ABC3

ABC3 is an Australian children's public digital television multichannel owned by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. It launched on 4 December 2009 at 6pm, with the Countdown to 3 airing beforehand at 5pm on ABC TV with Australian prime minister at the time, Kevin Rudd appearing.

History

In September 2007, the Australian government announced a proposal to launch a new digital-only children's channel, ABC3. An ABC3 channel appeared on television receivers in 2008, as a placeholder for the future ABC3 channel. 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, 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.

On 18 June 2009, the Corporation began its first public ABC3 campaign – called "MeOn3" – to scout for new hosting talent. On 22 October 2009, 8 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 TV series Good Game, made for younger gamers, which shows every Tuesday on ABC2.