ABQ


ABQ is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television station in Brisbane, Queensland. It began broadcasting on 2 November 1959 and is based at purpose-built headquarters on Brisbane's South Bank. The station is received throughout the state through a number of relay transmitters, and satellite transmission on the Optus Aurora free-to-view platform. ABQ's schedule largely consists of national ABC Television programming with opt-outs for news and current affairs, rugby league and state election coverage.
For many years, the station was based at studios in the inner-western suburb of Toowong, with a transmitter at Mount Coot-tha. In late 2006, the Toowong studios were abandoned due to an unacceptably high rate of breast cancer 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.
Up until January 2012, staff worked from several sites around Brisbane, with ABC Radio based in nearby Lissner Street, 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 locations including Coronation Drive and West End. On 10 January 2012, ABC Brisbane moved into a new facility in South Bank.

Programming

Local programming

ABC News Queensland is presented by Matt Wordsworth and Jessica van Vonderen. Weather is presented by Jenny Woodward and Craig Zonca. Finance is presented by Alan Kohler in Melbourne.
Past presenters of the bulletin have included Rod Young and Andrew Lofthouse, both of whom 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.

Networked programming

The following stations relay ABQ throughout Queensland:
CallRegion servedCityChannels
'
First air date3rd letter's
meaning
ERP
'
HAAT
'1
Transmitter coordinatesTransmitter location
ABAQAlphaAlpha8
NA
19 December 1974Alpha0.021 kW88 mAlpha
ABAAQAugathellaAugathella11
NA
8 March 1974AugathellA0.021 kW51 mAugathella
ABBQBarcaldineBarcaldine10
7
19 December 1974Barcaldine0.02 kW
0.005 kW
61 m
61 m
Barcaldine
ABBLQBlackallBlackall9
7
19 December 1974BlackalL0.2 kW
0.05 kW
61 m
66 m
Blackall
ABCAQCunnamullaCunnamulla10
NA
8 March 1974CunnamullA0.026 kW41 mCunnamulla
ABCEQCharlevilleCharleville9
11
8 March 1974CharlevillE0.26 kW
0.065 kW
99 m
99 m
Charleville
ABCLQCloncurryCloncurry7
6
17 March 1971CLoncurry0.2 kW
0.05 kW
115 m
115 m
Mount Avarice
ABCTQClermontClermont10
54
19 December 1974ClermonT0.1 kW
0.2 kW
89 m
80 m
Clermont
ABDQDarling DownsToowoomba32 2 6
37
16 December 1963Darling Downs1600 kW
500 kW
570 m
549 m
Mount Mowbullan
ABDIQDirranbandiDirranbandi7
NA
8 March 1974DirranbandI0.016 kW65 mDirranbandi
ABEQEmeraldEmerald11
9
21 December 1973Emerald2 kW
0.625 kW
92 m
92 m
Emerald
ABGQGoondiwindiGoondiwindi6
56
9 July 1973Goondiwindi0.5 kW
0.625 kW
41 m
49 m
Goondiwindi
ABHQHughendenHughenden9
8
30 June 1971Hughenden0.2 kW
0.125 kW
80 m
80 m
Hughenden
ABIQMount IsaMount Isa6
7
21 December 1970Mount Isa1.6 kW
0.4 kW
72 m
75 m
DCA Hill
ABJQJulia CreekJulia Creek10
NA
20 April 1971Julia Creek0.2 kW65 mJulia Creek
ABLQLongreachLongreach6
10
19 December 1974Longreach0.7 kW
0.175 kW
69 m
69 m
Longreach
ABMQMackayMackay8 3 6
10
21 December 1967Mackay360 kW
90 kW
611 m
613 m
Mount Blackwood
ABMLQMitchellMitchell6
12
8 March 1974MitchelL0.2 kW
0.05 kW
149 m
149 m
Mitchell Escarpment
ABMNQMorvenMorven7
NA
8 March 1974MorveN0.13 kW133 mMorven
ABMSQMilesMiles9
63
30 November 1973MileS0.32 kW
0.8 kW
132 m
132 m
Miles Hill
ABNQCairnsCairns9 6
8
25 July 1966North200 kW
50 kW
1190 m
1190 m
Mount Bellenden Ker
ABRQRockhamptonRockhampton9 4 6
11
21 December 1963Rockhampton160 kW
50 kW
495 m
495 m
Mount Hopeful
ABRAQRomaRoma7
8
14 December 1973RomA2 kW
0.5 kW
103 m
105 m
Timbury Hills
ABRDQRichmondRichmond6
7
4 June 1971RichmonD0.2 kW
0.05 kW
70 m
70 m
Richmond
ABSQSouthern DownsWarwick1 6
45
4 July 1966Southern Downs200 kW
500 kW
255 m
316 m
Passchendaele Ridge
ABSEQSpringsureSpringsure8 5
46
19 December 1974SpringsurE0.8 kW
2 kW
280 m
283 m
Roddas Lookout
ABSGQSt. GeorgeSt. George8
12
8 March 1974St. George0.13 kW
0.033 kW
63 m
64 m
St. George
ABTQTownsvilleTownsville3 6
31
21 September 1964Townsville160 kW
200 kW
635 m
644 m
Mount Stuart
ABWQWide BayMaryborough6 6
9A
8 October 1965Wide Bay240 kW
60 kW
601 m
646 m
Mount Goonaneman
ABWNQWintonWinton8
7
15 November 1974WintoN'''1.6 kW
0.4 kW
97 m
94 m
Rangelands

Notes:
Mary Kathleen also had a relay station from 15 December 1971 until the town was abandoned ca. 1982.