The decade starts as the COVID-19 pandemic wreaks havoc around the world and whole cities and countries go into lockdown. No sector is left unscathed, and the television and creative arts industries are brought to a standstill. But international eyes become focussed on Australia as it becomes one of the first countries to establish COVID-safe production models. The widespread ramifications of the pandemic are set to take years to recover from.
2020:
- TV At 60: TV comes to Hobart
- Neighbours and MasterChef Australia gain international attention as being among the first productions in the English-speaking world to resume under COVID-safe conditions.
- March: Neighbours celebrates its 35th anniversary with a five-episode spin-off, Neighbours: End Game.
- April 5: The Nine Network launches a new reality channel, 9Rush.
- September 11: Ten News First axes presentation of news bulletins in Adelaide, Brisbane and Perth, in favour of a centralised model based in Sydney and Melbourne.
- September 27: The Ten Network launches a new youth-focussed channel, 10 Shake.
- November 21: Nine’s Sydney studios in the suburb of Willoughby sign off for the last time.
- TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Not Awarded (Awards cancelled due to pandemic)
2021:
- TV At 60: TV comes to Regional Victoria
- January 1: ABC Comedy re-brands as ABC TV Plus
- July 1: Regional affiliations change: WIN switches from the Ten Network to Nine Network for program supply. Southern Cross switches from Nine to Ten in the Regional Queensland, Southern NSW/ACT and Regional Victoria markets.
- October 30: Bert Newton dies, age 83
- December: Seven West Media completes the takeover of the Prime Media Group, including regional affiliates Prime7 and GWN7.
- TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Not Awarded (Awards cancelled due to pandemic)
2022:
- March 3: Neighbours is axed after 37 years and 8903 episodes.
- March 12: The Seven, Nine and Ten networks present the telethon Australia Unites: Australian Red Cross Flood Appeal to aid people and communities affected by the devastating floods across Queensland and New South Wales. The telethon raised over $25 million.
- May 23: SBS launches a separate news channel, Worldwatch.
- July 28: The “final” episode of Neighbours.
- TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Hamish Blake (Lego Masters, Nine)
2023:
- January 15: Seven launches reality channel 7Bravo
- February 8: The Nine Network is announced as the Australian broadcast rights holder to the Summer and Winter Olympic Games for 2024 to 2032.
- August 1: Ten’s younger demographic entertainment channel 10 Shake is re-launched as Nickelodeon.
- August 16: The Semi Final of the FIFA Women’s World Cup — Australia versus England — is reported to be the most watched program on Australian television since OzTAM records commenced in 2001.
- September 18: Neighbours returns to Ten, with episodes dropping a week later on Amazon Prime.
- TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Sonia Kruger (Big Brother, Dancing With The Stars, The Voice, Seven)
2024:
- June 3: ABC replaces ABC TV Plus and ABC Me with new channels ABC Family and ABC Entertains.
- June 30: Mildura Digital Television, relaying Network Ten programming to the Mildura/Sunraysia region, ceases transmission.
- December: Southern Cross Austereo signs an agreement for the sale of its Network Ten-affiliated services in Regional Victoria, Southern NSW/ACT and Regional Queensland to Network Ten.
- December: News Corp announces the sale of the Foxtel Group to UK-based streaming platform DAZN
- TV Week Gold Logie Winner: Larry Emdur (The Chase Australia, The Morning Show, Seven)
2025:
- February: Network Ten purchases its Northern NSW affiliate licence from WIN Corporation.
- February 21: Neighbours is axed, again.
- May: Seven West Media announces its acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo’s Seven-affiliated services in Tasmania, Darwin, Spencer Gulf, Broken Hill, Mt Isa and Remote, Central and Eastern Australia.
- June 27: The Project comes to an end after a 16-year run.
- June 30: Network Ten launches Ten News + at 6.00pm.
