Nine’s new digital channel GEM has missed it’s promised starting time of 12 midday today.
The channel, aimed at women over 35, was due to “soft-launch” with classic movie Singin’ ‘in the Rain.
But at midday Channel 90 was still simulcasting the Nine signal, showing The Ellen DeGeneres Show.
A Nine spokesperson told TV Tonight the channel will now arrive as per its official launch, 6am Sunday morning.
Nine was understood to be working up until the eleventh hour to get the channel to air today but technical issues with a playout centre in Newcastle meant it could not arrive on time.
GEM was cheekily planned by Nine to hit screens ahead of 7mate’s official launch tomorrow.
Fans of NRL will be able to see games in HD before Sunday as a result of GEM’s late delivery.
I tuned in to GEM today. Looks like a good cure for insominia so far.
And yeah I finally saw an ad for GEM last night on Nine.
Has everyone on here forgot the sheer success of Go! Which is channel nine! It is the most successful multi channel yet. Sure I think Gem has started a little slowly without any promotion which is dissapointing but I’m sure this is just a soft launch and they will have a big promo for it in the near future. I think it’s funny that so many people complain it’s more choice than we have ever had before and it costs us nothing
Very odd:
I’ve re-tuned my TV to get the name change for Gem but it still says WIN Canberra HD.
@ Knowfirst – They may be stand alone but when they put shows like 2.5 men on go and nine that makes the brand look the same as nine .
Just re-scanned the TV and no sign of GEM here….
Nine said from the outset that their stations would be stand-alone – why can’t any of you whingers carrying on about “no cross promotion” etc understand that?
The name GEM has been whispered about for months – yes months – so it’s not a hastily-cobbled together attempt at a TV station.
Sheez…….
@s5000 @FJ The commercial networks are allowed 2xSD and 1xHD channel under legislation. The catch is, their analogue channel *must* be simulcast in SD. Therefore, they’ve had (for example) Nine (SD) + 9HD + Go! …so to add GEM, they have to make it HD (or they could have chosen to make Go! HD and GEM SD).
Don’t worry tho… only three years to go until analogue gets shut down and the govt restrictions go out the window. Only then will it be possible for Nine to go HD and its lesser siblings SD.
Seven has always been Pros at cross-promoting, you just have to watch an episode of Sunrise or The Morning Show to see that… and why not!? its a dog-eat-dog world in the media industry…
So 7mate launched successfully!! Maybe because they didn’t rush into trying to beat another network… (hmm who could that be!?)…
Does anyone know if the GEM channel has a website up ?
Who care’s when GEM launches? The program lineup looks like a lot of repeats and no strategy to reach their planned target audience. At least 7mate – as pathetic as the name is, has a strategy and know how to prepare for a launch.
I just think 7 is doing a better job at cross promoting there 3 channels with the main one showing promos for 7Mate and 7Two regularly, this informs their viewers there is something new coming and might promote those still on analogue to go out and upgrade their TVs. TEN promotes it’s ONE HD shows during Sports Tonight and I’m sure I’ve seen ABC and SBS both promote there other channels but I’m hard pressed to remember seeing Nine do like wise, outside of the News, chat shows and ACA.
@FJ – All the networks can’t have their main channel in HD as this will stop a large number of people from having access when they when out and bought SD set top boxes, also until recently most PVRs where SD so there are 1000s of those in homes.
@ Ronnie – Les Sampson the guy who got the really catchy go theme song going and runs go will be in charge of GEM
@s5000 – New Adventures of Old Christine will be in native HD which is 1080 i HD . Most shows in the guides that are in HD provided by Nine have the words “HD” next to them.
@ Andy – The name GEM was registered months ago, For all we know Nine may have known Seven’s plans ages ago and visa versa. Anyone who thinks channels are created in 1 month is in la la land.
Shows like Wife Swap are still in 4:3 ratio and probably not in HD.
Weeds will be in native HD as will The Big C. And csi etc etc.
People can complain as much as they like about Nine, but if you think about it out of all the channels there ones at least have unique names from the main channel. Abc and sbs are just abc 1 sbs 1 etc, ch 10 just names their channels after numbers and seven’s channels are named with the number 7 in front of them.
Nine, by not promoting their multi channels on their main channel, and also having unique names not related to their main channel eg GO or GEM are at least creating a separate brand.
