. for other uses see abc2 disambiguation . abc2 launched 7 march 2005 network abc television owned by australian broadcasting corporation picture format 576i sdtv 16 9 audience share 1.3 % in metro areas november 2009 1 slogan always brighter country australia language english broadcast area nationally replaced abc kids channel fly tv sister channel s abc abc hd late 2016 abc kids abc me abc news 24 website abc.net.au tv channels abc2.htm availability terrestrial abn sydney dvb t 546 674 12 226.5 mhz 2 abv melbourne dvb t 562 690 12 226.5 mhz abq brisbane dvb t 578 706 12 226.5 mhz abs adelaide dvb t 594 12 226.5 mhz abw perth mandurah dvb t 738 12 226.5 mhz abt hobart dvb t 626 8 191.5 mhz abd darwin dvb t 642 30 543.5 mhz freeview abc virtual 22 satellite foxtel virtual 226 vast virtual 22 cable foxtel optus virtual 226 transact virtual 22 streaming media abc iview live stream abc2 is a national public digital television multichannel in australia . launched on 7 march 2005 it is the responsibility of the australian broadcasting corporation s television division and is available nationally to digital television viewers in australia . the channel broadcasts a range of original content supplemented with repeats of popular abc tv programmes magazine shows and sport . between the hours of 5am and 7pm daily the channel s bandwidth is used for the abc kids channel for young children . contents 1 history 1.1 origins 1.2 late 2000s 1.3 2010s 1.4 controllers 2 programming 2.1 news and current affairs 2005 2010 2.2 sport 3 availability 4 logo and branding history 5 see also 6 references 7 external links history edit further information history of the australian broadcasting corporation origins edit the history of abc2 can be traced back to 1998 when the australian broadcasting authority released a report titled digital terrestrial television broadcasting recommending that the australian government support the early introduction of digital broadcasting as a free to air service with the loan of a 7 mhz channel for each broadcaster . 3 the australian broadcasting corporation stated that it wished to run up to four multichannels at different times of the day or alternatively offer a high definition television service . the corporation claimed that up to a 100 million would be needed to prepare for these services half of which would need to be government funded . 3 in august 2001 the australian broadcasting corporation launched the abc kids channel with fly tv following in november 2001 . the two multichannels available only through digital television broadcast a range of programming targeted at younger and teenage viewers . 4 funding issues meant that in june 2003 abc television closed abc kids and fly tv . 5 unlike its predecessors abc2 launched on 7 march 2005 on channel 21 independent of government funding instead running on a budget of a 3 million per year . 6 the first programme in the launch schedule was an episode of landline although scheduled to begin at 6.25 am the programme was delayed ten minutes . the channel was officially inaugurated by former minister for communications senator helen coonan at the australian parliament house in canberra on 10 march 2005 . 7 late 2000s edit weekly video gaming and technology programme good game was launched on 19 september 2006 becoming one of the first programmes in its genre to be broadcast on free to air television in australia . 8 similarly in the same year programmes produced included australia wide short and curly dig tv and late night legends . genre restrictions imposed by the australian government on digital multichanneling were lifted along with the media ownership laws passed through the australian parliament on 18 october 2006 . 8 9 previously limited in the subjects it could cover abc2 was henceforth able to carry shows identified as comedy drama national news sport or entertainment . on 1 january 2008 the australian broadcasting corporation announced the introduction of live coverage and programme content on abc2 from the australian film commission opera australia and the australian ballet . 10 at 12 00pm on 8 february 2008 abc2 was rebranded with a new slogan 11 and yellow coloured logo complementing the new abc tv logo which was concurrently revamped as abc1 . 12 13 the channel also moved from channel 21 to channel 22 . 14 2010s edit with a new controller abc2 continued as a children s channel in the daytime changing over to adult programmes at 7.00 pm . in 2011 abc2 kids changed logos becoming abc4 kids but was changed to a classic like logo in 2015 rebranding as abc kids . controllers edit in 2010 as part of a revamp of the entire abc television network abc2 hired its very first television controller stuart menzies formerly head of abc documentaries . 15 abc1 also hired its very first television controller brendan dahill . 2010 present stuart menzies programming edit further information list of programs broadcast by abc television abc2 is required by charter to meet certain programming obligations . 