Nine Network

Background

The Nine Network (commonly known as Channel Nine or simply Nine) is a major Australian commercial free-to-air television network, founded in 1956 as the National Television Network, becoming known as the Nine Network in the late 1960s. Nine adopted their famous "dots" logo in 1970. In 1975, Nine Network along with all other Australian TV channels switched to full time colour broadcasts. The Nine Network is one of three main free-to-air commercial networks in Australia, the others being Seven and Ten.

1st (known) Logo (1972-1975)

Nicknames: “The Channel Nine Feeling”, “Channel Nine Shuffle”

Logo: On a black background, there are 2 white dots stuck to each other. A dot slides across the screen and splits the 2 dots. Then, 2 more dots drop down and position themselves in a plus shape. 2 colons slide up and down from the screen edges and collide with the ends, forming an incomplete square. One final dot slides in from the right side of the screen and pushes one of the dots to the middle, forming a 3x3 grid of dots. The middle dot zooms in to turn the screen white, going to a random live-action part. After it finishes, the screen fades back to the dots, which then turn into a squishy-looking "9". The "9" then cuts out as the dots appear column by column, before the "9" appears to complete the famous logo.

Variants: There are several variants of the live action sequence (around 40 were reportedly made). Here are just some of them:

One variant starts with people walking across what looks like a clothing shop for women. One of the females standing on a huge step, starts dancing to the tune soon after and finishes the dance by looking to her right.
One variant starts in a clothing shop where people are buying clothes. One of the people picks up a shirt and starts dancing the same way as the previous variant.
A variant starts with a woman walking in park as a man sits on a bench reading a newspaper and eating what appears to be his lunch. The woman then starts dancing in the same way as the previous variants before running off while the man takes notice of what she's doing and stands up in shock.
A variant starts with two people fighting with what looks like a stick. The person on the left starts dancing the same way as the previous variants. The man on the right then points his stick and the man on the left reveals his face as happy.
Another variant starts with a man mowing his grass before he starts dancing in the same way as the previous variants. He then looks to his right.
Another variant starts with a man closing the gates at a manually operated level crossing. He then starts dancing in the same way as the previous variants and then looks to his right.
Another variant starts with a person in a hairdressers room. She then starts dancing during progress and then goes back to allow her hair to be fixed again.
We see someone making food in another variant and starts dancing in the same way as the previous variants. He then throws his ingredients on a table.
We see someone playing golf. Just when he's about to shoot the ball, he starts dancing the same way as the previous variants. He then swings but misses the ball.
We see a man juggling with three balls as the camera zooms out. He then starts dancing while he's juggling but fails to keep juggling.

FX/SFX: The dots moving, the live-action.

Music/Sounds: A funky trumpet tune. Before finishing the tune, an announcer says "Get the Channel Nine feeling."

Music/Sounds Variant: There is also a variant where the trumpet tune is more of a fanfare. The announcer here explains the transmitter info.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

2nd Logo (March 1, 1975-1977)

This video is from a re-airing of the ident in 2016 to mark 60 years of TV in Australia

Logo: On a dark blue background, 2 events may happen (more are known to exist, though):

Variant #1: The dots appear to the left in orange, follow by the "9" in the same color to the right. The camera gets closer and closer to the dots until the middle dot is all that's left. The dot then grows arms, legs, and a face, with it being confused at first. After looking at his new features, the character gets embarrassed and turns red. The character turns back to orange and then does a little dance (The "shuffle" dance from the previous idents) before giving a weary smile. The character then reverts back to the dot and the logo zooms out.
Variant #2: A orange dot slides down from the top right of the screen, then ricochets into place. Several more dots appear and start bouncing into their respective places, except for a dot that is on the opposite side of the screen. The final dot then collides with the lone dot and melds with it, quickly forming the "9" and the last dot, but not before fusing with the dots and splitting from it quickly. After the logo is formed, 2 white lines appear and tap against each over as a orange rectangle appears around the logo. The lines then transform into the text "LIVING COLOR" in a white font similar to the "9" logo. A white border then appears around the orange border and then zooms out.
Variant #3: A third variant apparently involves a larger green dot with a face juggling the 9 dots. The only evidence of this variant is a brief clip appearing in a ["Still the One" promo from 2003].

FX/SFX: The logo forming/the dot's movements, the white lines transforming.

Music/Sounds: The same trumpet fanfare as before, but with added vocals in the background. The 1st variant had a fluctuating synth sound playing over the tune, while the 2nd variant had cartoonish sound effects added.

Availability: Extinct. It was seen during their 40th (1996) and 60th (2016) Anniversaries, though.

Editor's Note: Interestingly, the American spelling of "color" is used in this ident, instead of the British spelling of "colour".

