Regional TV History (pre-aggregation)

Funny you mentioned Murrurundi, as I found this at the library today too … Murrurundi (and Merriwa) was apparently just “offered” to NBN

(Newcastle Herald 9 Nov 1977)

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So how did NEN got mixed in? Were Murrurundi and other residents trying to get NEN instead of NBN? Did NEN claim Murrurundi to be part of “their” area?

Merriwa would’ve been lumped in with NBN, unless CBN tried to claim it via a relay from Mudgee?

I’ve not heard/seen anything about NEN trying to cover Murrurundi? Where did you see/hear that?

Dr Thurlow’s book - here’s the passage

So my thinking (take it with the Saxa salt factory’s entire capacity) is that either residents tried to get NEN themselves via Quirundi or Mt Dowe directly and/or NEN thought they should be the ones to cover the area and would eventually get to Murrurundi via a translator.

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I can only think that the NBN/NEN applications were made before the decision was made to offer the Murrurundi area to NBN in November 1977. And that the Herald article I posted just didn’t give the full history of the applications from NEN/NBN to service Murrurundi that may have lead to that decision?

Probably. Having read through the ABCB/ABT reports of the time, they just mentioned that the translator was going to be NBN. Neither the feds nor the Herald didn’t go into the minute, juicy detail we all go so crazy for around here. :laughing:

You could make the argument one way or the other about who should cover Murrurundi and Blandford and be fairly correct.

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Agree, particularly when the Mt Helen TX covers Willow Tree as well which is firmly in NEN territory - that might have been part of why NEN wanted to cover that area too.

My understanding is that the ABC when in Toowong used to off-air receive ABRN6 in the day. And used it as a backup network program source when the direct ABN to ABQ bearer would fail or be used to transfer news material prior to the 7pm News instead of network program. As ABRN6 was linked into the fulltime ABN NSW state northbound bearer when ABRN was finally linked through from Sydney after ABDN2 Grafton was opened up a couple years after ABRN commenced. Being that ABRN used to source program from Toowong fulltime for a couple years when it started until after Grafton commenced. For a while ABQ used to supply ABRN a separate 6.55 Regional News just for Lismore out of Toowong. Not sure if that continued when ABRN finally sourced ABN program fulltime after ABDN was opened up? If so, that would have meant someone doing a PIE switch at Mt Nardi each night or at the PMG/Telecom exchange that fed ABC program into Mt Nardi? Not sure if there is anyone around that can confirm anymore?

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Rod Henshaw from Brisbane reading ABRN 6 regional news 1983

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Great find. ABC QLD used to split 7 ways for the 6.55 Regional News and 7.25 Weather each weeknight. 3 bulletins leaving Toowong going to Darling Downs and west, north to Wide Bay, and south to Lismore. ABC Rockhampton did Central QLD including Mackay, and ABC Townsville split separate bulletins to Townsville, north to Cairns, and west to Mt Isa through Charters Towers. ABCTV QLD being the only state that had regional TV production centres until they were closed down around 1984.

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Where would that have been from? Has been mentioned about using Mt Gravatt Lookout for the reception then driving to the studio? Thinking that Mt Coot-tha would not have been a good place to receive channel 6 despite the height thanks to the proximity to BTQ7. Would it have been from Toowong?

Thanks for that

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Capital initially wanted to delay aggregation in Canberra/S-NSW until the end of the year.


Scanned from Lake Times 4/3/1989 at Shellharbour City Museum

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Capital was one of those that didn’t really want aggregation at all.

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And history has shown they were right to be opposed to it.

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Agree, I think all of the Ten affiliates were against it.

IIRC correctly, only the Seven affiliates and WIN (Southern NSW) were in favour of it.

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From what I recall, in NSW it was only the stations operated under the Prime banner and WIN that wanted aggregation. NRN11/RTN8, CTC7 and NBN3 didnt want aggregation from what I recall being reported at the time.

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2 posts were merged into an existing topic: TV History - Questions

pretty much all the regionals in the eastern states were against it, at first. This leaflet was produced on behalf of:

TNQ/FNQ, MVQ, RTQ, SEQ, DDQ/SDQ, NRN/RTN, NEN/ECN, NBN, CBN/CWN, WIN, RVN/AMV, BCV/GLV, BTV/GMV, TVT/TNT

(see small print at the bottom of the back page)


Prime somehow later became supportive, according to its pre-launch paraphernalia in 1989. Maybe only once they’d locked in Seven for program supply???




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Yes, NBN wanted the MCS option with a 2nd channel (as @TelevisionAU posted).

And they offered to help get SBS installed in areas like the Upper Hunter that didn’t already have it. So everyone had 4 channels.

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