CBN (TV station)

Infobox_Broadcast
call_letters = CBN
city =
station_
station_slogan = Bringing It Home
station_branding = Prime
analog = see table below
digital = see table below
other_chs =
affiliations = Seven
network = Prime
founded =
airdate = March 17, 1962
location = southern New South Wales & ACT
callsign_meaning = Country
Broadcasting
New South Wales
former_callsigns =
former_channel_numbers =
owner = Prime Television Ltd
licensee = Prime Television (Southern) Pty Ltd
sister_stations =
former_affiliations = independent (1962-1989)
effective_radiated_power = see table below
HAAT = see table below
class =
facility_id =
coordinates = see table below
homepage = [http://www.primetv.com.au/ www.primetv.com.au]

CBN is an Australian television station licensed to, and serving the regions surrounding Orange and Dubbo in central western New South Wales.

History

Origins

CBN-8 Orange commenced broadcasting on March 17, 1962, licensed to "Country Broadcasting Services", owners of local radio station 2GZ. They soon changed their name to Country Television Services.Fact|date=September 2007 CWN-6 Dubbo began transmission on December 1, 1965. Also owned by CTS, they became the first station to completely relay another station's programming, although some station identification, such as test patterns, remained separate.Fact|date=September 2007

In 1968, the stations acquired access to the Postmaster-General's microwave link, allowing viewers to see national news programs and other major events live and direct for the first time.Fact|date=September 2007 By the early 1970s, the stations began to run into financial difficulties, and it was decided to enter into a joint programming agreement with MTN-9 of Griffith, creating the "Television 6-8-9" network.Fact|date=September 2007

A 30-minute documentary on the 1978 National Rodeo Titles, called "Goin' Down The Road", won the station the 'Outstanding Contribution by a Regional Station' Logie Award in 1979. Local programming in the 1980s included "Focus, Rural Roundup, Early Shift, Weekend Report, Time to Live, Around The Schools," and coverage of local special events.

Local sports telecasts, especially tennis and rugby, were a major part of the schedule in the late 1970s and early 1980s. From 1979, the station sponsored, and telecast the United Permanent Tennis Tournament, the only tournament of its kind in Australia.

In the early 1980s, the network was renamed "Midstate Television 6-8-9".Fact|date=September 2007

With aggregation looming, CBN and CWN were purchased by health care magnate Paul Ramsay's Ramcorp Ltd in 1987, and merged with RVN/AMV to form "The Prime Network", in November 1988.Fact|date=September 2007 Local programming was reduced, along with staff numbers - morale at the time was reported to be at "an all time low".Fact|date=September 2007 The schedule began to look more like affiliation partner Seven's schedule, with new facilities built in Wollongong and Canberra to expand coverage.Fact|date=September 2007

Aggregation

When aggreation in southern New South Wales occurred in 1989, CBN and CWN were effectively merged into one station, CBN, branded as "Prime Television".Fact|date=September 2007 The station then moved into the rest of the new license area, competing against WIN Television and 10 Capital. The introduction of the two new stations into Orange was delayed by technical problems, and did not start in the area until later in the year.Fact|date=September 2007

In 1991, the Wagga and Orange licenses were merged into the one license, with RVN taking on the CBN callsign.Fact|date=September 2007

Main Transmitters

Notes:
*1. HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
*2. The Central Western Slopes station was a relay of CBN with the callsign CWN from its 1965 sign-on until aggregation in 1989.
*3. The South Western Slopes and Eastern Riverina station was an independent station with the callsign RVN from its 1964 sign-on until aggregation in 1989.

See also

* AMV
* MTN
* Prime Television

External links

* [http://www.austvhistory.com/prime/preaggregation.htm Logos and clips of CBN and CWN at AusTVHistory.com]
* [http://austv.hostforweb.com/cgi-bin/cgi2/index.rb?page=CBN8%20Orange&section=Television%20History%20Reference/TV%20Stations/Other%20Commercial/Defunct/New%20South%20Welsh/Midstate&mode=0 CBN8 entry at the Australian Television Archive]
* [http://austv.hostforweb.com/cgi-bin/cgi2/index.rb?page=CWN6%20Dubbo&section=Television%20History%20Reference/TV%20Stations/Other%20Commercial/Defunct/New%20South%20Welsh/Midstate&mode=0 CWN6 entry at the Australian Television Archive]