3rd Logo (1977-1978)

Logo: Same as the "Let Us Be The One" ABC ID for the time, but with different clips and logo order, as well as the logo being replaced with the Nine Network logo, crossfading between the number and dots.

FX/SFX: Same as the American ABC logo at the time.

Music/Sounds: Same as ABC (America)'s 1976 ID but with different singers and lyrics.

Availability: Extinct. It can be found on YouTube though, as well as during the 60th Anniversary.

Editor's Note: None.

4th Logo (1978-1979)

Logo: On a black background, the Channel Nine logo (seen in a blue-black circle) zooms out to the left as the words "STILL THE ONE!" slide in. We then zoom into the logomark as we see live-action pictures (covered on the bottom-left by programme information). As the slideshow finishes, the Nine (golden) dots then appear by glowing in a circle. It then fades to the Nine number as the circle border glows, then switches back to the dots.

Trivia: The Still the One slogan featured here lasted as late as early 2006.

FX/SFX: The zooming and glowing

Music/Sounds: Same as ABC (America)'s 1977 ID but with different singers and lyrics.

Availability: Same as before.

Editor's Note: The "still the one" slogan and three-note fanfare introduced in this ident would become key parts of Nine's branding for decades to come. The slogan was used for 27 years until it was retired in 2006, despite brief disappearances, the jingle survived even the dropping of "Still the One" and was in use as late as 2017, close to 40 years after it was initially introduced.

5th Logo (1979-1980)

Logo: Same as the ABC 1978 "We're the One!" ID but with the Channel Nine logomark switching to the dots and back to number throughout the logo

FX/SFX: Same as the ABC logo at the time.

Music/Sounds: An synth trumpet fanfare ending with three notes (likely to represent the Still the One slogan).

Music/Sounds: A different, more electronic version of the music exists.

Availability: Same as before.

Editor's Note: None.

6th Logo (1980-1981)

Logo: Same as the end of the ABC 1979 "Still the One!" ID but with the Channel Nine logomark.

FX/SFX: Same as the ABC logo at the time.

Music/Sounds: Same as the last part of the ABC ID.

Availability: Same as before.

Editor's Note: None.

7th Logo (1981-1982)

Perth variant
South Australia variant

Logo: We zoom across white buildings on a yellow-orange grid map of Australia in a space background. We then zoom out to see the full map to then see the words "STILL THE ONE" in a yellow golden font. The text zooms in as the Channel Nine logomark appears.

FX/SFX: The scanimated-like animation.

Music/Sounds: An orchestrated fanfare ending with three notes (likely to represent the Still the One slogan)

Availability: Same as before.

Editor's Note: This was the first in a long line of similarly styled idents which would last until 1994.

8th Logo (1982-1984)

Logo: On a space background, lines form a similar grid map of Australia to the previous one in blue. We then pan across the buildings (again) on the blue grid map in first person view. The camera then pans upwards and the words "STILL THE ONE!" appear by glowing in blue. The Channel Nine number then appears in the same way.

FX/SFX: The panning and glowing.

Music/Sounds: A synth fanfare.

Availability: Same as before.

Editor's Note: None.

9th logo (1983-1984)

Nicknames: "Come on Along"

Logo: We zoom out from a neon city background, similar in style to the previous logo, to reveal a boulevard rendered in the same style in which we see Channel 9 personalities dancing and having fun. The personalities seen include Paul Hogan (later known for Crocodile Dundee), Humphrey B. Bear, cricket commentators Richie Benaud and Tony Greig, presenter and comedian Bert Newton and journalist Ray Martin, among others. As the fanfare crescendoes, we pan up and see the 9 logo, in gold and sans dots as per the previous logo, rise up from behind the city background. The logo shines.

FX/SFX: Live Action and CGI

Music/Sounds: A reorchestrated version of the "Come on Along!" song from ABC's idents at the time.

Availability: Extinct. Check those tapes.

Editor's Note: None

10th logo (1984-1987)

Adelaide variant, celebrating the 25th anniversary of the local 9 station.

Logo: A similar concept to the 8th logo, only this time done with full 3D animation and with the "Still the One" slogan floating past in 3D as opposed to showing up at the end. The final logo is shinier and in a lighter blue than the previous logo.

FX/SFX: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: Same as the 8th logo, albeit slightly enhanced.

Availability: Same as the previous logos. Though, parts of this were used in s special 80s-themed ident to promote The Amazing 80s in 2013.

Editor's Note: None

11th logo (1987-1988)

Logo: We start in a CGI city before panning out of the city and over a map of Australia, where the camera turns around and enters a second CGI city facing backwards as three bars come from one of the cgi striuctures in the distance. The camer follows the bars as they streak past a building face, leaving the dot-less 9 logo in orange on the side of the building.

FX/SFX: All CGI.

Music/Sounds: A bubbly synth and woodwind tune culminating in the "Still the One" jingle.

Availability: See the previous logos.

