ABC Me

ABC Me
Launched 4 December 2009
Network ABC Television
Owned by Australian Broadcasting Corporation
Picture format 576i (SDTV) 16:9
Slogan Catch Me
Country Australia
Language English
Broadcast area Nationally
Formerly called ABC3 (2009–2016)
Sister channel(s) ABC
ABC HD (6 Dec 2016)
ABC2
ABC Kids
ABC News 24
Website abc.net.au/abcme
Availability
Terrestrial
ABN Sydney (DVB-T) 548 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)[1]
ABV Melbourne (DVB-T) 564 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABQ Brisbane (DVB-T) 580 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABS Adelaide (DVB-T) 596 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABW Perth/Mandurah (DVB-T) 740 @ 12 (226.5 MHz)
ABT Hobart (DVB-T) 628 @ 8 (191.5 MHz)
ABD Darwin (DVB-T) 644 @ 30 (543.5 MHz)
Freeview ABC (virtual) 23
Satellite
Foxtel (virtual) 723
VAST (virtual) 23
Cable
Foxtel/Optus (virtual) 723
Streaming media
ABC iview live stream

ABC Me (stylised as ABC ME) is an Australian children's public digital television multichannel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It was officially launched by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd on 4 December 2009 as ABC3.

History

In September 2007, the Australian government announced a proposal to launch a new digital-only children's channel, ABC3.[2] A new ABC channel appeared on television receivers in 2008, as a placeholder for the future ABC3 channel.[3] ABC3 was considered by the Australia 2020 Summit and given as one of the recommendations to the Government. In April 2009, the Government's official response to the Summit approved the idea,[4] and in the 2009–10 Commonwealth Budget $67 million was allocated towards ABC3 as part of the Government's $167 million funding increase to the ABC.

ABC3 logo

On 18 June 2009, the Corporation began its first public ABC3 campaign to scout for new hosting talent. On 22 October 2009, eight presenters were announced. Amberley Lobo and Kayne Tremills would host Studio 3, with Ben Crawley as a roving reporter, he later joined the show What Do You Know? alongside Dr Rhythm. Scott Tweedie would host Prank Patrol, while Hannah Wang and Mitch Tomlinson were named as co-hosts of Rush TV and Stephanie Bendixsen and Steven O'Donnell were hosts of Good Game: Spawn Point, a spin-off of the ABC2 TV series Good Game, made for younger gamers.

On 4 December 2009 at 5pm, the hour-long Countdown to 3 special was broadcast on the channel and was simulcast on ABC1. It featured special performances from Australian artists Cassie Davis and Short Stack, an introduction to various ABC3 presenters and shows and the station's launch around 6pm by then-Prime Minister Kevin Rudd.[5][6][7]

In 2011, James Elmer joined as co-host of Studio 3 along with Kayne and Amberley. On 4 December 2011, the winners from the MeOn3 contest were revealed as Alfie Gledhill and Olivia Phyland. On 14 September 2012, Alfie left Studio 3 to pursue acting dreams. In October 2012, Comedian Khaled Khalafala joined Studio 3, and stayed with the crew until early 2013 before leaving. In March 2013 the Janitor (Dave Cartel) and Bubbles the goldfish supposedly left Studio 3 for Venezuela, with Bubbles being replaced with a new goldfish called Alexis. Tim Matthews, Grace Koh and Ivy Latimer later joined James and Liv in June 2014 after winning The 3 Factor competition.

In August 2016, it was announced that ABC3 would rebrand as ABC Me on 19 September 2016.[8][9][10] The rebranded channel is reported to be "designed to reflect and celebrate the lives, interests and diversity of young Australians" and will increase its focus to primary school children.[11][12]

Programming

The channel's programming runs from 6am to 9pm during the weekdays and 6am to 10pm during the weekends, 6am to 10:30pm (10pm on Fridays) daily, and targets the 3–15-year-old age group. At 10:45pm, the station closes and displays the 'signpost saying "returns at 6:00am" with ABC Jazz background music before reopening again at 6am.[13] It broadcasts a range of genres, including comedy, drama, music, animation, extreme sports, wildlife and news-based programmes. The channel aims to feature at least 50% Australian produced content.[14] News To Me is a show that is hosted by the channel's presenters. It premiered on Monday 19 September 2016 at 5:10 pm.

New programs which air on the channel include the historical drama My Place, sitcom Mal.com, animation series CJ the DJ, a news and current affairs show produced by the team from Behind the News and a sketch comedy You're Skitting Me.[15]

Program playout for ABC Me is controlled from ABQ, the ABC's Brisbane station. on delayed to technical at ABC's new playout facility, MediaHub. Programmes such as Studio 3 and Prank Patrol are filmed and produced at ABV in Melbourne.

Unlike commercial channels, ABC Me is not constrained by a local content quota[16] and portions of its programming are sourced from foreign broadcasters such as CBBC, Teletoon and YTV.

Current shows

Programmes currently broadcast on the channel include:

Domestic

Foreign

Future shows

Programming confirmed for future broadcast will include:

Past shows

These shows have previously been broadcast on ABC Me:

Domestic

Foreign

See also

References

  1. ↑ http://www.freetv.com.au/media/Engineering/Australian_Digital_Terrestrial_Television_Broadcasting_Service_Information_Register_-_Issue_4_-_January_2011.pdf
  2. ↑ "Free kids' TV channel is as easy as ABC3". The Age. 23 September 2007. Archived from the original on 16 September 2008. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  3. ↑ "The state of Children's television". Radio National. 6 December 2007. Retrieved 1 September 2008.
  4. ↑ "New children's channel for ABC". ABC News and Current Affairs. 22 April 2009. Archived from the original on 25 April 2009. Retrieved 12 May 2009.
  5. ↑ "Countdown To 3". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  6. ↑ Knox, David (4 December 2009). "Countdown to ABC3". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  7. ↑ "Countdown To 3". ABC Television. 4 December 2009. Retrieved 12 September 2015.
  8. ↑ "STRICTLY EMBARGOED MEDIA RELEASE: ABC3 becomes ABC ME". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  9. ↑ ABC3 becomes ABC ME! on YouTube
  10. ↑ Knox, David (19 August 2016). "ABC3 rebrands as ABC ME". TV Tonight. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  11. ↑ "ABC3 to rebrand as ABC ME". Mediaweek. 19 August 2016. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  12. ↑ Canning, Simon (19 August 2016). "ABC drops 3 for ME in childrens' channel rebrand". Mumbrella. Retrieved 19 August 2016.
  13. ↑ About ABC3. Accessed on 9 December 2009.
  14. ↑ "ABC3 announces new Aussie kids shows". TV Tonight. 18 June 2009. Archived from the original on 21 June 2009. Retrieved 25 June 2009.
  15. ↑ Green, Liz. "Countdown to ABC3". ABC. Retrieved 24 October 2010.
  16. ↑ Michael Bodey (22 October 2009). "ABC to launch new kids digital TV channel ABC3". The Australian.
  17. ↑ "ABC TV and A Stark Production fall into The Deep production".
  18. 1 2 "ABC 2016 Upfronts: Children's Programming". 27 November 2015.
  19. ↑ "Winston Steinburger and Sir Dudley Ding Dong is Greenlit for Production » Sticky Pictures Pty Ltd".

External links

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