ABC Television in Queensland comprises national programming on the ABC television network in or from Brisbane, Queensland which broadcasts on a number of channels under the ABC call sign. There is some local programming from the Brisbane studio.
ABQ or ABQ-2 was the historic call sign of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television station in Brisbane, which began broadcasting on 2 November 1959 as the third television station in Queensland and Brisbane. with the "Q" in the call sign standing for Queensland.
ABC Television in Brisbane is based at a purpose-built headquarters on the South Bank. The station is received throughout the state through a number of relay transmitters.
History
ABC Television started broadcasting from Brisbane on 2 November 1959, with the "Q" in the call sign standing for Queensland.
Available by satellite transmission on the now defunct Optus Aurora free-to-view platform during the 2000s, ABC's digital channels have been available via the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) network since 2010.
For many years, the station was based at studios in the inner-western suburb of Toowong, with a transmitter at Mount Coot-tha. In December 2006, the Toowong studios were closed after an unacceptably high rate of breast cancer has been observed at the facility. An independent study examined 10 cases of breast cancer reported at the studios, and found the incidence rate was 11 times higher than the general working community.ABC Toowong to close after cancer scare led to the closure of the site in December 2006, TV and radio operations were moved to alternative locations around the city.
Staff worked from several sites around Brisbane, with ABC Radio based in nearby Lissner Street in Toowong, ABC News staff working from Network Ten's Mount Coot-tha studios, ABC Innovation and Online staff working at QUT Kelvin Grove, and other staff based in other locations, including Coronation Drive and West End. On 10 January 2012, ABC Brisbane moved into new purpose-built accommodation in South Bank.
The analogue signal for Brisbane/Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast was shut off on May 28, 2013.
ABC Television in Brisbane today
All ABC operations are located in the South Bank building. there is a large number of transmitters broadcasting a number of ABC channels throughout Queensland. Attribution 4.0 International (CC BY 4.0) licence.
Programming
ABC Television in Brisbane schedule largely consists of national programming with opt-outs for news and current affairs, rugby league and state election coverage.
Local programming ABC News Queensland is presented by Jessica van Vonderen (Monday – Thursday) and Lexy Hamilton-Smith (Friday – Sunday). Weather is presented by Jenny Woodward (Sunday – Thursday). Finance is presented by Alan Kohler in Melbourne.
Past presenters of the bulletin have included Matt Wordsworth, Rod Young and Andrew Lofthouse. The latter two subsequently went on to read the flagship 6:00 pm bulletins on Seven and Nine respectively; the pair opposed each other in this timeslot between mid-2009 and late-2012, during which the Seven bulletin co-read by Young and Kay McGrath consistently rated higher than the Nine bulletin co-read by Lofthouse and Melissa Downes (as of 2017, however, Nine has regained the lead in the south-east Queensland ratings).
