This is a list of Australian television related events, debuts, finales, and cancellations that are scheduled to occur in 2016, the 61st year of continuous operation of
television in Australia.
Overview of the events of 2016 in Australian television
The
ABC's coverage of
Sydney New Year's Eve is widely panned for the third consecutive year, with criticism of lame skits and pre-recorded performances.
Seven Network's breakfast show Sunrise gets a new on-air presentation and studio set, replacing the unchanged package which has been introduced in January 2010.
Weekend Today co-host
Cameron Williams quits the Nine Network after stalled contract negotiations. However, he would return to the network less than twelve months later to replace the retiring
Ken Sutcliffe as the sports presenter on Nine News Sydney.
Samantha Armytage is dumped from hosting a
UNHCR event in Sydney, following an awkward skit on Sunrise a day earlier involving UNHCR spokesperson
Kristin Davis.
Foxtel launches legal action to block access to four
torrent websites, it accuses of illegally distributing its programs, under recently introduced legislation which can force Australian
ISPs to block website access with a Federal Court order.
The Seven and Nine Networks reach a settlement in the
Federal Court over a copyright claim on Nine's program The Hot Plate. The settlement sees Nine agree not to produce any further seasons of the program, and to never rebroadcast or distribute the first season.
A blackout at
TCN causes Nine Network failing to broadcast the national
Nine News Now bulletin, while the Sydney
Nine Afternoon News bulletin had to be broadcast from the
QTQ Brisbane studio.
The
Coalition partyroom pass Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield's proposed media reforms. In addition to the removal of the 'two out of three' rule and 'reach rule', it is proposed that a quota system be introduced for regional content after a merger event.
Its announced that 14 months after being let go by Nine Network as a result of cost-cutting measures,
Emma Freedman who formerly appeared on Weekend Today would return to the network as a presenter on Wide World of Sports.
NRL legend
Johnathan Thurston signs a five-year deal with Nine Network, which will see him co-host The Footy Show as well as provide commentary on NRL games and stories.
Ian Cook, a Melbourne pilot, and Quoc Huong Vu, a Sydney-based cameraman, are killed in an ultralight aircraft crash in northern Victoria while filming The Amazing Race Vietnam.
Nine Entertainment Co. purchase a 9.9% stake in regional broadcaster
Southern Cross Media from Macquarie Group for $1.15 a share, ahead of expected media reforms which will see the removal of the 'reach rule'.
Network Ten enter regional affiliation discussions with WIN Television, which if are successful would see in June 2016 the end of a 27-year affiliation agreement between Nine Network and WIN Television.
Former Network Ten sports reporter Mel McLaughlin makes her debut appearance on Seven News Sydney. As a result, Jim Wilson moves to the Friday & Saturday role on the bulletin, and
Ryan Phelan is removed.
A power outage in
Mackay, Queensland caused by bamboo touching the high voltage power lines saw the area lose TV reception as the lines affected serviced the local TV transmitters and the back up generators failed to work.
The four 60 Minutes crew members (reporter Tara Brown, senior producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment) who had been detained in Beirut,
Lebanon (see 7 April) are charged with four separate charges, including kidnapping, causing harm and not respecting local authority. If pleaded guilty, they could each face a maximum of over 20 years in jail.
Australian actor
Jack Charles is racially discriminated against in Melbourne, where he is refused taxi admittance twice in a single day. Charles had experienced this same form of racial prejudice in October 2015.
The 60 Minutes crew are released from Lebanese custody, with the personal charges against them dropped and Nine Network paying compensation for their release. However, they still face criminal charges.
Commercial broadcasters Network Ten, Nine Network and Seven Network announce the launch of a new joint venture marketing company called Think TV which aims to persuade advertisers to continue to invest in free-to-air television.
In a landmark decision, the NSW Supreme Court ruled in favor of Nine Network over WIN Network in relation to Nine's online streaming of its metropolitan stations into WIN regions. The judge found streaming to not fall under the definition of broadcasting.
A number of WIN Network Tasmania personnel are recognised at the Tasmanian Media Awards – namely sports reporter Brent Costelloe and cameraman Steve Fisher who won in the Best Sports Journalist and Best News Image categories respectively.
Nine Entertainment Co. ends a 27-year
affiliation agreement with
WIN Corporation, instead partnering with
Southern Cross Austereo in parts of regional Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, after securing a 50% revenue sharing deal with Southern Cross, higher than its 39% deal with WIN.
The
2016 Australian federal budget gives commercial broadcasters receive a 25% reduction in licence fees, while renewed tri-annual funding arrangements will see the ABC receive $3.1 billion and SBS $814 million over the next three years.
