to a yellow logo, and slogan to "Connecting 2",[13] as well as moving its digital terrestrial broadcast from Channel 21 to Channel 22. In addition to this, the slogan "More Choice, More Often" was replaced with "Connecting 2". After concerns in some sections of the media that the 43-year-old Lissajous curve brand was to disappear completely, ABC management reaffirmed that it would remain in use by the corporation.[17][18] On 1 April 2011 the logo was rebranded to look similar to that of the logo used by ABC1, and the slogan replaced with "Always Brighter". The logo was refreshed in 2015 and the Lissajous curve was removed.


See also

References

  1. ↑
  2. ↑ http://www.freetv.com.au/media/Engineering/Australian_Digital_Terrestrial_Television_Broadcasting_Service_Information_Register_-_Issue_4_-_January_2011.pdf
  3. 1 2 "Bills Digest No. 178 1997–98: Television Broadcasting Services (Digital Conversion) Bill 1998". Australian Parliamentary Library. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  4. ↑ "ABC Kids Channel" (Press release). Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts. 17 August 2001. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  5. ↑ "Government digital disaster as ABC cuts ABC Kids and Fly TV" (Press release). Lindsay Tanner MP, Shadow Minister for Communications. 26 May 2003. Archived from the original on 31 August 2007. Retrieved 19 August 2007.
  6. ↑ Inglis, Kenneth Stanley (2006). Whose ABC? The Australian Broadcasting Corporation 1983–2006. Melbourne: Black Inc. ISBN 1-86395-189-X.
  7. ↑ "ABC2 launched at Parliament House". ABC New Media & Digital Services. dba.org.au. 11 March 2005. Retrieved 31 March 2007.
  8. 1 2 "The ABC's digital evolution". The Australian. 19 October 2006. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  9. ↑ Day, Julia (18 October 2006). "Australia opens up media investment". The Guardian (London). Retrieved 31 March 2007.
  10. ↑ "Live interactive role for Jones". The Australian. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 10 February 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  11. ↑ ABC Redefining Television
  12. ↑ "ABC promises more content choice". The Australian. 6 February 2008. Retrieved 6 February 2008.
  13. 1 2 "ABC gets squiggle on for new channels". The Australian. 7 February 2008. Archived from the original on 9 February 2008. Retrieved 7 February 2008.
  14. ↑ ABC Television Contact Us
  15. ↑ "ABC2 Controller Announced – ABC TV Blog". Australian Broadcasting Corporation.
  16. ↑ "Australian Broadcasting Corporation Act 1983". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 1983. Archived from the original on 23 November 2007. Retrieved 6 December 2007.
  17. ↑ Welch, Dylan (30 January 2008). "ABC squiggle to stay". Brisbane Times. Retrieved 30 January 2008.
  18. ↑ "ABC revamps squiggle logo". ABC Online. 30 January 2008. Archived from the original on 1 February 2008. Retrieved 30 January 2008.

External links

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