About Seven Tasmania

Seven Tasmania

Seven Tasmania is the Seven Network station for Tasmania: the Seven affiliate broadcasting across the island state — Hobart, Launceston, the north west and the west coast. Known as TNT — Television Northern Tasmania — it is now a Seven-owned regional station, following Seven West Media's acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo's regional television licences in 2025. It produces a nightly hour-long 7NEWS bulletin — the island's own news, every night: the state's most comprehensive local television news service.

Overview

Seven Tasmania is the Seven Network station for Tasmania: the Seven affiliate for the island state, broadcasting the Seven Network's news, sport, reality, drama and entertainment across Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie and regional Tasmania. Known as TNT, it is now owned by Seven West Media — a Seven station, not an affiliate. Its nightly hour-long 7NEWS bulletin is the state's most comprehensive local news service: the island's own news, every night. The bulletin is the highest-rated television program in Tasmania.

History

Seven Tasmania's story begins as Television Northern Tasmania. Founded as Northern TV Ltd, TNT-9 commenced broadcasting at 5:57pm on 26 May 1962: Fred Archer was the first person to appear on the station during its first five hours of transmission; on the opening night, the station was officially inaugurated by Lord Rowallan, the Governor of Tasmania; The Mickey Mouse Club was the first program broadcast; and the first advertisements included Abbott's cordial, Hydro, the Launceston Bank for Savings, Peters Ice Cream, Hicks Atkinson and the Saturday Evening Express. The call sign TNT was an acronym for Television Northern Tasmania — originally based in Launceston, broadcasting to northern Tasmania.

The station became part of ENT Ltd (Examiner-Northern TV Ltd) in 1965. In 1980 it adopted a starred version of the Nine Network's "9 Dots" logo; in 1982 ENT bought TVT-6 in Hobart; in 1985 TNT and TVT were officially relaunched as TasTV, with the callsigns remaining for both stations — a statewide network for the first time. In 1989, ENT sold TNT-9 to Tricom Corporation (later Southern Cross Broadcasting), and the station became known on-air as the Southern Cross Network. Former names: TNT-9 (Tasmania, 1980–1985), Southern Cross Network (Tasmania, 1989–1994), Southern Cross Television (Tasmania, 1994–2018).

The biggest change came in 1994, when aggregation of the Tasmanian television market allowed both Southern Cross (TNT-9) and TasTV (TVT-6) to broadcast statewide — giving Tasmanians a choice of commercial stations for the first time. Southern Cross held dual Seven and Ten affiliations. In 2003, Southern Cross and WIN Television launched Tasmanian Digital Television, a jointly owned digital-only commercial station based in Hobart relaying Network Ten content; in 2008, Southern Cross Tasmania ceased broadcasting its last Ten content and became a sole Seven affiliate. In 1999, Southern Cross Tasmania — while still part of Southern Cross Broadcasting — changed its logo independently of the mainland Southern Cross stations; in 2005, Southern Cross Broadcasting adopted a new unified logo, and Southern Cross Tasmania lost its Tasmanian Tiger logo to the corporate Southern Cross identity. The Tasmanian Tiger logo remains one of the station's most remembered images. Former affiliations: Independent (1962–1994), TasTV (1985–1989), Southern Cross Network (1989–1994), Network Ten (1994–2008).

For over three decades, Southern Cross Television's Tasmanian station carried the Seven affiliation, producing Southern Cross News (later Nightly News) — the nightly bulletin from Launceston. The station's news was the island's television news of record: a nightly hour-long bulletin covering the state, from the capital to the coast — the highest-rated television program in Tasmania. In 2026, Seven ended the bulletin's 64-year Launceston era: bulletin direction and studio production moved to Seven's Canberra Hub, with presentation from a Hobart studio — though journalist and camera operator numbers across Tasmania remained unchanged. The station produces its flagship Nightly News (formerly Southern Cross News), airing live every night at 6:00pm; short updates are produced and broadcast throughout the day, and a shortened version of the day's bulletin is uploaded to the station's YouTube channel. Local programs previously produced by TNT-9 included Sports Club (weekly sports review), Quiz Quest (children's game show), The Saturday Night Show (variety), Down the Line (morning talk/local events), The Saturday Morning Fun Show (kids), Tasmanian New Faces (talent), and annual coverage of Targa Tasmania and the Launceston Cup.

The ownership story changed in 2024–2025. On 17 December 2024, Southern Cross Media Group announced the sale of its regional television licences (Regional Queensland, Southern NSW/ACT, Regional Victoria) to Network 10 — completed 1 March 2025. The remaining licences — Tasmania, Darwin, Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill and remote Central Australia — were the subject of a deal with Australian Digital Holdings that fell through; Seven West Media acquired them for $3.75 million, finalised on 1 July 2025. Tasmania's Seven station became a Seven-owned station: Seven Tasmania. The nightly bulletin became 7NEWS Tasmania — the hour-long bulletin, now under the 7NEWS brand. The Spencer Gulf/Broken Hill 30-minute bulletin was axed in 2023; Tasmania's hour-long bulletin remained. Seven (Southern Cross Austereo) — the network previously distributed by SCA in Tasmania, Darwin, the Spencer Gulf, Broken Hill and remote eastern and central Australia — closed on 1 July 2025, replaced by the Seven Network.

Programming and Content

Seven Tasmania's programming is the Seven Network schedule — 7NEWS, Sunrise, The Morning Show, reality, drama, sport and entertainment — with the nightly hour-long 7NEWS Tasmania bulletin. The bulletin is the island's own news: state politics from Hobart, the north from Launceston, the north west and west coast — the stories that matter to Tasmanians, told from Tasmania. Short updates run throughout the day; the full bulletin lives on 7plus and in shortened form on YouTube.

Coverage and Audience

Seven Tasmania broadcasts across Tasmania: Hobart, Launceston, Devonport, Burnie, and regional Tasmania — the island's Seven station, statewide. Seven Tasmania: the island's Seven station — the nightly hour-long bulletin, free to air, statewide. Originally based in Launceston and broadcasting to northern Tasmania, TNT has broadcast statewide since the 1994 aggregation: the station that grew with the island's television market. Its audience is the island: Tasmania's viewers, for whom the 7NEWS Tasmania bulletin is the nightly news.

Ownership

Seven Tasmania is owned by Seven West Media, following the 1 July 2025 acquisition of Southern Cross Austereo's remaining regional television licences. The station trades as TNT — the Tasmanian station that has carried the Seven affiliation since 1989: from Southern Cross to Seven, the island's Seven station. Affiliation: Seven (O&O). Sister stations: 7two, 7mate and Racing.com. On the Freeview platform, the station is on virtual channel 6 (6/61), with 7HD on 60. Seven Tasmania: the island's Seven station, on air since 26 May 1962 — from Television Northern Tasmania to 7NEWS Tasmania. Seven Tasmania: the island's Seven station — the nightly hour-long bulletin, free to air, statewide.

Digital Presence

Seven Tasmania is streamed through the 7plus platform (7plus.com.au), with short news updates on the station's YouTube channel. For Tasmania, Seven is the Seven station: Seven's programming with 7NEWS Tasmania, free to air. From Television Northern Tasmania to Southern Cross to Seven — TNT's story is Tasmania's television story. The station had planned to relaunch as Seven News Tasmania on 1 July 2018 to coincide with the Seven Tasmania rebrand, but the relaunch was delayed; the 7NEWS Tasmania branding arrived with Seven's 2025 ownership. From Southern Cross to Seven: the island's Seven station, now 7NEWS — the nightly hour-long bulletin, for the island.