Network Ten renew their affiliation agreement with Southern Cross Ten for
Northern New South Wales for an additional five years. The new agreement begins 1 July 2016.
Seven News launch a
Gold Coast bulletin. Its debut wins its timeslot with 49,000 viewers, defeating long-standing rival bulletin Nine Gold Coast News with 34,000 viewers.
Catalyst presenter
Maryanne Demasi is suspended, following an internal review of a February episode of the program found it breached impartiality standards.
A
power outage affecting the entire state of
South Australia for several hours sees dramatically low viewership figures from
Adelaide viewers, including ratings of zero for many programs.
10 May –
7HD (high definition simulcast of
Seven in Melbourne and Adelaide,
7mate in other markets)[100][101]
14 May –
beIN Sports 1 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 1), beIN Sports 2, beIN Sports 2 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 2), beIN Sports 3, beIN Sports 3 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 3)[102]
15 May – Sky News Election HD (high definition simulcast of Sky News Election Channel)[103]
1 July –
Foxtel Movies More, Foxtel Movies More HD (high definition simulcast of Foxtel Movies More),
MUTV, MUTV HD (high definition simulcast of MUTV),
Chelsea TV, Chelsea TV HD (high definition simulcast of Chelsea TV),
LFC TV, LFC TV HD (high definition simulcast of LFC TV),
Spike[104][105][106]
Australian actress who appeared in series such as Neighbours, and The Box, as well as being the longest serving background cast member on soap opera Prisoner.
Criterion for inclusion in the following list is that Australian premiere episodes will air in Australia for the first time on a new channel. This includes when a program is moved from a free-to-air network's primary channel to a digital multi-channel, as well as when a program moves between subscription television channels – provided the preceding criterion is met. Ended television series which change networks for repeat broadcasts are not included in the list.
List of domestic television series which changed network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian free-to-air television that had previously premiered on
Australian subscription television. Programs may still air on the original subscription television network.
List of international television series which premiered on free-to-air television for the first time
This is a list of programs which made their debut on
Australian subscription television, having previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air (first or repeat) on the original free-to-air television network.
List of domestic television series which premiered on subscription television for the first time
This is a list of Australian television related events, debuts, finales, and cancellations that are scheduled to occur in 2016, the 61st year of continuous operation of
television in Australia.
Overview of the events of 2016 in Australian television
The
ABC's coverage of
Sydney New Year's Eve is widely panned for the third consecutive year, with criticism of lame skits and pre-recorded performances.
Seven Network's breakfast show Sunrise gets a new on-air presentation and studio set, replacing the unchanged package which has been introduced in January 2010.
Weekend Today co-host
Cameron Williams quits the Nine Network after stalled contract negotiations. However, he would return to the network less than twelve months later to replace the retiring
Ken Sutcliffe as the sports presenter on Nine News Sydney.
Samantha Armytage is dumped from hosting a
UNHCR event in Sydney, following an awkward skit on Sunrise a day earlier involving UNHCR spokesperson
Kristin Davis.
Foxtel launches legal action to block access to four
torrent websites, it accuses of illegally distributing its programs, under recently introduced legislation which can force Australian
ISPs to block website access with a Federal Court order.
The Seven and Nine Networks reach a settlement in the
Federal Court over a copyright claim on Nine's program The Hot Plate. The settlement sees Nine agree not to produce any further seasons of the program, and to never rebroadcast or distribute the first season.
A blackout at
TCN causes Nine Network failing to broadcast the national
Nine News Now bulletin, while the Sydney
Nine Afternoon News bulletin had to be broadcast from the
QTQ Brisbane studio.
The
Coalition partyroom pass Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield's proposed media reforms. In addition to the removal of the 'two out of three' rule and 'reach rule', it is proposed that a quota system be introduced for regional content after a merger event.
Its announced that 14 months after being let go by Nine Network as a result of cost-cutting measures,
Emma Freedman who formerly appeared on Weekend Today would return to the network as a presenter on Wide World of Sports.
NRL legend
Johnathan Thurston signs a five-year deal with Nine Network, which will see him co-host The Footy Show as well as provide commentary on NRL games and stories.
Ian Cook, a Melbourne pilot, and Quoc Huong Vu, a Sydney-based cameraman, are killed in an ultralight aircraft crash in northern Victoria while filming The Amazing Race Vietnam.
Nine Entertainment Co. purchase a 9.9% stake in regional broadcaster
Southern Cross Media from Macquarie Group for $1.15 a share, ahead of expected media reforms which will see the removal of the 'reach rule'.
