2010-2019

lachyhulme
Lachy Hulme managed to portray two generations of the Packer family in separate dramas depicting both generations’ impact on our media landscape. He played the senior Packer, Sir Frank, in Power Games: The Packer-Murdoch Story, and Sir Frank’s son, Kerry (pictured) in Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War.

The advent of digital television a decade earlier has now seen the industry bombard the market with more viewing choice than ever before, with each commercial network pumping out additional digital channels and a datacast channel as well as their primary channel, and national broadcasters ABC and SBS also offering multiple channel options.  Meanwhile, free-to-air and pay-TV operators experiment with 3D technology as analogue television is switched off for good.

Neighbours

2010:

  • May: Test transmissions in 3D TV start on Foxtel, the Nine Network and SBS.
  • June 30:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Mildura VIC
  • July 22:  ABC launches ABC News 24, the first 24-hour free-to-air news channel in Australia.
  • August 26:  Network Ten announces plans to launch a new digital channel, Eleven, which will present a youth-focused, entertainment line-up, with prime-time to be headlined by Neighbours and US series The Simpsons.
  • August 27: Neighbours screens its 6000th episode
  • September 25:  The Seven Network replaces its high-definition channel 7HD with a new channel, 7mate.
  • September 26:  The Nine Network replaces its high-definition channel 9HD with GEM
  • October:  Network Ten and Foxtel cover the 2010 Commonwealth Games from Delhi, India
  • December 15:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Regional SA, Broken Hill NSW
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner:  Ray Meagher (Home And Away, Seven)
Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo

2011:

  • January 11:  Network Ten launches its new digital channel, Eleven. Neighbours moves across from Ten to Eleven.
  • January 24:  Network Ten launches 6PM With George Negus and state-based 6.30pm news bulletins to supplement the 5.00pm news and The 7PM Project.
  • April 17-18:  Mini-series Paper Giants: The Birth Of Cleo draws high ratings for ABC.
  • April 29:  The wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton is broadcast across the ABC, Seven, Nine and Ten networks as well as pay-TV channels Sky News Australia, BBC World News, E!, Fox News, UKTV and CNN.
  • May 5:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Regional VIC
  • Go Back To Where You Came From

    June:  The three-part documentary series Go Back To Where You Came From, putting a ‘reality’ twist on the asylum seeker debate, is a ratings hit for SBS.

  • August 6:  Network Ten’s music video show Video Hits ends after a 24-year run.
  • August 22:  Current affairs program Four Corners celebrates its 50th anniversary.
  • October 6:  ABC’s television adaptation of the book The Slap receives rave reviews and debuts to high ratings.
  • November 25:  Showbiz veteran and co-presenter on The Circle, Denise Drysdale announces her retirement from television.  Kerri-Anne Kennerley signs off from the last Kerri-Anne show on the Nine Network.
  • December 6:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Regional QLD
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner:  Karl Stefanovic (Today, Nine)
Breakfast
Breakfast

2012:

  • February 23:  Network Ten launches its new breakfast news program, Breakfast, as a competitor to Sunrise, Today and ABC News Breakfast.  The program is axed in November after poor ratings.
  • April:  The Nine Network aggressively challenges the Seven Network’s ratings lead with the launch of reality talent contest The Voice and new series of Celebrity Apprentice and The Block.
  • June 5:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Southern NSW, Canberra ACT, Griffith NSW.
  • July-August: Nine Network and Foxtel cover the Games Of The XXX Olympiad from London, United Kingdom.  Nine offers a single channel of coverage (in both standard and high definition), while Foxtel offers eight separate channels (also both in standard and high definition).  Nine’s coverage includes a trial transmission in 3D format.
  • August 3:  The final edition of Network Ten’s mid-morning program The Circle.
  • August 13: The Nine Network revives Big Brother with new host Sonia Kruger.
  • August:  Howzat! Kerry Packer’s War dramatises the media tycoon’s 1970s battle with the cricket establishment in setting up World Series Cricket for his Nine Network.
  • October 2:  Telemovie Underground: The Julian Assange Story is a rare ratings success for the Ten Network.
  • October:  Nine Entertainment Co. (assets including TCN Sydney, GTV Melbourne, QTQ Brisbane, NTD Darwin, NBN Northern NSW) negotiates a deal with its lenders to wipe out $3 billion of debt with control of the company handed to its major lenders.  Network Ten reports a full-year loss of $12.9 million following poor ratings performance for a string of new program titles.
  • November 27:  Shutdown of analogue television services: Northern NSW
  • December 12:  NITV commences free-to-air broadcast via SBS
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Hamish Blake (Hamish And Andy’s Gap Year, Nine)
Wentworth
Wentworth