16 although it has a strong focus on comedic and lifestyle programming it also presents documentaries and educational programmes news and current affairs children s shows drama and sports . news and current affairs 2005 2010 edit further information abc news and current affairs abc news to allow automated operation of the channel without the complications of variable length live news broadcasts prior to the launch of abc news 24 abc2 broadcast hourly abc news updates produced for abc online . abc2 also launched the morning show abc news breakfast on 3 november 2008 a three hour news program running every weekday . the program is now simulcast on abc and abc news 24 . abc2 also previously ran abc asia pacific news which is produced for the australia network . in may 2011 with the move of abc news breakfast to abc children s programming was relocated to abc2 and abc3 . sport edit further information abc sport abc2 broadcasts exclusive national coverage of many sporting competitions which include the new south wales rugby union queensland rugby league victorian football league south australian national football league west australian football league and the northern territory football league . the women s national basketball league and w league women s football competition is broadcast live on abc2 every week . in addition to this abc2 also broadcasts the fed cup and the tiwi islands football league grand final annually . availability edit further information abc television abc2 is available on all of abc television s digital television transmitters in 576i sd digital as well as on most satellite and cable services . abc2 does not broadcast 24 hours a day . from 5am to 7pm daily the channel s bandwidth is used for the abc kids channel . abc2 s programming commences at 7pm daily and usually closes around 3am . logo and branding history edit the channel launched with a three dimensional logo of the numeral two . the previous idents were produced in part by amanda dennis known for her work on australia wide and good game and were used in some form since the channel s launch until the 2008 rebrand . abc2 s previous slogan was more choice more often . all promos featured the big 2 placed in famous and iconic australian locations such as port jackson the melbourne exhibition and convention centre and the northern territory . the big 2 was somewhat similar to the on air mascot of bbc two in appearance . abc2 s logo was modified for the promotion of the channels launch and for various sporting events notably the channel s launch where the logo appeared under construction and during the promotion of australians women s netball where it took on the appearance of a netball . on 8 february 2008 abc2 updated to a yellow logo and slogan to connecting 2 13 as well as moving its digital terrestrial broadcast from channel 21 to channel 22 . in addition to this the slogan more choice more often was replaced with connecting 2 . after concerns in some sections of the media that the 43 year old lissajous curve brand was to disappear completely abc management reaffirmed that it would remain in use by the corporation . 17 18 on 1 april 2011 the logo was rebranded to look similar to that of the logo used by abc1 and the slogan replaced with always brighter . the logo was refreshed in 2015 and the lissajous curve was removed . see also edit television in australia portal abc guide references edit 1 http www.freetv.com.au media engineering australian digital terrestrial television broadcasting service information register issue 4 january 2011.pdf a b bills digest no. 178 1997 98 television broadcasting services digital conversion bill 1998 . australian parliamentary library . retrieved 19 august 2007 . abc kids channel press release . minister for communications information technology and the arts . 17 august 2001 . archived from the original on 31 august 2007 . retrieved 19 august 2007 . government digital disaster as abc cuts abc kids and fly tv press release . lindsay tanner mp shadow minister for communications . 26 may 2003 . archived from the original on 31 august 2007 . retrieved 19 august 2007 . inglis kenneth stanley 2006 . whose abc the australian broadcasting corporation 1983 2006 . melbourne black inc. isbn 1 86395 189 x. abc2 launched at parliament house . abc new media & digital services . dba.org.au . 11 march 2005 . archived from the original on 23 july 2013 . retrieved 31 march 2007 . a b the abc s digital evolution . the australian . 19 october 2006 . retrieved 7 february 2008 . day julia 18 october 2006 . australia opens up media investment . the guardian . london . retrieved 31 march 2007 . live interactive role for jones . the australian . 7 february 2008 . retrieved 7 february 2008 . dead link abc redefining television abc promises more content choice . the australian . 6 february 2008 . retrieved 6 february 2008 . a b abc gets squiggle on for new channels . the australian . 7 february 2008 . retrieved 7 february 2008 . dead link abc television contact us abc2 controller announced abc tv blog . australian broadcasting corporation . australian broadcasting corporation act 1983 . australian broadcasting corporation . 1983 . retrieved 6 december 2007 . dead link welch dylan 30 january 2008 . abc squiggle to stay . brisbane times . retrieved 30 january 2008 . abc revamps squiggle logo . abc online . 30 january 2008 . archived from the original on 1 february 2008 . retrieved 30 january 2008 . external links edit official website about abc2 how to watch abc2 corporate website australian broadcasting corporation website v t e abc television australian broadcasting corporation abc australian capital territory northern territory new south wales queensland south australia tasmania victoria western australia multichannels abc abc hd revival late 2016 abc2 abc kids abc me abc news 24 defunct abc kids 2001 2003 fly tv abc guide others australia plus see also australian broadcasting corporation history of the australian broadcasting corporation programs abc iview v t e free to air television channels in australia public broadcasters abc television abc hd revival late 2016 abc2 abc kids abc me abc news 24 sbs television sbs hd sbs 2 food network nitv major metropolitan commercial networks seven network seven hd 7two 7mate 7flix nine network nine hd 9gem 9go 9life network ten ten hd eleven one regional affiliate commercial networks seven network affiliates prime7 gwn7 southern cross television nine network affiliates southern cross nine hd nbn television hd imparja television mildura digital television tasmanian digital television hd west digital television network ten affiliates win television hd central digital television darwin digital television community stations 31 brisbane c31