Australian and New Zealand television frequencies

Television frequency allocation has evolved since the start of television in Australia in 1956, and later in New Zealand in 1960. There was no coordination between the national spectrum management authorities in either country to establish the frequency allocations. The management of the spectrum in both countries is largely the product of their economical and political situation. New Zealand didn't start to develop television service until 1965 due to World War 2 and its economic harm in the country's economy.
The demand and planning for television in Australia intensified after WW2, with the Chifley government first favouring the existing British model in 1948, and New Zealand used a similar model during the introduction of television in the 1960s. Private broadcasting did not come to the country until the 1980s, but there was no spectrum expansion to cope with the new arrangement.

History

Australia

Australian television broadcasting commenced in 1956 in Melbourne and Sydney to coincide with the 1956 Summer Olympics.
Three stations commenced operations on a ten-channel spectrum arrangement: the ABC operating in the VHF low band, and the commercial stations operating in the VHF high band. At the outset, commercial stations were independently owned, but due to economic forces network affiliations were soon established.
This pattern of television spectrum allocation was replicated in most of the state capital cities over the subsequent decade, with the exception of Hobart and eventually Darwin.
Geographical conditions differed in Melbourne and Sydney. The Melbourne transmission towers were located on the nearby Mount Dandenong, and their elevation and broadcasting power on an otherwise relatively flat terrain meant that the broadcasting signal could be received for some considerable distance, although there were some areas that experienced reception difficulties due to hills or buildings.
In the Sydney "basin" the broadcast towers were collocated on the original studio sites, and given the undulating geography of Sydney there were many areas that experienced reception difficulties. The Blue Mountain terrain in the West of Sydney meant that capital city broadcasting did not penetrate into the hinterland of NSW, unlike that of Melbourne. It is possible that the penetration of weak signals into the Victorian hinterlands hastened the demand for the establishment of regional television stations, which commenced in 1961.
The Australian Government restricted regional television broadcasting to one commercial service and a repeater station of the national broadcaster from the capital city ABC station. Regional television stations tended to be allocated to VHF 6, 8 or in some cases 10.

New Zealand

Allocation of channels on the VHF bands in New Zealand was rather haphazard. Originally, only channels 1 through 9 were used; channels 10 and 11 were added in the 1980s. Due to this artifact, TV One and TV2 largely used channels 1 through 9 while channels 10 and 11 were almost the exclusive domain of TV3 and TV4. One major exception to this was in Canterbury, where in the late 1980s several translators moved TV One or TV2 from channel 6 to channel 10 to allow the main Sugarloaf transmitter to broadcast TV3 on channel 6.
Meanwhile, the allocation of the UHF band was much more organised. When originally allocated in 1989, each area was allocated UHF channels at four-channel intervals. For example, Auckland was allocated channels 27, 31, 43, 47, etc., Wellington was allocated channels 28, 32, 44, 48, etc., and Christchurch was allocated channels 30, 34, 46, 50, etc. Infill channels were added at two-channel intervals.

FM Broadcasting

New Zealand's original FM broadcasting allocation, when FM frequencies were first allocated around 1981 until 1986 was 89.0 to 94.0 MHz, and then from 1986, until 2000 was 89.0 to 100.0 MHz. Meanwhile, the segments of the band not used for FM broadcasting, such as the band above 100 MHz had been allocated to land-based AM mobile radio-telephone users, an allocation that dates back to the late 1950s. Prior to the allocation of FM radio frequencies for broadcasting, the entire 88 to 108 MHz band was allocated to land mobile two way radio communications. New Zealand's FM frequency allocation issue was not fixed until the late 1990s, after those users had been progressively reassigned channels elsewhere, when the band was expanded to the full 20.5 MHz. New Zealand now uses the standard global allocation of 87.5–108 MHz for FM. Today, full-power FM stations use frequencies between 88.6 MHz and 106.5 MHz, although the band between 101.8 MHz and 103.3 MHz is allocated to future government, Maori and limited short term broadcasting, it is currently unused. Low-power FM stations use frequencies from 87.6 MHz to 88.3 MHz and from 106.7 MHz to 107.7 MHz.
As of the mid-2010s television transmission in NZ totally abandoned its VHF band for UHF channels above 25.
Unlike Australia, New Zealand did not assign television frequencies in what is now the FM broadcasting band.