Relay stations The following stations currently or formerly relay ABQ throughout Queensland: Call Region served City Channels(Analog/digital) First air date 3rd letter'smeaning ERP(Analog/digital) HAAT(Analog/digital)1 Transmitter coordinates Transmitter location ABAQ Alpha Alpha 8 (VHF)NA 17 February 1975 Alpha 0.021 kW 88 m Alpha ABAAQ Augathella Augathella 11 (VHF)NA 8 March 1974 AugathellA 0.021 kW 51 m Augathella ABBQ Barcaldine Barcaldine 10 (VHF)7 (VHF) 17 February 1975 Barcaldine 0.02 kW0.005 kW 61 m61 m Barcaldine ABBLQ Blackall Blackall 9 (VHF)7 (VHF) 17 February 1975 BlackalL 0.2 kW0.05 kW 61 m66 m Blackall ABCAQ Cunnamulla Cunnamulla 10 (VHF)NA 8 March 1974 CunnamullA 0.026 kW 41 m Cunnamulla ABCEQ Charleville Charleville 9 (VHF)11 (VHF) 8 March 1974 CharlevillE 0.26 kW0.065 kW 99 m99 m Charleville ABCLQ Cloncurry Cloncurry 7 (VHF)6 (VHF) 17 March 1971 CLoncurry 0.2 kW0.05 kW 115 m115 m Mount Avarice ABCTQ Clermont Clermont 10 (VHF)54 (UHF) 17 February 1975 ClermonT 0.1 kW0.2 kW 89 m80 m Clermont ABDQ Darling Downs Toowoomba 32 (UHF)2 637 (UHF) 16 December 1963 Darling Downs 1600 kW500 kW 570 m549 m Mount Mowbullan ABDIQ Dirranbandi Dirranbandi 7 (VHF)NA 8 March 1974 DirranbandI 0.016 kW 65 m Dirranbandi ABEQ Emerald Emerald 11 (VHF)9 (VHF) 21 December 1973 Emerald 2 kW0.625 kW 92 m92 m Emerald ABGQ Goondiwindi Goondiwindi 6 (VHF)56 (UHF) 9 July 1973 Goondiwindi 0.5 kW0.625 kW 41 m49 m Goondiwindi ABHQ Hughenden Hughenden 9 (VHF)8 (VHF) 30 June 1971 Hughenden 0.2 kW0.125 kW 80 m80 m Hughenden ABIQ Mount Isa Mount Isa 6 (VHF)7 (VHF) 21 December 1970 Mount Isa 1.6 kW0.4 kW 72 m75 m DCA Hill ABJQ Julia Creek Julia Creek 10 (VHF)NA 20 April 1971 Julia Creek 0.2 kW 65 m Julia Creek ABLQ Longreach Longreach 6 (VHF)10 (VHF) 17 February 1975 Longreach 0.7 kW0.175 kW 69 m69 m Longreach ABMQ Mackay Mackay 8 (VHF)3 610 (VHF) 21 December 1967 Mackay 360 kW90 kW 611 m613 m Mount BlackwoodABMKQMary KathleenMary Kathleen9 (VHF)(closed in 1986)15 December 1971Mary KathleenUnknown NAUnknown NAUnknown NAMary Kathleen ABMLQ Mitchell Mitchell 6 (VHF)12 (VHF) 8 March 1974 MitchelL 0.2 kW0.05 kW 149 m149 m Mitchell Escarpment ABMNQ Morven Morven 7 (VHF)NA 8 March 1974 MorveN 0.13 kW 133 m Morven ABMSQ Miles Miles 9 (VHF)63 (UHF) 30 November 1973 MileS 0.32 kW0.8 kW 132 m132 m Miles Hill ABNQ Cairns Cairns 9 (VHF)68 (VHF) 25 July 1966 North 200 kW50 kW 1190 m1190 m Mount Bellenden Ker ABRQ Rockhampton Rockhampton 9 (VHF)4 611 (VHF) 21 December 1963 Rockhampton 160 kW50 kW 495 m495 m Mount Hopeful ABRAQ Roma Roma 7 (VHF)8 (VHF) 14 December 1973 RomA 2 kW0.5 kW 103 m105 m Timbury Hills ABRDQ Richmond Richmond 6 (VHF)7 (VHF) 4 June 1971 RichmonD 0.2 kW0.05 kW 70 m70 m Richmond ABSQ Southern Downs Warwick 1 (VHF)645 (UHF) 4 July 1966 Southern Downs 200 kW500 kW 255 m316 m Passchendaele Ridge ABSEQ Springsure Springsure 8 (VHF)546 (UHF) 17 February 1975 SpringsurE 0.8 kW2 kW 280 m283 m Roddas Lookout ABSGQ St. George St. George 8 (VHF)12 (VHF) 8 March 1974 St. George 0.13 kW0.033 kW 63 m64 m St. George ABTQ Townsville Townsville 3 (VHF)631 (UHF) 21 September 1964 Townsville 160 kW200 kW 635 m644 m Mount Stuart ABWQ Wide Bay Maryborough 6 (VHF)69A (VHF) 8 October 1965 Wide Bay 240 kW60 kW 601 m646 m Mount Goonaneman ABWNQ Winton Winton 8 (VHF)7 (VHF) 15 November 1974 WintoN 1.6 kW0.4 kW 97 m94 m Rangelands Notes: HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT. ABDQ was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until 1993, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio. ABMQ was on VHF channel 4 from its 1967 sign-on until 1988, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio. ABRQ was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until 1988, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio. ABSEQ was on VHF channel 9 from its 1975 sign-on until 1989. ABMKQ was on VHF channel 9 from its 1971 sign-on until its closure on 30 April 1986.
See also History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation Television broadcasting in Australia
References