12th Logo (1988-February 1992)

WIN variant, seen in the Illawarra region
Perth variant

Logo: We see an updated version of the previous ident's animation. The stripes then overlap the Channel Nine logomark, already formed in gold against a glass background reflecting the skyline of whatever city the particular city was.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A more orchestrated version of the previous ident's music.

Availability: Extinct. Although, this ID was re-aired as part of the premiere of The Amazing 90's in 2015.

Editor's Note: None.

13th Logo (February 1992-October 1994)

Original Variants (1992-1993)

Melbourne variant
Sydney variant
Perth Variant
Adelaide variant
Brisbane variant
WIN variant
VIC Television variant, seen in regional Victoria
VIC Television alternate variant

Updated Variants (1993-1994)

Perth Variant
Adelaide Variant
Brisbane Variant
Alternate Brisbane Variant
Melbourne Variant
Sydney Variant
WIN Variant
VIC Television Variant
TasTV variant from Tasmania

Logo: On a evening sky background, a curved glass stripe wipes in over what appears to be purple clouds, along with glass rods of different sizes. The camera then pans over the glass stripe gets bombarded by several glass rods from behind. This causes a golden picture of Australia to pixelate onto it. As the camera zooms into it, we then go thorough a small hole in it, briefly going underground before emerging out with several glass rods (some flying out, others emerging from the ground), starting with brown and then ending with the normal look from them, all under a evening sky with circling clouds. The camera then pans over to one of the skyscraper-like rods, revealing the Nine logo in translucent orange (later in gold) and a reflection of the station's serving area appears behind it. The sky then either remains or turns to night as the logo shines. The end result also shows the glass rods sections looking like windows on a skyscraper.

Variants:

The background reflected in the building's windows will vary depending on which city/region the station serves.
Sometimes, the Nine logo is replaced with that of a different station's logo if possible (like WIN).
Sometime in early 1993, this ident received a revision. The animation proceeds as usual, however the final logo is now in metallic gold instead of translucent orange and new background images are used which were taken at night instead of sunset and are much sharper and cleaner than before.

FX/SFX: CGI animation.

Music/Sounds: A deep whoosh is first heard, and then sounds of synth wipes and beeps are heard, overlayed with a upbeat trumpet theme, ending with 4 notes.

Music/Sounds Variant: During the first month or so of this ID's use, the theme had a slightly different composure to it.

Availability: Extinct. Although, this ID was re-aired as part of the premiere of The Amazing 90's in 2015.

Editor's Note: This logo is heavily associated with one particular incident where a special called Australia's Naughtiest Home Videos was pulled off air mid-broadcast at the demand of the station's then-owner Kerry Packer who famously made an irate phone call to the station upon seeing the special on a TV at a dinner he was attending, ordering them to "Get this s**t off the air!" in those precise words. The clip of this ident appearing immediately after the show was pulled with a "technical difficulties" announcement delivered over it leading into a rerun of Cheers is one of the most infamous moments in Australian television history.

14th Logo (October 1994-1997)

Original variants (1994-96)

WIN Variant
NBN variant, seen in northern NSW
Darwin TV variant

Updated variants (1996-97)

Logo: On an abstract CGI background of purples, reds and oranges, a swoosh appears and "hits" the middle of the screen, causing circles to disperse from the center. As this occurs, the channel 9 logo zooms out from the foreground and settles in the center of screen, this time in a light gold colour.

Variant:

From 1996, the logo was updated slightly, the animation is unchanged, though the colors have been muted somewhat
Also in 1996, a variant celebrating 40 years of Australian television was used

FX/SFX: Once again, all CGI

Music/Sounds: A triumphant fanfare, culminating in a grand, sweeping version of the "Still the One" jingle

Availability: Per the previous logos.

Editor's Note: None.

15th Logo (1997-1999)

Channel 8 variant from Darwin.

Logo: We zoom into a line of the words "channel nine" repeating with two bars above and below. as we zoom in a small sphere and a larger sphere appear between the bars. The spheres rotate and the smaller one is revealed to be surrounded by a Saturn-esque ring, we continue to zoom in through more concentric spheres before a cubic version of 9's famous dots appears, rotating. We zoom through the dots to reveal the 9 logo with stylized sparks emerging either side of it and the words "channel nine" both above and below it.

Variants:

Sometimes the final logo will have a different background
One variant has the URL "ninemsn.com.au" below the logo in the place of one of the "channel 9"s

There are station-specific variants with the city name listed below the logo, though oddly, the Brisbane variant has "Queensland" instead of the city name below it.

FX/SFX: Again, CGI.

Music/Sounds: A dramatic, building fanfare leading into the tail end of the previous ident's music.

Availability: Per the previous logos.

Editor's Note: None.