Differences in frequencies

There is a frequency offset for many DTV channels between Australia and NZ, because of historical reasons relating to the introduction of PAL.

Both Australia and New Zealand use 7 MHz channel spacing on VHF, but the frequencies and channel numbers differ substantially because of Australia revising its VHF TV band usage.
Australia adopted Zweiton for stereophonic audio broadcasting, whilst NZ adopted NICAM.
For PAL, the only difference is the placement of the NICAM carrier vs the Zweiton carrier, for broadcasters using NICAM. NZ used 5.824 MHz NICAM carrier offset, as used in mainland Europe.
Australia's Zweiton offset was not changed with respect to the European standard.
Australia, New Zealand, Fiji and Papua New Guinea have the same UHF band allocation for TV broadcasting.

Obsolete channels

With the introduction of digital terrestrial television in Australia in 2001, channels 10 and 11 were moved up by 1 MHz.
* This allocation change allowed a full 7 MHz for a new channel.
* VHF channel 12 was added following the new channel 11 to compensate for the change.
channels 0-2 and 5A ceased to be used for television when analogue television broadcasting was discontinued. Channel 5A overlapped with frequencies reserved by the ITU for space research and VHF satellite downlink in the 137 MHz band.
Television broadcasts on channels 3, 4, and 5 were previously discontinued in most regional areas in 1991 and 1992. Since the frequencies for these channels overlapped the range used for FM radio, any television broadcasts on these channels prevented the allocation of new FM radio licences, predominantly in regional areas.
VHF Low Band DX using ITU TV Band and part of Band from NZ may disappear with the transition to DVB-T.

Frequency allocation table

DVB-T channel allocation notes:

The allocation for terrestrial television must be seen in terms of uniform system G 8 MHz blocks and system B 7 MHz blocks after the cessation of analogue television.
DVB-T, analogue systems B and G utilize the same 250 kHz guard-band.
After analogue television transmissions have ceased, only the preferred main carrier wave centre frequency should be listed, because QAM modulates all AV channels and other data into a single H.222 data stream.
Digital services on channels above Ch 51 are going to change channel after the analog services are switched off. The ACMA has published the pre-stack and post-stack channel in a spreadsheet on its website.
Australian channel 12 was discontinued decades ago but is being reintroduced with digital television, generally for the ABC in the major metropolitan areas.
A common problem of difficulty receiving digital 10 and digital ABC is because older antennas were not designed to receive channels 11 and 12. Many VHF Band III antennas were only designed to receive channels 6 to 10 for analog television transmissions.
Australia and New Zealand analog sub-carriers use the standard B/G offsets from the vision carrier.
* PAL color difference at +4.43361875 MHz
* FM monaural full mixed down channel audio at +5.5 MHz
* New Zealand NICAM stereo or dual monaural at +5.824 MHz
* Australian A2 Stereo right or second monaural channel at +5.742 MHz

DTT allocation

NOTE: Text in italics means these frequencies are not currently used but set aside as a Guardband or for future use.

UHF

External Data is from ACMA Register of Radiocommunications Licences –

Australian frequencies

Channels according to State

Channel	ACT	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	TAS	WA	NT	Extra territorial*	Nationwide
6	1	8	4	13	2	1	15	3	2	49
7	1	8	5	21	4	2	21	4	2	68
8	1	7	4	12	3	2	11	3	2	45
9		1		2			12			15
9A				1	1		10	1		13
10		4	3	5		2	18	3	2	37
11	1	8	5	12	3	2	15	2	2	50
12	1	7	4	9	2	1	17			41
28		24	9	14	6	4	6	2		65
29		17	11	16	4	4	5	1		58
30		25	10	27	6	3	7	3		81
31		23	10	17	3	2	7	1		63
32		27	6	27	5	3	4	2		74
33		17	6	18	3	1	8	1		54
34		7	18	34	16	12	6	2	1	96
35	1	9	19	27	15	13	4	1	1	90
36	1	12	18	21	15	12	2	2	1	84
37	1	12	19	29	15	12	4		1	93
38	1	11	19	28	4	3	2	3	1	72
39	1	11	2	19	11	9	3			56
40		45	20	40	4	5	15	5	2	136
41	2	51	26	44	11	8	17	4	2	165
42	1	52	17	49	11	8	19	5	2	164
43	1	52	24	40	10	8	15	3	2	155
44	1	50	23	50	12	7	18	4	2	167
45	2	14	11	24	10	5	7	1		74
46		31	25	46	9	10	20	1		142
47		33	27	42	11	15	15	1		144
48		32	25	41	11	12	21	1		143
49		31	26	38	9	10	17	1		132
50		31	24	32	9	7	18			121
51		11	7	6	1	6	8			39
52
53
54
55			1							1
56				1						1
57
58				1						1
59
60				3						3
61
62		2			1					3
63		1								1
64			1							1
65			1	1						2
66				2						2
67
68
69
Total	17	674	430	812	227	189	367	60	25	2801