Where they fail (the only place I find a failure) is when shows like 2.5men plug a hole on GO! Big Bang Theory is ok as it is more youth skewing, but 2.5 men to me just seems out of place on GO!.
@Daniel: Completely agree. Top Gear is another that’s keeping 9 afloat as well although I don’t watch it. Channel 7′s a little more bearable. I just don’t get 9 at all!
It’s in HD because all networks are legally required to broadcast at least one channel in high definition. I believe all commercial networks don’t have enough bandwidth (at this point in time) to broadcast three SD channels.
This is Nine without Packer. He had an impact on the network. If he were there yes, they would have channel viable of winning every time.
I just don’t see this one I mean ACA had a story and said Gordon f#$@ing Ramsey would be on their with his lighter toned F Word! Good grief they expect over 35′s to hear his clap trap! My mum won’t have a bit of his foul mouth!
I don’t see CSI either. I mean it’s for women, not men! I also feel two 1/2 men will get here.
Maybe Julie Goodwin might be a better choice than what they have offered as a cooking show at 9am weekdays. That was on Nine after Fresh was chopped out and well it never lasted. Lest see this one get a fry up.
I think this is no GEM, not even a rare GEM!
Hey, where’s koverstreet with a snarky comment? Oh, that’s right. This is about Nine being tools, not Seven.
@s5000
Good Question. Why don’t they make 7 and 9 HD and GEM and 7Mate SD. This country just keeps going backwards. Who on Earth buys a SDTV these days
There is nothing on either of these new channels that interests me.
@Ronnie, I agree. Whoever is programming GEM has no idea what women want to watch. Their line up so far has nothing that looks appealing to me.
Go! was so well-promoted and planned. This attempt is a shambles!
ETA – damn so we won’t get the new AU Top Gear in HD… I over looked that, since it stars the UK guys I wonder if BBC will air it in HD?
Thursday I caught the end of the Daily show here in QLD (11:30 – Noon) and they had a segment on GEM.
IMO this is just a case of Nine trying to jump Seven and screwing up at the last minute… Um is the network run from India?
can someone Please explain why on earth, both Seven and Nine are chomping up their HD channels with, let’s face it, crap?
Any good business-person doesn’t need to learn, let alone be told, you save your best stuff for your flagship.
Mmmm… NRL grand final in glorious SD! And I can’t wait to watch re-runs of New Adventures of Old Christine is glorious up-converted SD to HD!! : /
Are they serious!!!
Hi sorry link is broken on previous post. try ntnews.com.au/article/2010/09/24/181821_ntnews.html I believe the article warrants further clarification as I am not convinced some of the information is correct.
Can anybody please clarify the inforrmation for me please? I saw the article in NT News on ntnews.com.au/article/2010/09/2…821_ntnews.html and it says GEM will be on channel 99? the same channel as GO? I am not convinced that NT News is right in what it says and the article warrants further clarfication. I am convinced that GEM is on LCN 90, not 99.
There was a story on ACA about GEM.
Does anyone know who is programming GEM? If they demonstrate the same level of insight into the “female” audience as the main channel it will be funny and sad at the same time. These are the same people who think Les Hill is a leading man, and that Sam Newman is a network asset.
I hope when Eleven launches, Ten will have enough viewership to destroy seven and nine, both of them don’t kow how to program there show properly with the exception of PTTR, Big Bang Theory and two & 1/2 Men
Typical ch.9…….so lost their way since the older Packer passed…
Every one will forget this in time..but they will remember the Mighty Titans and St Kilda winning their premierships!
Can’t wait to see the Dragons choke in glorious HD tomorrow night.
Let that be lesson to you Channel 9, don’t rush into launching a new channel until you’ve actually thought it through carefully.
Back to the drawing boards for Ch9 & the plans to launch GEM.
msd is right. It’s not a surprise that this has happened considering GEM has just been thrown together in a fortnight with not much thought. 11 on the other hand will probably blow the competition out of the water because it’s a well thought out channel which Ten have carefully planned for over a year.
Ha! Ha! I was wondering why Hi 5 was on Gem. There’s nothing worth watching on Gem until Wednesday night. so no great loss.
On the question of ratings, it wasn’t in OzTAM panel until Sunday anyway.
