Channel Profile: ABC3

ABC3

COUNTRY: Australia

LAUNCH DATE: December 2009

OWNERSHIP: Australian Broadcasting Corporation

DISTRIBUTION: In Australia, 80 percent of homes have access to ABC3.

DIRECTOR, ABC TELEVISION: Kim Dalton
EXECUTIVE HEAD, CHILDREN’S CONTENT, ABC TELEVISION: Tim Brooke-Hunt
HEAD, COMMISSIONING & DEVELOPMENT, ABC CHILDREN’S TELEVISION: Carla De-Jong
HEAD, PROGRAMMING & ACQUISITIONS, ABC CHILDREN’S TELEVISION: Barbara Uecker

WEBSITE: www.abc.net.au/abc3

DESCRIPTION: ABC3 aims to be the number one television destination for Australian school-aged children.

PROGRAMMING STRATEGY: ABC3 is the only dedicated Australian free-to-air channel and online platform for school-age kids. It offers an Australian perspective and a worldview, with a focus on Australian content in a wide range of program genres. The core target audience is 8- to 12-year-olds, with a broader range of 6 to 15.

As an ad-free, publicly owned channel, ABC3 has a commitment to Australian programming, both commissioned and acquired. The channel offers a broad programming palette that spans drama, animation, comedy, adventure, reality, action, music, news and current affairs, sports, wildlife and documentaries. This includes My Place, Dead Gorgeous, Dance Academy, CJ the DJ and Figaro Pho. There’s also the popular hosted block Studio 3, extreme sports series Rush TV, a gaming show Good Game SP, the adventure-reality series Escape from Scorpion Island and a range of short-form programming. All of these shows are produced in Australia for ABC3.

Currently 75 percent of the schedule is acquired programming, however this percentage is decreasing as a newly commissioned slate of Australian programming is delivered for broadcast. For its acquired shows, ABC3 works with a wide range of Australian and international producers and distributors. The channel is always on the lookout for innovative formats, engaging dramas, compelling reality and comedic animations. Shows from international producers that are notable in ABC3’s schedule include Fresh TV’s Total Drama animated comedy series, the CBBC game show Trapped!, the Kratt Brothers’ wildlife series Be the Creature, the science show Richard Hammond’s Blast Lab, Samka’s animated series I.N.K. and RDF’s drama series Danni’s House. Successful Australian and New Zealand acquisitions include the locally produced dramas Round the Twist, Mortified and Misery Guts, and also New Zealand-produced The Tribe.

As for overall top performers for the channel, the Australian version of Prank Patrol consistently ranks in the top 20 digital free-to-air prime-time television programs. The Australian dramas My Place, Dead Gorgeous and Dance Academy also deliver big audiences. The reality adventure series Escape from Scorpion Island continues to be a favorite with ABC3’s core audience. CJ the DJ attracts a large audience and the show’s website a unique opportunity for kids to create and mix their own tracks online.

ABC3 Online extends and enhances kids on-air experience by giving them interactive entertainment and information. It also provides unique content such as games, and the catch-up video service has proven very popular with the channel’s audience.