Golden West Network (GWN) is the Seven Network affiliate in Western Australia, servicing all areas except metropolitan Perth, Western Australia in competition with WIN Television WA. There are two services that GWN operates:

*Normal terrestrial television, and *A free-to-air satellite service, broadcasting to remote areas that cant receive television by normal means.

For the most part, GWN s on-air schedule follows that of .

=History=

GWN began as several smaller stations:

*BTW-3 Bunbury, Western Australia, which started on 10 March 1967, with a relay in Mount Barker, Western Australia commencing in August 1968. *VEW-8 Kalgoorlie, Western Australia began on 18 June 1971. *GSW-9 Albany, Western Australia began on 29 August 1974. GSW relayed BTWs programming. *GTW-11 Geraldton, Western Australia began on 21 January 1977.

Jack Bendat purchased South Western Telecasters (BTW/GSW) in the early 1980 s and changed the companys name to Golden West Network.

On 31 October 1984, the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal was asked to starting looking for companies to run a commercial television service serving remote Western Australia via satellite over areas where a television service wasnt in operation. GWN was granted the Remote Commercial Television License (RCTS) for remote Western Australia in June 1985. The service went to air on 18 October 1986, using call-sign WAW.

In December 1985, GWN acquired VEW8 Kalgoorlie, and in 1987, purchased GTW11 Geraldton. Current Seven Network chairman Kerry Stokes purchased GWN in 1988, and upgraded equipment throughout the network. In April 1990, BTW and GSW stations merged to become SSW.

In December 1996, Prime Television purchased GWN, and three years later, GWN became an affiliate of the Seven Network, following the expansion of WIN Television into Western Australia, who took the Nine Network and Network Ten affiliations.

=On-Air Presentation=

Since 2001, GWN s on-air presentation is almost identical to that of Prime, only differing in the Prime/GWN logo itself.

GWN uses the slogan Bringing is home to ME, as seen at the end of station IDs. The IDs are based around programs which air on GWN, and consist of a combination of 3D computer graphics and video footage from programs which air on GWN.

GWN also uses Tonight signposts and rating advisory screens which match the style of station IDs.

=Golden West News=

Golden West News is the only local news service operating in regional Western Australia. The main bulletin consists of 30 minutes of news affecting people in regional WA, and runs at 5:30pm weeknights in direct competition with the Perth edition of Ten News on WIN. The bulletin is highly successful, recieving a commercial audience share of 82.7% in the final ratings survey of 2005. [http://www.gwn.com.au/i-cms.isppage=1.33.87.95.307]

The Golden West News bulletin is hosted by Noel Brunning, with Alex Cullen (news) presenting sport and Shauna Willis with the weather. Reporters for Golden West News live in major towns in Western Australia, including Bunbury, Albany, Kalgoorlie, Geraldton, Karratha, Western Australia and Broome, Western Australia, as well as the Perth metropolitan area.

A brand new look was launched for Golden West News on July 25, 2005. This relaunched involved new graphics, opening music and a brand new set. The new look Golden West News is modelled on a red and blue theme, similar to it s metropolitan news partner Seven News . The current look of Golden West News is now being phased into Prime News bulletins in the eastern states.

Golden West News updates are aired in conjunction with Seven News updates on weekdays until 8:30pm, at which time only Seven News updates are aired. GWN also air a repeat of their 5:30pm bulletin late at night, usually starting at either 12:30am or 1:00am depending on the run-time of prior programming.

=See Also=

= External links =