The external territories include the Cocos Islands, Christmas Island & the Bayu-Undan Gas Project in the Timor Sea.

State-owned stations

The ABC has the highest number of transmission sites: often, but not always, SBS and ABC signals are transmitted from the same masts.

		ACT	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	TAS	WA	NT	Extra territorial*	Nationwide
ABC	Metropolitan	4	10	15	13	15	2	7	3		69
ABC	Regional		125	70	155	33	42	74	14	5	518
ABC	Total	4	135	85	168	48	44	81	17	5	587
SBS	Metropolitan	4	10	15	13	15	2	7	3		69
SBS	Regional		120	70	141	27	36	64	7	5	470
SBS	Total	4	130	85	154	42	38	71	10	5	539

Private networks

Some commercial broadcasters have a call sign that operates over multiple areas, whereas others may only serve a single area. This is due to historical ownership of regional stations. Nevertheless, most regional stations are now affiliated with the major metropolitan networks.

Broadcast Call Sign	ACT	NSW	VIC	QLD	SA	TAS	WA	NT	Extra territorial*	Nationwide
CTC	3	67								70
AMN		3								3
ATN		11								11
BDN		1								1
BKN		1								1
CBN	3	61								64
MDN		3								3
MTN		3								3
NBN		46		4						50
NEN		44		4						48
NRN		41		4						45
SCN		1								1
TCN		11								11
TEN		11								11
TSN		1								1
WIN	3	61								64
AMV		8	66							74
ATV			16							16
BCV		1	29							30
GLV		7	39							46
GTV			16							16
HSV			16							16
MDV			4							4
MGV			2							2
PTV			4							4
STV			4							4
VTV		8	64							72
BTQ				15						15
CTQ				1						1
IDQ				1						1
ITQ				1						1
QQQ		6		37	4			7	1	55
QTQ				15						15
RTQ				108						108
STQ				102						102
TNQ				107						107
TVQ				16						16
ADS					18					18
CTS					1					1
GDS					10					10
GTS					13					13
LRS					6					6
MGS					6					6
NWS					18					18
RDS					6					6
RTS					7					7
SAS					18					18
SDS					6					6
SES					6					6
SGS					10					10
ACT								2		2
CDT		6		37	4			7	1	55
SMT		1								1
TDT						35				35
TNT						37				37
TVT						35				35
CTW							1			1
GDW							6			6
GTW							6			6
NEW							9			9
SDW							15			15
SSW							15			15
STW							8			8
TVW							9			9
VDW							7			7
VEW							7			7
WAW							34		4	38
WDW							34		4	38
WOW							62		4	66
DTD								3		3
NTD								3		3
TND								3		3
IMP		6		38	4			7	1	56
Total Commercial	9	409	260	490	137	107	213	32	15	1672

New Zealand frequencies

Digital television in New Zealand currently uses UHF frequencies between channels 26 and 39, with channel 25 used as a guard band. Channels 40 to 48 are currently allocated but reserved; frequencies above this have been reallocated to 4G (LTE) mobile phone services in the 700 MHz band.
Rights held directly by the New Zealand Crown are managed by government entity Radio Spectrum Management. Frequency allocations are made to TV operators, both national as well as network operators Kordia and JDA.
Channels 38 and 39 are currently provided to Te Mātāwai, a representative body established to represent Māori language interests, for use by the Māori Television Service.
Radio Spectrum Management last released a list of spectrum licence holders in June 2019, with more recent data in their Register of Radio Frequencies.