Imparja Television

Imparja Television (IMP) is an independent Australian television station servicing over , across six states and territories: Northern Territory, South Australia, Queensland, New South Wales, Victoria, and Tasmania. It is based in Alice Springs, and is controlled by Aboriginal people.

Imparja is the anglicised form of the pronunciation of the Arrernte word Impatye,

Broadcasting began on 2 January 1988. following its dropping of Network Ten affiliation. In 2009, the station again identified as simply "Imparja" and "IMP", although the Nine Network's nine dots seen in the logo remain. It broadcasts its programming from the Nine Network. As of 1 April 2025, VAST has upgraded Imparja's signal to HD.

In 1986 hearings for the allocation of the licence began, and the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA), which began providing Central Australian radio programs in local languages in 1980, formed Imparja Television Pty Ltd as a company.

By October 1987 the new station had begun to build rebroadcast sites and new studios and a main transmitter based in Alice Springs were completed.

Imparja became the first Aboriginal member of the Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations and the now-defunct Regional Television Association, both dominant organisations at the time.

On 3 February 2008, Imparja Television updated its logo removing the emblem, which had been present on the logo for two decades. The logo change coincided with Imparja dropping Network 10 affiliation, becoming a sole Nine Network affiliate, in addition to axing Imparja National News, and also adding Nine Network's dots to its new logo. It was launched on 30 June 2010 as "10 Central (CDT)".

In December 2010, Imparja Television began broadcasting on terrestrial digital TV and the new VAST satellite service. This expansion included the establishment of two feeds for these platforms, Imparja North (Qld/NT) and Imparja South (NSW/SA/Vic/Tas). Programming on "north" and "south" feeds are identical, however permits correct transmission of non-live programs (for program classification purposes) during daylight saving time, which the states and territories on the "south" feed observe but the "north" states do not - effectively creating a 1-hour timeshift.

Imparja Pty Ltd also began to launch digital channels 9Go! and 9Gem. Imparja provides one feed for 9Gem, while 9Go! has separate "north" and "south" feeds. There are currently no plans at this stage for Imparja to launch an HD simulcast or introduce 9Life and 9Rush to its viewers.

2020s

On 16 November 2022, the station dropped its independent branding and switched to a dirty feed from the Nine Network.

On 24 March 2023, the station was broken into by youth, with walls and technical equipment damaged.

In May 2023 the Albanese government committed extra funding to the station in its budget to prevent deep cuts to the services it provides.

Programming

thumb|alt=Imparja Television's headquarters in Alice Springs, 2015|Imparja Television's headquarters in Alice Springs, 2015

Imparja Television is a sole Nine Network affiliate. The station previously broadcast both Nine and Ten programming, however it stopped broadcasting Network 10 programming on 3 February 2008. Imparja Television has also aired original programs produced by local Aboriginal community members, such as Bush Mechanics and the children's program Yamba's Playtime. Imparja also airs programming relating to local Australian rules and community sports, as well as news updates and religious thought for the day programs. Imparja Television also regularly broadcasts films created by the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association, which is a shareholder of its parent company.

Imparja's programming schedule is currently based on the Nine Network schedule for Brisbane (based on Eastern Standard Time). Prior to February 2008, scheduling was generally based on Central Standard Time, reflecting its Alice Springs-based heritage. As a result, programs are now broadcast half an hour earlier in regional Northern Territory than they previously would have been under the previous arrangement.

News and current affairs

Imparja no longer airs its own news service, but instead airs Nine News.

History

Imparja introduced a local news service (primarily covering the Alice Springs area) into its nightly simulcast of National Nine News in 1990. Subsequently, the bulletin expanded into a full half-hour program incorporating local, national and international news, called Imparja National News The program was directed at Indigenous and non-Indigenous viewers, but found a wide audience among Australians interested in Indigenous Australian issues, as such topics are rarely covered in the mainstream Australian media.

In 2005, Imparja National News was cancelled in anticipation of the network's license area being merged with that of Darwin. Regulations imposed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority relating to minimum levels of local news coverage led to the bulletin's revival in February 2006 with Ryan Liddle.

Two years later, the bulletin was cancelled again and replaced by short one-minute updates broadcast throughout the day. A short-lived weekly current affairs program, Footprints, was also introduced.

In 2008, Imparja replaced Imparja National News – a 30-minute, weeknight program combining local and national/international news – with local news updates, plus a 30-minute local news magazine program, Footprints (which later ceased production in 2009). The news updates were presented by Emma Groves from 2014 until July 2016.

In 2009 Imparja began airing the Darwin edition of Nine News live at 6:30 pm (AEST) on weekdays, immediately following the Brisbane edition, in place of A Current Affair – thereby restoring a Northern Territory-based bulletin to the station. Following the expansion of Nine News to one hour, which caused the two bulletins to overlap, the Darwin edition (as of 2024) instead airs live on Imparja's feed of 9Gem.

The news anchors included:

1990–1996: Livinia Hampton or Kerrynne Liddle
1996 – Mid-1998: Catherine Liddle
Mid 1998 – July 2003: Mervyn Castillon or Catherine Liddle
July 2003 – March 2004: Mervyn Castillon or Stephanie Smail
March 2004 – May 2005: Mervyn Castillon, Ryan Liddle or Stephanie Smail
May 2005 – June 2007: Ryan Liddle
June 2007 – November 2012: Ryan Liddle or Catherine Liddle
November 2012 – February 2014: Emma Groves or Peter Jolly
February 2014 – July 2016: Emma Groves

Sport

Imparja airs most sports coverage from the Nine Network under the Wide World of Sports branding, including football, rugby league, cricket, netball, golf and tennis. The station previously broadcast some motorsport and Australian rules coverage until 2008.

Availability

Terrestrial

Imparja broadcasts free-to-air digital television channels Imparja, 9Gem and 9Go! via terrestrial transmissions. it broadcasts from 28 transmission towers and over 20 remote towns, with the signal retransmitted by low-watt transmitters. The network is licensed to broadcast within the Remote Central and Eastern Australia TV2 and Mount Isa TV1 licence areas, which include Alice Springs, Bourke, Ceduna, Charleville, Coober Pedy, Cooktown, Katherine, Longreach, Mount Isa, Roma and Weipa, as well as some black spots just east of the Western Australian border. Imparja North and 9Go! North are broadcast in Australian Eastern Standard Time for viewers in Northern Territory and Queensland (Northern Australia TV3 licence area), and Imparja South and 9Go! South in Australian Eastern Summer Time for viewers in New South Wales, Victoria, South Australia, Tasmania and Norfolk Island (South Eastern Australia TV3 licence area).

Imparja North and Imparja South are broadcast in high definition.

Imparja Television was previously available in New Zealand until March 2008, when the New Zealand Government pressured the Australian Government to remove the service from the satellite footprint that includes New Zealand. It is also available in Port Moresby in Papua New Guinea through the Digicel Pacific subscription television service.

Logos

Imparja Television's first logo was developed from a painting produced by an Arrernte artist and traditional owner. The logo symbolised the MacDonnell Ranges, the Todd River and the Yeperenye caterpillar. An updated version designed by Bruce Dunlop Associates debuted on 30 January 2006, adding a blue sphere behind the emblem. When Imparja re-affiliated with Nine Network in 2007, the long-time emblem was replaced by the Nine Network dots.

File:Imparja Television logo, 2008.png|14 January 2008 – 17 February 2025

File:Imparja Television logo 2025.webp|17 February 2025 – present

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References

External links