ABC3 to launch a world for kids on December 4, 6pm…
It’s been three years in the making and needed support from both the Federal and State governments, but come 6pm Friday December 4 Australia will have a new digital television station made exclusively for children. On Thursday night the ABC launched its newest channel ABC3 with the event hosted by Kim Dalton, head of ABC TV at the national broadcasters Melbourne studios where the channel will be based.
The ABC will be one of the largest broadcasters of children’s content in the world, just behind the BBC with 32 hours of content a day across ABC1, a restructured ABC2 and now ABC3. 40 percent of the content shown on the new channel will be Australian before moving to the stations target of 50 percent. Kim Dalton went on to say that this is not enough indicating that with more government funding this could increase in the future.
In a positive move to promote the new channel, ABC1 will host a one hour live entertainment show which will begin at 5pm. After this the Prime Minister Kevin Rudd will “throw the switch” and activate ABC3.
Kim Dalton says, “Australian kids will get an innovative, new entertainment experience, one which is designed to challenge and excite them. It’s television of the new centaury, accessible on many platforms, interactive and customisable.
In addition to the launch of ABC3, not only will children’s programming continue on ABC1 until digital switchover, ABC2 will now extend it’s programming for children from 9am till 6pm weekdays. Programming will fall under the title of “ABC For Kid’s on 2” and will also extend to weekends screening from 6am till 6pm from December 4.
ABC1’s content will continue to screen weekdays from 8am to 10am, and then again from 3pm to 4pm and again on Sundays from 6:30am to 7:30am.
The ABC3 schedule was created for school children between the ages of 6 and 15, programming will include drama, comedy, adventure, reality, action, music, indigenous, sports, wildlife, gaming and documentaries. Additionally the channel will also have updates from ABC News covering both news and current affairs.
5927 people applied for the ABC’s recruitment drive “Me on 3” to become hosts on the new channel, out of those 5000+ applicants six were selected for various hosting roles. From 7am each week morning “Studio 3” will run for 90 minutes and is hosted by Amberley Lobo and Kayne Termills with reporter Ben Crawley.
“Studio 3” will be an entertaining mix of fun, games, competitions, guests and much more, it is basically where ABC3 begins and gives children a chance to show off their skills suck as performing a BMX trick or their pets and a whole lot more. The show will include roving reporter Ben Crawley who will take the show out of the studio as he explores his home town of Adelaide and beyond.
Rollercoaster is a much loved afternoon programme on ABC1 and now it is making a move to ABC3 as well screening weekdays 4:30pm till 6pm (ABC3) and 4pm to 5pm on ABC1. Elliot Spencer will serve up a daily dose of Rollercoaster with the show also boasting an integrated website for the kids to get involved with.
Scotty Tweedie is another winner of the “Me on 3” competition and will host Prank Patrol, exclusive to ABC3 and will screen Monday to Friday at 6:30pm. As the title suggests kids will be given the opportunity to create, build and execute a prank on their chosen target which could be a family member, close friend or their entire class.
Another new programme coming to ABC3 will be called Rush TV, screening at 7pm Saturday’s, Chris Boadle will host this action packed show all about action sports and the urban culture. Rush TV will look at sports including snowboarding, BMX, skating, surfing and motocross. The show will be co-hosted by “Me on 3” entrant Hannah Wang, Chris Boadle is a competition snowboarder and while this action packed show is all about extreme sport, it will also check out the latest fashions, music and culture.
Video: ABC3 Launch Promo…
The final two “Me on 3” hosts will co-host an additional version of the ABC2 gaming show Good Game titled “Good Game SP”, the show will screen for 15 minutes and will begin in 2010 with hosts Stephanie Bendixsen and Stephen O’Donnel.
Other children’s programming coming to the ABC…
My Place (World Premier): Monday – Friday 8pm ABC3
CJ The DJ: Monday – Saturday 6:20pm ABC3
Dance Academy (World Premier): Starts in 2010 on ABC3
Dead Gorgeous (World Premier): Starts in 2010 on ABC3
BTN Extra: Weekdays 4:25pm and 6:55pm on ABC3
Escape from Scorpion Island (New Series): Starts in 2010 on ABC3 & ABC1
Barney’s Barrier Reef (Australian Premier): Monday to Friday 9am ABC3
Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab (Australian Premier): Monday to Friday 7:05pm ABC3
Be the Creature (Australian Premier): Sunday to Friday 12pm ABC3
Heartbreak High: Sunday to Friday 8:30pm ABC3
How to be Indie (Australian Premier): Sunday’s 7pm ABC3
Spliced (Australian Premier): Sunday’s 9am ABC3
Twisted Whiskers (Australian Premier) Starts in 2010 ABC3
Gawayn (Australian Premier): Monday to Friday 7:10am ABC3
Michaela’s Wildlife Challenge (Australian Premier): Starts 2010 ABC3
Black Panther (Australian Premier): Starts 2010 ABC3
Trapped: Starts 2010 on ABC 1 & ABC3
Jolly Rabbit (Australian Premier): Starts 2010 ABC3 & ABC1
Connor Undercover (Australian Premier) Starts 2010 on ABC1 & ABC3
I.N.K. (Australian Premier) Starts 2010 on ABC1 & ABC3
The Jungle Book (Australian Premier): Starts 2010 on ABC3, ABC2 & ABC1
The final look ABC3 website will look like the image below when it has been fully launched, it will be located at http://abc.net.au/abc3
The post will continue to update though out the night and tomorrow with more specific information on shows and presenters soon…
“ABC1’s content will continue to screen weekdays from 8am to 10am, and then again from 3pm to 4pm and again on Sundays from 6:30am to 7:30am.”
Does that mean kids content on ABC1 will be reduced – because now it’s 6am – 10am (11am/12pm on school holidays) & 3pm – 6pm weekdays along with 6am – 9am Sundays?
No, children’s shows will air between 3 to 4 pm then 4pm to 5 pm it will be Rollercoaster. I don’t know about school holidays there is nothing about that but they have increased the content on ABC2 so you would think a small reduction on ABC1 was reasonable.
As Jeff stated, what does this mean for Rollercoaster that are screened outside of ABC1 children schedule? Will it move to ABC3?
WHAT YOU’VE TAKEN JEREMY RAY FROM GOOD GAME!!!!!. That is one of the worst decisions you have ever made BRING HIM back we don’t want an emo-apathetic girl reviewing our games we want Jungalist!
While I am also quite miffed that Junglist has completely dissappeared from Good Game without so much as a goodbye.
(I probably would have felt better if he had at least told us he was leaving in person) one of the things that really bugs me about this channel is it seems to be playing to what all kid’s shows nowadays seem to be doing.
This is not the new age of children’s programming, these presenters talk down to children like they are unintelligent.
If ABC3 wants to create an all day children’s channel (because kids don’t have enough TV already) that’s fine.
But try using this opportunity to challenge kids with some new types of shows rather than just putting up the same old Australian kids TV formulas and smiling, over-the-top teenage presenters filled up with shows from overseas in between.
I think it’s great
I think it’ good what do you people think