Southern Cross Ten

Infobox TV channel
name = Southern Cross Ten
logofile = Southern Cross Ten.svg
logosize = 150px
logoalt = Southern Cross Ten Logo
launch = June 2, 1962
picture format = 576i (SDTV),
1080i (HDTV)
owner = Macquarie Media Group
slogan = "Seriously Ten"
web = [http://www.macquarie.com.au/au/mmg/investments/msc.htm Macquarie Media Group]
country = Flagicon|Australia Australia
broadcast area = Regional Queensland,
Regional New South Wales,
Australian Capital Territory,
Regional Victoria,
Western South Australia
terr serv 1 = Analogue
terr chan 1 = "Tuned to various frequencies"
terr serv 2 = SD Digital
terr chan 2 = Channel 5
terr serv 3 = HD Digital
terr chan 3 = Channel 50
cable serv 1 = TransTV Digital
cable chan 1 = Channel 5
cable serv 2 = NC Digital
cable chan 2 = Channel 10
sat serv 1 = Foxtel Digital
sat chan 1 = Channel 110

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. On November 5, 2007, the network was officially purchased by the Macquarie Media Group. cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22708729-30540,00.html
title = Southern Cross falls to Mac and Fairfax
accessdate = 2007-06-03
date = 2007-06-03
publisher = The Australian ]

Prior to 2002, the network was known as "Ten " (e.g. "Ten Townsville"), and took generic Ten branding. At first, the new name wasn't used much, but when the Australian Broadcasting Authority instituted new regulations for local content, local programming and later on, some station graphics took on the Southern Cross Ten brand.

History

Origins

Southern Cross Ten began as a small network of three stations in regional Victoria. The "TV-8" network was comprised of GLV-10 Gippsland, BCV-8 Bendigo, and STV-8 Victoria.cite web
url= http://www.austvhistory.com/scten/sctenvic.htm
title= Southern Cross Ten: Victoria
accessdate= 2007-09-10
author= Brooklyn Ross-Hulands
publisher= AusTVHistory]

GLV was the first regional television station in the country, launched on December 9, 1961. BCV-8 launched in the same year, on December 23, while STV followed four years later, on November 27, 1965. GLV-10 became GLV-8 in 1980, when Melbourne commercial station ATV-0 moved frequences to become ATV-10 The network began life in 1982 as "TV-8", but later changed its name in 1989 to the "Southern Cross Network". Soon after this, STV-8 left the network after it was bought by businessman Alan Bond, and eventually sold on to ENT Limited (owners of Vic TV and Tas TV).cite web
url= http://www.ketupa.net/win2.htm
title= WIN, Gordon and ENT: chronology
accessdate= 2007-07-10
author= Bruce Arnold
publisher= Caslon Analytics]

1990s

Regional Victoria was aggregated in 1992.cite web
url= http://www.televisionau.com/aggregation.htm
title= television.au AGGREGATION
accessdate= 2007-09-10
publisher= television.au] Vic Television, based in Shepparton and Ballarat affiliated with the Nine Network, while Prime Television, based in Albury-Wodonga became an affiliate of the Seven Network. Southern Cross, therefore, took on an affiliation with Network Ten. Soon after, it changed its name and logo to "SCN", directly emulating the look of its metropolitan counterpart. Local news was axed six months later, while the name and logo changed once again to "Ten Victoria".

Canberra-based station Capital Television was purchased by Southern Cross' owner, Southern Cross Broadcasting, in 1994.cite web
url= http://www.austvhistory.com/scten/sctensnsw.htm
title= Southern Cross Ten: Sth NSW
accessdate= 2007-09-10
author= Brooklyn Ross-Hulands
publisher= AusTVHistory] It was soon integrated into the network, taking on the name "Ten Capital" soon after.

2000s

Southern Cross Broadcasting acquired Telecasters Australia in 2001.cite web
url= http://www.ketupa.net/southerncross2.htm
title= Southern Cross: landmarks
accessdate= 2007-09-10
author= Bruce Arnold
publisher= Caslon Analytics] As a result, Ten Queensland and Ten Northern NSW became a part of the Southern Cross Ten network, while Telecasters' other assets - Seven Darwin and Seven Central - were later integrated into the Southern Cross Television network.cite web
url= http://www.austvhistory.com/scten/sctenqld.htm
title= Southern Cross Ten: Queensland
accessdate= 2007-09-10
author= Brooklyn Ross-Hulands
publisher= AusTVHistory] Local news bulletins in Canberra and parts of Queensland were axed on November 22, 2001 - one of a number of moves taken by Southern Cross and competitor Prime Television that resulted in an investigation by the Australian Broadcasting Authority into the adequacy of regional news.cite web
url= http://internet.aca.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_91501
title= ACMA: ABA - NR 10/2004
accessdate= 2007-09-10
publisher= Australian Communications and Media Authority]