2013:

davidmargaret_0002
At The Movies

2014:

  • January 1: Foxtel replaces ‘greatest hits’ channel TV1 with TVH!TS and sci-fi channel SF with SyFy.
  • February: Mini-series INXS: Never Tear Us Apart is a ratings hit for Seven.
  • March 2: The Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras is televised on SBS2 — the first time on free-to-air television in 12 years.
  • August 3: Network Ten celebrates its 50th anniversary with 50 Years Young.
  • September 28: ABC’s Asia Pacific service, Australia Television, is closed down following termination of contract by the Federal Government.
  • October: ABC’s Mental As…, a week of special programs across television, radio and online platforms dedicated to the topic of mental health, raises over $1.4 million for mental health research.
  • October 24: Neighbours screens its 7000th episode
  • December 5: Funding cuts to the ABC lead to the cancellation of state-based Friday night editions of 7.30 (formerly Stateline)
  • December 9: Margaret Pomeranz and David Stratton host the last edition of At The Movies, ending a 28-year partnership in reviewing films.
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Scott Cam (The Block, Nine)
I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here

2015:

  • February 1: The first Australian series of I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here debuts.
  • March: Neighbours celebrates its 30th anniversary with former cast members returning to the series; and a 90-minute special Neighbours 30th: The Stars Reunite.
  • August 29: The Seven Network launches horse racing channel Racing.com.
  • November 3: The Seven Network begins live streaming of its four free-to-air channels.
  • November 17: SBS launches new channel, Food Network.
  • November 26: The Nine Network launches lifestyle channel 9Life and resumes high definition simulcast of its primary Nine channel.
  • December 20: Community channel TVS, Sydney, ceases free-to-air broadcast.
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Carrie Bickmore (The Project, Ten)

2016:

  • TV At 60: TCN9 Sydney, HSV7 Melbourne, ABN2 Sydney, ABV2 Melbourne, ATN7 Sydney.
  • February 28: The Seven Network launches new channel 7flix, offering an emphasis on movies and kids entertainment.
  • March 2: Ten resumes high definition simulcast of its primary channel.
  • July 1: Southern Cross Austereo changes its regional affiliation from Ten to Nine in regional Queensland, Southern NSW/ACT and Victoria. WIN switches from Nine to Ten in the same markets as well as Tasmania and Western Australia.
  • August: The Games Of The XXXI Olympiad are broadcast on Seven from Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Seven presents broadcast coverage across three channels plus streaming online and mobile.
  • November 15: SBS2 is replaced with SBS Viceland, a joint venture between SBS and American content provider Vice.
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Waleed Aly (The Project, Ten)

2017:

  • TV At 60: GTV9 Melbourne
  • June 14: Network Ten is placed into voluntary administration
  • July 1: Receivers are appointed to Network Ten.
  • July 9: Sports game show Australian Ninja Warrior, based on a Japanese format, debuts to high ratings.
  • November 16: US broadcaster CBS completes its acquisition of Network Ten
  • December 4: ABC2 relaunches as ABC Comedy
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Samuel Johnson (Molly, Seven)

2018:

  • January 7: SBS presents Australia’s first “slow TV” experience — The Ghan, an abridged version of the 54-hour train journey between Adelaide and Darwin.
  • April: Seven broadcasts the Commonwealth Games from Gold Coast, Queensland.
  • September 3: Neighbours presents Australian television’s first legal same-sex wedding.
  • October 1: Children’s animated series Bluey begins on ABC Kids. It goes on to become a hit for ABC and is sold extensively overseas.
  • October 31: Network Ten launches a new ’10’ logo and announces its new streaming platform, 10 All Access. Secondary channels One and Eleven are re-named 10 Boss (later 10 Bold) and 10 Peach respectively.
  • December 1: The Seven Network launches a new channel, 7Food.
  • December 7: Nine Entertainment Co (Nine Network, Stan, NBN) completes merger with Fairfax Media (Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Australian Financial Review, etc.)
  • December 21: Neighbours‘ 8000th episode.
  • TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Grant Denyer (Family Feud/All Star Family Feud, Ten). The first Logie Awards to be held in Queensland.

2019: