Nine to launch ‘entertainment channel’
Nine has finally confirmed plans for its multi-channelling, with a general entertainment channel launching in the second half of the year.
- Published by David Knox
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We have lift off. The Nine Network has finally confirmed plans for its multi-channelling, with a general entertainment free-to-air digital channel launching in the second half of the year.
“Yes. It will be an original channel,” Nine CEO Mr Gyngell told The Australian. “It will be stand-alone, not just time-shifted.”
The announcements shoots rumours of a time-shifted channel dead in the water. Gyngell indicated that while it could work as part of the strategy, time-shifting was not a strong enough basis for an entire channel. Clearly, that’s because it cannibalises your flagship channel. Why watch CSI at 8:30 when you can watch it at 10:30?
Industry sources speculated that the channel could look like a cross between general entertainment pay-TV channels TV1 and FOX8 plus some lifestyle programming.
But Nine has also on-sold a number of shows including Chuck, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles and Gossip Girl (which it retains via re-broadcast rights). And as we know there is a string of Nine shows we have all been waiting to see: Survivor, Weeds, Nip / Tuck, ER. Damages (S1) is also coming to pay television. Maybe this channel is where the uninspiring Superstars of Dance will land too.
“You want to be very careful of what sort of content (you put on your digital channels),” said Gyngell.
“You don’t want to flood the market with inventory. Delivering to our advertisers — that’s our primary focus.”
Nine is also in negotiations to renew its output deal with Warner Bros, which provides shows such as Two and a Half Men, Without a Trace and Cold Case.
With ONE launching this week in HD and SD, this now leaves Seven as the last of the three big commercial FTAs to announce plans for its multi-channelling.
Seven had already indicated it would announce plans within the month.
Source: The Australian
58 Responses
@Chris, theres so much tv from the USA because thats what people want, also if u want BBC content, get Foxtel, there is BBC HD and BBC knowledge, and i think there is more to come with new foxtel channels but i think it will on be BBC Food so unless u like cooking, also BBC in the uk does play some US shows doesn’t it?
Why do our commercial channels rely so much on TV from the USA, most, if not all of these shows are absolute rubbish…glamourous people solving crimes…come on…where is all the BBC content (some on the ABC)? I do hope the ABC gets funding for mutli-channeling, 6 channels I hear, imagine if one on them was dedicated to BBC content. BBC1 wins the ratings in the UK and its a non-commercial station and that is against 3 commercial stations. The new commercial channels will only be full of repeats of shows from the USA.
I hope that Nine’s new SD Channel would play soap operas from New Zealand and Britian. Especially Shortland Street which has’nt been on Aussie Screens for over a Decade.
Where as ONE HD i will basically not watch, I hope this will be good. However if it’s nothing I can’t see on foxtel or seen on dvd, then yeah who cares.
One thing that amazes me, is the amount of high quality tv, especially from britian that never reaches our shores, on FTA or Pay. There’s so much good stuff out there, I hope they try to offer something new. Not the cheap throw away us crappy sitcoms no ones ever heard of.
I am one who is looking forward to ONE HD, so in keeping with that, yes we do need an ‘entrainment’ channel (Ch9) and probably a ‘lifestyle’ channel (probably Ch7) what it need to get viewers to HD is a 24hr news channel (Hello ABC3?!?), a kids channel (ABC Kids?)and a music channel (Rage anyone?!?) as I doubt the free-to-air would give a hoots of ‘non-advertising-commercial’ content channels.
And in all of this, when oh when are the newspapers, TV Week and alike going topublish what are on these other channels? You know, there own column, logo and synopsis like 7,9 and TEN?
ONE HD, ABC2 and World News should be treated like the rest and tell us what is on then and when?!?!
Now, if the networks do this properly, people will have an alternative to foxtel. Hopefully on Nine’s new channel there’s a mix off old and new shows worthy of screening, from hour serial dramas to half hour sitcoms. They have Seinfeld, the nanny, just shoot me, Frasier etc. Multi channeling is a fantastic idea, it just has to be done smartly,
Timmy, Baggygreen et al…..when are you guys going to grow up??? Commercial Networks (inc Pay) are just that…Commercial!! I’m sure the balance between viewers and advertisiers is a bit like the chicken and the egg….but at the end of the day, programs cost a lot on money so advertisers get the first nod. At least Gyngell is being honest….a rare commodity in CEO’s in this day and age.
@baggygreen:
‘Delivering to our advertisers — that’s our primary focus’.
…did you ever think they felt any other way? They have treated viewers like crap ever since I can remember.
‘Delivering to our advertisers — that’s our primary focus’.
No more complaining about ch9. We know exactly where we stand now. Off button please…..
How about a fta network launches a music channel. After all that is one of the main resaens why families & single people get foxtel.
@rabbit3 unorganised is the perfect world to describe it the networks and the affiliates really need to start working together so they can launch multi channels at the same time.
I too am glad its not timeshift. At least there will be more options available to us.
The next question is when will the regional affiliates (WIN) be showing it, are they organised enough to start when 9 does? Or will we have to wait like we are with Southern Cross & One?
Time will tell (obviously).
The pic is actually from 2009. I figured they now heart more TV rather than us choosing another Nine.
Sounds like FOX8 I mean Fox 9 I mean 9SD-2.
Wish they give it a half decent name too, I mean 9SD2 or 7HD are hardly enticing to start with
Don’t really care about 2nd channels. I think that networks need to improve their real channel (channel ten, seven, nine etc) before they launch second channels. they should only worry about a 2nd channel after their original network is perfect.
And what’s with the picture? I’m pretty sure channel Nine changed their slogan from ‘weheattv’ to ‘choose nine’.
“Delivering to our advertisers – that’s our primary focus” !!! What about delivering to your viewers – who won’t be watching if you continue with such a derogatory attitude – so in the end, you won’t be delivering to your advertisers!!!
Absolutely pathetic Mr Gyngell!!!! At least the contempt for Nine’s audience is now out in the open…
what does this mean for current HD content shown on the HD channel , gone ?
So no more NRL in HD Etc ????
This is great, Nine might finally show some stuff worth watching. Currently there’s never a reason to switch to Nine before 11:30(!).
This ‘entertainment’ channel will be a perfect addition, since they’re sorely in need of one.
Being from WA, there are things that would be good to see when the rest of the country does, so either timeshift or stream the Sydney/Melbourne feed live here please!
Also Nine, here’s an idea, go back into the past (10 years +) find shows, mini series that have not been re-run constantly, nor on payview, and show them instead!
How about repeats of Hey Hey It’s Saturday on the new channel or see lots of re-runs of The Nanny, Seinfeld and Malcolm In The Middle? That will be intresting!
What is wrong with all you people? Everyone was complaining of how Nine weren’t doing anything and now they do and announce a channel that will probably screen all the shows people are missing from the main channel and all everyone is doing is complaining. This is something we should be thankful for!
I hope channel 7 puts on like family stuff… sort of like a disney channel spin off.
I love watching disney channel movies theyre great, and for the past couple of weeks, 7 has been putting kids movies in the mornings after saturday disney.
What else is there to offer… they wont do sport cuz of ONE, nines got ‘entertainment’… hopefully not some lifestyle channel… but they might. lifestyle shows are boring.
Well I am glad Nine have made an announcement. I don’t mind if this channel is just SD but will that mean it will be low quality like ONE SD?
I am looking forward to watching some of the shows Nine only shows over summer and actually seeing a full season or what not. Good work Nine, don’t stuff it up please.
when?
late 2009
oh come on pathetic
At least it isn’t timeshift, this is good news