Oh there are issues at NBN alright – 80, 81 and 350 have been added all showing as “GEM”. (my Tivo).
No local news breaks today, instead they are vision overlays with voice overs, which only happens on weekends. So something seems to be amiss there.
They should just go back and completely rethink this channel.
Interesting……
The channel is in HD. They could have scheduled them for GEM if they were that keen. Don’t believe everything you read.
According to a post by channel9 on facebook, there was no tech issues. 9 have stated that is was because they wanted to show tonight and tomorrows NRL games in HD.
What a shame It didnt come together, was looking forward to the NRL tomorrow night, being in Adelaide The lame version of ch 9 here doesnt deem it important enough to show games live, something must be done!
That will teach Channel Nine to try and under-cut Channel Seven…never even heard of GEM until 7mate had been announced!! Nine will one day learn that they are no longer Number 1…
@ Bazza – There was an ad on Nine Perth this morning showing the three channels and to go to freeview.com.au for more details.
Will shows like Old Christine start from Ep 1 now considering the episode was meant to start tonight ?
David: How does this affect ratings tonight? I assume Nine have informed OzTam of the Gem guide as expected, and thus programs that screen on Gem until Sunday morning won’t count towards overnight ratings figures for Nine. Correct?
@ Leon. 7Mate is launching 6pm Saturday…Gem 6am Sunday, therefore 12 hours prior.
Why not launch it in a couple of weeks time and get it right? It will be a pity for viewers if these channels are just put cobbled together at the last minute – they will have no structure or direction.
Dragons won’t need HD to whup the Tigpies!
Channel 9 must now be the joke of Australian TV. How about the government just take back their digital spectrum and give it to someone who can give us quality, and timely, television. Channel Nine – Welcome home to nothing.
If GEM is launching at 6am it’ll be the same time as 7mate launches.
Given that the advertising and promotion of Gem has been virtually nil (beyond insider websites like this one), I don’t think anybody will be missing it much. I can’t say I’ve even seen a promo for it on any 9 station yet (not that we watch much ch9 in this house).
If anything they’ve done me a favour… I won’t have my old man ringing me up asking why the football “isn’t bloodywell on channel 90!”.
@Andrew b lets hope you are correct about the dragons whipping the tigers
Does this mean the league tonight and tomorrow will be in HD on channel 90?
How embarrassing for Ch9 after promising to have Gem on air from Midday today. Channel 7 will be thanking their lucky stars that they’ll get in launch 7mate the day before Channel 9 launch Gem.
and who can guarantee it will even start on sunday !
See, this is what happens when you try and launch a channel at the last minute just so you can say you’ve one-upped a rival. It becomes a half-assed mess with no-one knowing what’s going on and all the TV guides being wrong so no-one knows what’s on.
Ummmm…. there’s a playout centre in Newcastle?
Andrew keep dreaming mate. The Tigers will prevail.
Serves them right. Why be so insecure by trying to ‘beat’ 7mate. It won’t make any difference to their ratings.
Well it’s good to hear that the NRL will be in HD but nine did a terrible job at trying to put GEM ahead of 7mate for the people who were excited for GEM.
Yeah. What’s new? Just more scheduling changes. I have so little faith in these guys now.
hilarious, Gyngell and his cocky i am beating you dance seems to have greatly backfired.
As long as it starts this Sunday i’ll be happy.
If I didn’t visit sites like this, I wouldn’t even know this channel existed. Poor planning, poor programming, and poor promotion. Gem seems to be a failure before it has even begun.
Will anything be screened in HD on GEM?
Kinda glad though I can see St George whip the Tigers in HD tomorrow night.
Excellent news. NRL in HD.
another screw up by the Nine Network, did not see that coming
That’d be the mother of all programming amendments from Nine.
You’d reckon they would send out a press release to clarify the situation.
A bit embarrassing for Nine. Online TV guides seem to be all over the place in showing GEM or 7Mate. Some have the old channels listed, some show one or the other, others hide 7HD/9HD as well as no 7Mate or GEM.
Hope those with recordings on PVRs aren’t too affected by the chaos.
In the words of the great Gene Wilder, “You lose! Good day sir!”
The launch has been listed as Sunday on the NineMSN website since at least yesterday (and not just the hard/full launch).