Probably been shared before, but found this gem about the nine network logo. https://desktopmag.com.au/features/top-ten-australian-logos-7th/#.V9OocZN97-k
Nine’s logo made seventh place, however a little known niche broadcaster known as the ABC made first.
Anywho, back on the old forums there is/was a thread from 2005 discussing the rumours Nine were about to ditch the dots. Basically a lot of people agreed it was a crazy thing to do back then and came to the same conclusion as the countdown you linked to - Nine’s logo pretty damn iconic.
…and we can’t forget about how the SBS logo was at #10!
I think the fact that Nine eventually reinstated the dots to it’s logo in 2008 (and more recently, has added them to the logos of all network brands) proves that it was a very big mistake to drop them in the first place. Afterall, some of the worlds most iconic logos/brands have been used for several decades with only so much as minor alterations along the way…
As far as the ABC logo is concerned, I like it but I do wonder when the revived “classic” logo is finally going to be used on all channels! They’re about halfway there with the main channel, ABC3/ABC ME and ABC KIDS logos…
I read recently that there used to be 4 TV towers in Sydney and that the channel 7 tower was demolished and 7 started transmitting from the 10 tower. I had always assumed that the new channel 10 stared transmitting from the 7 tower when it came on air rather than having to build another one.
When Channel 0 started in Brisbane, they constructed a new tower but when I looked on Google maps at the other capital cities I could only find three towers (though they are quite hard to find visually - I admit to not looking in a lot of detail).
What is the history of the analogue transmission towers for each capital? Can members ID which tower originally transmitted each station and give any info on the history? I would be interested to know tnx.
Seven had some sort of transmission tower at Epping which was demolished along with the studios around 2010 or thereabouts, I thought that was more of a link to the transmitter thing (rather than one actually broadcasting the VHF-7 signal) myself but of course I could be wrong!
I think the original ATN-7 tower was beside the ABN-2 tower.
For some years in the late 1960s I remember TCN-9 had 1½ towers, there was one finished and one half built tower. I was told at the time that Nine wasn’t able to afford to finish building a new tower. But I have since found out that Nine did replace their original tower, so don’t know if I saw the new tower partly constructed or the partly demolished old one.
TEN10 indeed constructed its own tower when it was preparing to launch. Part of the delay in TEN getting to air (it had postponed its launch date 3 times) was due to delays in construction of the tower, not helped by a consistent bout of bad weather plus large trucks carrying material for the tower having to negotiate tight streets in the nearby suburban area.
In Melbourne, all of ABC, Seven, Nine and 0/10 were broadcast from their own individual towers. I believe SBS hooked on to the ABC tower, as did a number of FM radio stations as they came on air. But I understand that Fox FM broadcast from the Channel 10 tower.
Are there any images that show the 4 towers in Melbourne?
Here is more on the Sydney towers - according to one post, ANT 7 tower was demolished because it was unsafe in 1973 - it was adjacent to ABN 2 at Gore Hill.
It also confirms that it took 9 10 years to demolish their old tower after the new one came on line - hence the 1 1/2 towers.
Not that I can recall. I used to have an old street directory that pin pointed where all four towers were on Mt Dandenong but that has long gone… as I suspect some of the towers have too.
EDIT: It might also be worth pointing out that in Sydney the Channel 9 tower also used to hold a back-up transmitter for Channel 10.
They’re still listed in the Melway directory. http://online.melway.com.au/melway/ map 66 D2 and thereabouts… They are operated by TX Australia these days. http://www.txaustralia.com.au/tvcoverage/metropolitan/melbourne. Here they were in 1966 http://melwayed1.melway.com.au/066.jpg
That’s it. I think the GTV tower was on the adjacent page (52?)
Yeah it is the closest one to Skyhigh. With the 1966 Melway, the map number is the last three digits so if you know the map, just type in there.
As an aside, how is Melway making any money if they’re publishing their current street directory online free? Nobody buys the printed one anymore except for the die-hards. Although I do admit I still use my battered old Melways in the car occasionally but the book’s over 10 years old.
Just in case you didn’t know, you can download a .kmz file that you can plug into Google Earth to view locations of ALL broadcast transmitters (AM, FM and digital radio and TV).
More info here
Combine that with Street View, and you could view a lot of the transmitters that way.
This is from ACMAs Google Earth KMZ files which can be downloaded here:
http://www.acma.gov.au/Citizen/Consumer-info/Broadcasting-in-my-area/Lists-of-broadcasters/list-of-licensed-broadcasting-transmitters
There was a mistaken belief by at least some people that the tower at the ATN 7 studios at Epping was their transmission tower, but it was a rather tall microwave tower. I remember seeing it when I had to pickup and drop off films at Atlab in the late 1970s and early 1980s, which at the time was owned by and co-located with ATN 7.
Some background on Mt Dandenong towers - build dates, heights etc.
I know the Brisbane towers changed in appearance when digital TV stated - in short, they all got extra sections added to the tops, obviously at a time when the signals were still broadcast separately by each station.
The current 9 tower in Brisbane is the second for QTQ. For some reason a new tower was built adjacent to the old. The original is now in use to transmit Gold Coast TV from Mt Tambourine.
There was some discussion in the Southern Cross thread about signage - this is the streetview of the entrance to 9 Brisbane with the tower in the backgraound
Alan Bond built a new taller tower for QTQ in 1987 at the same time building a new newsroom/set. The old tower stood next to it for a couple of years afterwards (with the top cut off) before being dismantled.
A pic I took of Mt Dandenong back in 2007 from near Skyhigh/Channel 9 tower
https://flic.kr/p/rGD2u6
and from Montrose
https://flic.kr/p/s1QoTy