TCN


TCN is the flagship television station of the Nine Network in Australia. The station is currently located at 1 Denison Street, North Sydney. The licence, issued to a company named Television Corporation Ltd headed by Frank Packer, was one of the first four licences to be issued for commercial television stations in Australia. TCN-9 is the home of the NRL coverage and national-level Nine News bulletins.
WWW Official Site

History

TCN began broadcasting on 16 September 1956, and became the first television station in Australia to begin regular transmissions. Test broadcasts, initially consisting of a test slide and later documentaries and dramas, had commenced two months earlier on 13 July 1956. The first TV tower was built there at 24 Artarmon Road, Willoughby, in 1956 and rose 171 m in height, but was replaced by a taller one in 1965 which is the tallest lattice tower in Australia at 233 m, and is now operated by TXA Australia which operates another tower nearby at Artarmon.
The first words spoken on the station were by John Godson, who introduced the station audio-only, shortly before the first program, This Is Television, was introduced by Bruce Gyngell. As Godson's voice only was heard, Gyngell is regarded as the first person to "appear" on Australian television. Original footage of Gyngell's opening address is not believed to exist but it was re-created in 1959 to have a representation in the archives. Other early programming included the 1958 variety music program Bandstand which was launched by Brian Henderson. It lasted for 14 years on the station and launched the careers of many Australian performers.
In 1957, the station formed an affiliation with Melbourne station HSV-7, allowing them to share programming. In 1963, station affiliations changed; TCN-9 formed part of the National Television Network with GTV-9 in Melbourne, QTQ-9 in Brisbane and NWS-9 in Adelaide. These stations formed the basis of what is now the Nine Network, although only the Sydney and Melbourne stations were owned by the Packer-controlled company Nine Network Limited.
On Sir Frank Packer's death in 1974 ownership of Nine Network passed to his younger son Kerry Packer. Kerry's older brother Clyde Packer had been groomed to take over from their father but after a bitter split with his father ca. 1972 he relinquished his role in the company and subsequently moved to the USA.
On 2 March 1981, the station began broadcasting at the Kingsgate Hyatt Tower on UHF channel 49, later moving to UHF channel 52 in February 1983 to allow for ABC and SBS to set up transmitters there. This transmitter was installed to cover areas of central Sydney where reception is affected by the ghosting caused by the high-rise buildings in Sydney's central business district.
In January 1987, Kerry Packer sold the Sydney and Melbourne stations to Alan Bond's Bond Media for $1.055 billion, including $200 million in shares of Bond Media. Bond already owned the Perth and Brisbane Nine affiliate stations. In 1990, Bond Media's inability to pay out preference shares to Packer forced Nine into receivership. In July 1990, Packer bought back the expanded Nine Network for only $200 million, one-fifth of what he sold it for. Perth was not included due to Bond selling it to Sunraysia Television before Packer buying back the company.
In 1994, Packer's print operations and the Nine Network were merged into one new company, Publishing and Broadcasting Limited. On 1 October 1997, TCN-9 performed the first on-air trial of digital broadcasting in the southern hemisphere.
TCN commenced digital television transmission on 1 January 2001, broadcasting on VHF Channel 8 while maintaining analogue transmission on VHF Channel 9.
The analogue signal for TCN was shut off at 9.00am AEDST, Tuesday, 3 December 2013.
In 2014 and 2015, TCN produced both Inside Story and The Verdict for the Nine Network, hosted by Leila McKinnon and Karl Stefanovic respectively. The Verdict did not build a solid audience and as expected the program was axed in 2016.
In January 2017, following the affiliation formed between Nine and Southern Cross in 2016, the station became home to the new Nine News Canberra and Southern NSW bulletins. The bulletins were anchored by Vanessa O'Hanlon.
In late 2018, It was announced that after 25 years on air, the Nine Network axed and retired The NRL Footy Show, bringing to an end 25 years of live primetime variety from the station.
It was also announced to public and then staff, that after 64 years in Willoughby, TCN would move to North Sydney. This move occurred in stages throughout the second half of 2020. The final broadcast of Sydney’s Nine News from Willoughby, took place on Friday 20 November 2020. The final broadcast from Willoughby was Weekend Today on Saturday 21 November 2020, with Nine News commencing at North Sydney that evening.