The network expanded into the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill areas on December 31, 2003 under a supplementary license granted to Southern Cross GTS/BKN by the ABA.cite web
url= http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/pc=PC_90040
title= ACMA: Section 38A register
accessdate= 2007-09-10
publisher= Australian Communications and Media Authority] Southern Cross Ten moved away from generic Network Ten branding - in use since the early 1990s for most areas - with a new logo, similar to that of parent company Southern Cross Broadcasting.Fact|date=September 2007

Three-minute local news updates were introduced in 2004, following recommendations put into place following the ABA's report. The brief bulletins, produced out of the network's Canberra production centre, are made for the network's seventeen license areas.Fact|date=September 2007

It was anticipated that the network would be acquired by the Macquarie Media Group, following a AU$1.35 billion takeover recommendation made to shareholders by Southern Cross Broadcasting to shareholder on July 3, 2007 cite web
url = http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2007/07/03/1968580.htm
title = Southern Cross Broadcasting sold for $1.35b
accessdate = 2007-06-03
date = 2007-06-03
publisher = abc.net.au ] , and on November 5, 2007 this purchase took place. cite web
url = http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22708729-30540,00.html
title = Southern Cross falls to Mac and Fairfax
accessdate = 2007-06-03
date = 2007-06-03
publisher = The Australian ]

Programming

Southern Cross Ten's programming schedule is almost identical to that of its metropolitan counterpart, Network Ten, with some differences. Notably, Infomercials are shown in place of "Judge Judy" during the day and in place of other programs overnight. As well as this, locally produced programming such as "Hook, Line and Sinker" and "State Focus" are also shown on the network.

News & Current Affairs

"Southern Cross News" bulletins are produced for each of the seventeen licence areas served throughout regional Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria. The bulletins consist of three-minute local news updates that are broadcast four times throughout the network's daytime schedule. cite web
url = http://archive.dcita.gov.au/2005/04/issue_8/local_content_on_regional_tv
title = Local content on regional TV
accessdate = 2007-07-15
date = 2007-04-11
work = Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts ] As well as this, a weekly half-hour regional current affairs program, "State Focus", is produced at Southern Cross Broadcasting's television production facilities in Canberra for each broadcast market. cite web
url = http://www.mytalk.com.au/Stations/TV/SCTEN/Pages/StateFocus.aspx
title = State Focus
accessdate = 2007-07-15
date = 2007
work = Southern Cross Ten ]

Prior to the formation of the Southern Cross Ten network, the Canberra and north Queensland stations broadcast one-hour nightly localised news bulletins. However, both were axed in late 2001 due to cost-cutting.

Availability

Southern Cross Ten is available in analog PAL and standard definition digital format. In all areas except Broken Hill and the Spencer Gulf, an additional 1080i high definition simulcast is also available. The network is available primarily through free-to-air terrestrial transmitters, with subscription cable also provided by TransACT and Neighbourhood Cable in the Australian Capital Territory and Ballarat, respectively. [ cite web
url = http://www.transact.com.au/television/channels.aspx
title = TransTV Channel Lineup
accessdate = 2007-08-19
publisher = TransACT ] [ cite web
url = http://www.ncable.net.au/_site/products.asp?cat=4
title = Neighbourhood Cable Channel Lineup
accessdate = 2007-08-19
publisher = Neighbourhood Cable ]

The network's owned-and-operated stations include:
* GLV Eastern Victoria
* BCV Western Victoria
* CTC Southern New South Wales
* NRN Northern New South Wales
* TNQ Queensland
* SGS Spencer Gulf
* SCN Broken Hill
* DTD Darwin
Tasmanian Digital Television, part-owned by Macquarie, follows a schedule similar to that of Southern Cross Ten.

Logos

Southern Cross Ten's first networked logo produced and used across its regional stations was in 2002, featuring the word "Southern Cross" below Network Ten's logo. This logo was used across the network until 2005, when a new logo was introduced featuring a blue and yellow star with the word "Ten" added beside "Southern Cross". This logo has been used since, and was launched concurrently with similarly designed logos on Southern Cross Television and across Southern Cross Broadcasting's other assets.

References