Network Ten enter regional affiliation discussions with WIN Television, which if are successful would see in June 2016 the end of a 27-year affiliation agreement between Nine Network and WIN Television.
Former Network Ten sports reporter Mel McLaughlin makes her debut appearance on Seven News Sydney. As a result, Jim Wilson moves to the Friday & Saturday role on the bulletin, and
Ryan Phelan is removed.
A power outage in
Mackay, Queensland caused by bamboo touching the high voltage power lines saw the area lose TV reception as the lines affected serviced the local TV transmitters and the back up generators failed to work.
The four 60 Minutes crew members (reporter Tara Brown, senior producer Stephen Rice, cameraman Ben Williamson and sound recordist David Ballment) who had been detained in Beirut,
Lebanon (see 7 April) are charged with four separate charges, including kidnapping, causing harm and not respecting local authority. If pleaded guilty, they could each face a maximum of over 20 years in jail.
Australian actor
Jack Charles is racially discriminated against in Melbourne, where he is refused taxi admittance twice in a single day. Charles had experienced this same form of racial prejudice in October 2015.
The 60 Minutes crew are released from Lebanese custody, with the personal charges against them dropped and Nine Network paying compensation for their release. However, they still face criminal charges.
Commercial broadcasters Network Ten, Nine Network and Seven Network announce the launch of a new joint venture marketing company called Think TV which aims to persuade advertisers to continue to invest in free-to-air television.
In a landmark decision, the NSW Supreme Court ruled in favor of Nine Network over WIN Network in relation to Nine's online streaming of its metropolitan stations into WIN regions. The judge found streaming to not fall under the definition of broadcasting.
A number of WIN Network Tasmania personnel are recognised at the Tasmanian Media Awards – namely sports reporter Brent Costelloe and cameraman Steve Fisher who won in the Best Sports Journalist and Best News Image categories respectively.
Nine Entertainment Co. ends a 27-year
affiliation agreement with
WIN Corporation, instead partnering with
Southern Cross Austereo in parts of regional Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria, after securing a 50% revenue sharing deal with Southern Cross, higher than its 39% deal with WIN.
The
2016 Australian federal budget gives commercial broadcasters receive a 25% reduction in licence fees, while renewed tri-annual funding arrangements will see the ABC receive $3.1 billion and SBS $814 million over the next three years.
Network Ten renew their affiliation agreement with Southern Cross Ten for
Northern New South Wales for an additional five years. The new agreement begins 1 July 2016.
Seven News launch a
Gold Coast bulletin. Its debut wins its timeslot with 49,000 viewers, defeating long-standing rival bulletin Nine Gold Coast News with 34,000 viewers.
Catalyst presenter
Maryanne Demasi is suspended, following an internal review of a February episode of the program found it breached impartiality standards.
A
power outage affecting the entire state of
South Australia for several hours sees dramatically low viewership figures from
Adelaide viewers, including ratings of zero for many programs.
10 May –
7HD (high definition simulcast of
Seven in Melbourne and Adelaide,
7mate in other markets)[100][101]
14 May –
beIN Sports 1 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 1), beIN Sports 2, beIN Sports 2 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 2), beIN Sports 3, beIN Sports 3 HD (high definition simulcast of beIN Sports 3)[102]
15 May – Sky News Election HD (high definition simulcast of Sky News Election Channel)[103]
1 July –
Foxtel Movies More, Foxtel Movies More HD (high definition simulcast of Foxtel Movies More),
MUTV, MUTV HD (high definition simulcast of MUTV),
Chelsea TV, Chelsea TV HD (high definition simulcast of Chelsea TV),
LFC TV, LFC TV HD (high definition simulcast of LFC TV),
Spike[104][105][106]
Australian actress who appeared in series such as Neighbours, and The Box, as well as being the longest serving background cast member on soap opera Prisoner.
Criterion for inclusion in the following list is that Australian premiere episodes will air in Australia for the first time on a new channel. This includes when a program is moved from a free-to-air network's primary channel to a digital multi-channel, as well as when a program moves between subscription television channels – provided the preceding criterion is met. Ended television series which change networks for repeat broadcasts are not included in the list.
List of domestic television series which changed network affiliation
This is a list of programs which made their premiere on Australian free-to-air television that had previously premiered on
Australian subscription television. Programs may still air on the original subscription television network.
List of international television series which premiered on free-to-air television for the first time
This is a list of programs which made their debut on
Australian subscription television, having previously premiered on Australian free-to-air television. Programs may still air (first or repeat) on the original free-to-air television network.
List of domestic television series which premiered on subscription television for the first time