MEDIA RELEASES

QTV, DECEMBER 1990

(written in advance for release on 30 December 1990 - please note this was written before QTV lost the Nine Network affiliation, an amended Media Release, written specifically for the Mackay region, appears below this one)

TV Aggregation - More Services as QTV expands across Regional Queensland

It's called Aggregation and it means joining together of television station's service areas and it happens in Queensland tonight from midnight.  At that hour, QTV transmitters serving the Mackay, Rockhampton, Wide Bay Burnett, Sunshine Coast and Darling Downs regions will commence beaming the station's programs and the big hello and welcome to QTV will include a profile of the enlarged QTV service area as well as a preview of QTV programs for 1991 along with special greetings from QTV and national Nine Network personalities.

The implementation of this Federal Government policy will provide a choice of three commercial television services to viewers in all of Queensland's major provincial centres.  It has seen QTV spend over $28 million in technical equipment and building costs to provide total coverage of regional Queensland (apart from the Gold Coast).

QTV staff has increased from 140 to 200.

QTV currently operates television stations in Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa.

It also owns the only commercial satellite service in the state providing television to outback communities in Queensland and north western NSW.

This is uplinked to Aussat 1 and received at eighteen major retransmission site plus numerous smaller retransmission facilities throughout the area and through more than 5000 individial satellite dish receivers.

A major part of QTV's capital expenditure for aggregation has been on a new highly automated operational centre, utilising the latest digital video library management systems.  The operational centre is the largest of its type in the world.   The seven library management systems, costing around $1 million each will store and replay all commercial announcements and news segments from the QTV services and provide QTV with the facility to switch separate program content, when required, to any one of its regional services.  A total of eight television stations will be controlled from this operational centre which was designed by QTV engineers in conjunction with engineers in Australia, Japan, the United States and the United Kingdom.  The services will be distributed by both satellite and on over 5000 km of terrestrial microwave bearers to all parts of Queensland, outside Brisbane and the Gold Coast.

It's been a massive technical installation - for instance, over seventy kilometres of internal cable have been installed in the station's Townsville operations base to provide the services.

In addition to its existing Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa stations, QTV's expansion program has seen the station open regional offices and studios at Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg and Toowoomba.

Queensland's Largest TV Network In Mackay

The arrival of Aggregation on the Queensland regional television scene has brought Queensland's largest regional network, QTV, to Mackay.

QTV is owned and operated by Telecasters North Queensland Limited.   This is a public company and the majority of its shareholders are residents of regional Queensland.  It's directors are also residents of regional Queensland.

From Monday 31 December, the QTV program will be transmitted from Mt Blackwood on UHF Channel 33.

The Mackay office and studio complex for QTV in Gordon Street was opened by Mayor Peter Jardine last October.

Mackay manager, Vince Dickson, said QTV has been operating television stations in Cairns, Townsville and Mount Isa.  As well, the company owns the only commercial satellite service in the state providing television to outback communities in Queensland and Northern NSW.

"With the extension of our programs to the Mackay, Rockhampton, Bundaberg, Wide Bay, Sunshine Coast, Toowoomba and Darling Downs regions QTV will service an area containing 1.35 million viewers.

"We will have an outstanding lineup", Dickson said.

"QTV has entered an agreement for the supply of programs with the TEN Network.

"TEN has always enjoyed a top reputation for its mini-series and movies and the 1991 lineup which QTV will bring to Mackay is very impressive.

"The family program The Simpsons, which has beaten The Cosby Show with its ratings in the United States will be seen on QTV.  Of course, we are retaining Neighbours - the most successful series on Australian television, and it is moving to prime time 7.00pm Monday to Friday."

Vince Dickson confirmed that other favourites returning to QTV include LA Law.  Personalities like Greg Evans (hosting Blind Date), Kym Gyngell (formerly of The Comedy Company and now starring in Col'n Carpenter) and Kerri Anne Kennerley (Good Morning Australia) will be seen by Mackay viewers on QTV.

"We are delighted with the lineup of top rating shows we have put together through our TEN Network agreement", Dickson said.

QTV has stated it is introducing a new one-hour news format which will start each evening at 6.00pm.  The station says the new starting time will ensure more viewers are able to see its local, national and international news.

Vince Dickson says the local news from QTV's Mackay newsroom will have a high priority in this service.  It will be hosted by established North Queensland TV presenters Samantha Kume and Brett Lavaring.

QTV has not forgotten Rugby League followers.  The station will show the TEN Network's weekly rugby league matches.

The talent of QTV Commercial Production staff will now be available in Mackay and district business firms.  QTV's work in this field wins recognition each year in the Television Advertising Bureau Awards.  In 1990 the station won six awards.

The station also specialises in corporate image video productions and has been highly recommended for it's work on behalf of Mount Isa Mines, Townsville's Sheraton Breakwater Casino, the Burdekin Rural Agricultural College and the Magnetic North Tourism Authority.

QTV's initiatives in originating documentary programs have won acclaim from industry peers.

The QTV 1990 production My Place, My Land, My People, a twelve part series filmed at Aboriginal communities, won for the station and its producer Mark Eliot, a Logie for the most outstanding achievement by a Regional Television Station.

1950s