Production

Filmed at North Sydney

Studio A: Lifestyle and Entertainment

Studio B: 9News Sydney

A Current Affair 9News Sydney statewide 60 Minutes Today Today Extra Weekend Today 9News Morning 9News Afternoon Sydney 9News Late Sports Sunday The Sunday Footy Show

Studio C: Secondary/back-up news studio

Studio D

  • Nine Digital and Nine Publishing segments

Studio E

  • 9Honey Segments

Filmed at Willoughby

Studio 1:9News Sydney

9News Sydney statewide 60 Minutes Today Weekend Today 9News Morning A Current Affair

Studio 2: Lifestyle and Entertainment

Weekdays: 9News Sydney statewide Today Today Extra 9News Morning 9News Afternoon 9News Late Inside Story The Mike Walsh Show The Mike Walsh At Night Show 1985
Weekends:Weekend Today The Sunday Footy Show Sports Sunday 100% Footy Nine's Wide World of Sports
The

Studio 24: Secondary/back-up news studio

Nine News updates 60 Minutes Nine News Southern NSW and ACT A Current Affair Today news updates during OB

Studio 3: National Newsroom

Nine's Early Morning News Today Extra A Current Affair
[Image:Willoughby Tower.JPG|thumb|TCN 9 Tower at Willoughby]

Filmed at Fox Studios Australia

William & Sparkles' Magical Tales Surprises! Kitchen Whiz

Location

Getaway ARIA Awards

Past

News

9News Sydney is TCN's flagship nightly news bulletin presented by Peter Overton from Sunday to Thursday and Georgie Gardner on Friday and Saturday. Sport is presented by James Bracey from Sunday to Thursday and Emma Lawrence on Friday and Saturday. Weather is presented by TBA from Sunday to Thursday and Belinda Russell on Friday and Saturday.
Jayne Azzopardi and Mark Burrows are the fill-in news presenters, with Emma Lawrence, Danika Mason, Matt Burke and Zac Bailey are the fill-in sport presenters, and Airlie Walsh, Kate Creedon, Sophie Walsh and Zara James are the fill-in weather presenters.
Brian Henderson was Nine's Sydney news presenter for a record 45 years - including 38 years presenting on weeknights. Retiring in November 2002, Henderson was succeeded as weeknight presenter by Jim Waley, who was at the time host of the Sunday program and was one of Nine's most experienced presenters.
In January 2005, despite some considerable ratings success, Waley was replaced as weeknight presenter by Mark Ferguson, who was previously the weekend presenter. Ferguson's successor as weekend presenter Mike Munro resigned in 2008 and was replaced by Michael Usher.
In 2009, following a continuing run of poor ratings, Ferguson was demoted to his former role as weekend news presenter, with Peter Overton taking over as news presenter on weeknights. Later in the year, Ferguson was removed from the presenting duties on the Sydney bulletins after announcing his decision to move to the Seven Network, but he didn't move to Seven until he trialled the hosting duties on Nine's Afternoon News only appearing on-air up until his departure on 25 September 2009.
Deborah Knight was appointed as Friday and Saturday presenter with Peter Overton now also presenting the Sunday bulletin.
In 2011, Nine News Sydney officially overtook Seven News Sydney in the ratings for the first time in seven years, winning 26 weeks to Seven's 14 weeks.
In November 2025, it was announced that Amber Sherlock, Nine News weather presenter, had been made redundant, one of several on air faces impacted by job cuts across Broadcast and Streaming Divisions.

Current presenters

News presenters

Sport presenters

Weather presenters

Fill-in presenters

Reporters

  • Charles Croucher
  • Andrew Probyn
  • Chris Kohler
  • Effie Zahos
  • Liz Daniels
  • Claudia Vrdoljak
  • Amanda Copp
  • Edward Godfrey
  • Hannah Sinclair
  • Lauren Tomasi
  • Reid Butler
  • Mark Burrows
  • Damian Ryan
  • Eddy Meyer
  • Airlie Walsh
  • Sophie Upcroft
  • Tiffiny Genders
  • Annalise Bolt
  • Emma Partridge
  • Gabriella Rogers
  • Mike Dalton
  • Jayne Azzopardi
  • Vicky Jardim
  • Kate Creedon
  • Sophie Walsh
  • Ruth Wynn-Williams
  • Hayley Francis
  • Elizabeth Bryan
  • Zara James
  • James Wilson
  • Massilia Aili
  • Alex Heinke
  • Maddison Scott
  • Erin Ramsey
  • Danny Weidler
  • Danika Mason
  • Emma Lawrence
  • Zac Bailey
  • Samuel Djodan
  • Luke Dufficy
  • Tom Marriott
  • Simon Bouda
  • Lizzie Pearl
  • Steve Marshall
  • Nat Wallace
  • Maggie Raworth
  • Gabrielle Boyle
  • Lara Vella
  • Sarah Stewart
  • Bethan Yeoman
  • Jack Hahn

Past presenters