ABC Television started broadcasting from Brisbane on 2 November 1959,^{[citation needed]} with the "Q" in the call sign standing for Queensland.

Available by satellite transmission on the now defunct Optus Aurora free-to-view platform during the 2000s, ABC's digital channels have been available via the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) network since 2010.

For many years, the station was based at studios in the inner-western suburb of Toowong, with a transmitter at Mount Coot-tha. In December 2006, the Toowong studios were closed after an unacceptably high rate of breast cancer has been observed at the facility. An independent study examined 10 cases of breast cancer reported at the studios, and found the incidence rate was 11 times higher than the general working community.^[3] led to the closure of the site in December 2006,^[4] TV and radio operations were moved to alternative locations around the city.^[5]

Staff worked from several sites around Brisbane, with ABC Radio based in nearby Lissner Street in Toowong, ABC News staff working from Network Ten's Mount Coot-tha studios, ABC Innovation and Online staff working at QUT Kelvin Grove, and other staff based in other locations, including Coronation Drive and West End.^{[citation needed]} On 10 January 2012, ABC Brisbane moved into new purpose-built accommodation in South Bank.^[6]

The analogue signal for Brisbane/Gold Coast/Sunshine Coast was shut off on May 28, 2013.^[7][8]

All ABC operations are located in the South Bank building. As of 2021^[update] there is a large number of transmitters broadcasting a number of ABC channels throughout Queensland.^[9]

ABC Television in Brisbane schedule largely consists of national programming with opt-outs for news and current affairs, rugby league and state election coverage.

Local programming edit

ABC News Queensland is presented by Jessica van Vonderen (Monday – Thursday) and Ellen Fanning (Friday – Sunday). Weather is presented by Jenny Woodward (Sunday – Thursday). Finance is presented by Alan Kohler in Melbourne.^{[citation needed]}

Past presenters of the bulletin have included Matt Wordsworth, Rod Young and Andrew Lofthouse. Young and Lofthouse both of went on to read the flagship 6:00 pm bulletins on Seven and Nine respectively. The pair opposed each other in this timeslot between mid-2009 and late-2012, during which the Seven bulletin co-read by Young and Kay McGrath consistently rated higher than the Nine bulletin co-read by Lofthouse and Melissa Downes (as of 2017, however, Nine has regained the lead in the south-east Queensland ratings).^{[10][11][12][13]}

The following stations currently or formerly relay ABQ throughout Queensland:^[when?]

Notes:

• 1. HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
• 2. ABDQ was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until 1993, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 3. ABMQ was on VHF channel 4 from its 1967 sign-on until 1988, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 4. ABRQ was on VHF channel 3 from its 1963 sign-on until 1988, moving to its current channel in order to accommodate FM radio.
• 5. ABSEQ was on VHF channel 9 from its 1974 sign-on until 1989.
• 6. ABMKQ was on VHF channel 9 from its 1974 sign-on until the town was abandoned, making the relay station shut down in 1982.

• History of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Television broadcasting in Australia