16th Logo (1999-2001)

Nickname: "Millennium Nine", "Nine 2000"

Logo: We zoom through a firey red background filled with gold spheres. We zoom into one of the dots, which opens to reveal "2000" with three CGI spheres as the zeroes. We zoom through one of the zeroes as nine more spheres fly past us to form the iconic dots as the nine logo is revealed in an updated version of the previous ident's bacgkgound with numerous 2000's in a horizontal line repeating in the background. The "still the one" slogan appears below.

FX/SFX: CGI again.

Variants:

One variant has "New Millenium Television" instead of "Still the one".
In Adelaide, the slogan reads "spirit of south australia"

Music/Sounds: A triumphant, adventurous fanfare, leading into the "Still the One" jingle.

Availability: Per the previous logos.

Editor's Note: None.

17th Logo (2001-2002)

"Sport"
"Urban"
"Lifestyle"
"Entertainment"
"News"

Nicknames: "Dot Matrix Nine"

Logo: There are several idents.

"News": The nine dots appear in the middle of the screen before more dots appear spreading horizontally across the screen, then vertically in strands, eventually filling the screen with strands of dots animating in a Matrix-esque manner, before a swoosh appears, revealing the 9 logo on the bottom right of the screen with a white rectangle on the left and the "still the one" slogan on the right as well as a white rectangle. A world map appears behind the logo.

"Lifestyle:" We see a silhouette of a woman dancing with chinese fans though a kaleidoscope effect. Eventually, two rectangles appear and split apart to reveal the 9 logo.

"Urban:" A gold-clad woman is shown through various kaleidoscope effects.The 9 dots then appear and move to the side as the rest of the logo and the slogan appear.

"Sport:" TBA

"Entertainment:" We see various angles of a woman dancing with a shining shroud against a background of CGI light streaks. The logo animates in in the same manner as in "Urban"

Variant: Sometimes the ninemsn url will appear in place of the slogan.

FX/SFX: CGI, with live action in some cases.

Music/Sounds:

"News": A rousing string orchesration leading into the "still the one" jingle" with a female vocalist singing "still the one" to the three-note jingle.
"Lifestyle:" A contemporary beat.
"Urban:"

Availability: See the previous logo. "News" was the main ident and so is the easiest to find. The "Lifestyle" ID has cropped up on YouTube, though the others are much harder to find.

Editor's Note: None.

18th Logo (2002-2004)

Monday
Tuesday
Wednesday
Thursday
Friday
Saturday
Sunday

Logo: We fly around inside the 9, in a similar manner to the Pickwick logo before flying out of the side towards one of the nine dots. We then zoom out rapidly to reveal the 9 logo with the ninemsn URL below.

Variants:

The ident would be a different colour every day of the week.
Sometimes, there would be no url below
sometimes the "stil the one" would appear below.

FX/SFX: CGI

Music/Sounds:A calm beat leading into a modern version of the "still the one" jingle.

Availability: Extinct, check those tapes.

Editor's Note: None.

19th Logo (2004-2006)

Logo: An updated version of the previous IDs. We see the inside of the nine logo again, but this time, the words "STILL", "The", and "One" appear one by one in white as we transition to different "walls" in the logo. The rest of the id plays out as per the previous IDs.

FX/SFX: CGI

Music/Sounds: A redone version of the previous theme.

Availability: Per the previous logos.

Editor's Note: These would be the last IDs to use the "Still the One" slogan after 27 years. It would be used one final time in a 2006 promo for the rebrand in which the original "Still The One" song was performed by Nine personalities. They would also be the last to feature the original 9 logo after 44 years. The long standing jingle would also be retired, though it would return without the slogan with the 2009 "Welcome Home" package.

20th Logo (2006)

Nicknames: "9 Box", "Dotless 9"

Logo: On a grimy, warehouse like background, we see two panels at a diaginal angle facing inwards and the new 9 logo, a white 9 (an updated version of the original logo's 9) in a blue box, in the middle.

Variants:

Initially, a cloud background was used instead of the "warehouse"
One variant, made to mark 50 years of Australian television has a clip of Nine's founding boss, Bruce Gyngell, saying "Good Evening and Welcome to Television" reflected on the panels. This clip was the first moment of Australian Television in 1956.
An updated version has the box rotating as a cube with every second face showing the iconic dots.

FX/SFX:

Music/Sounds: A contemporary beat

Availability: Extinct

Editor's Note: This rebrand was recieved very poorly due to it's abandonment of the 9 dots and the apparent cheapness of its associated on-air graphics, which were said to resemble a PowerPoint presentation.

21st Logo (2007)

Nicknames: "9 Box II", "9 Cube", "Personalities", "Dotless Nine II"

Logo: We see a number of Channel 9 personalities pan past the frame, some of them interacting with the 9 logo, taking it away, putting it back or moving it. As this happens, the 9 logo occasionally rotates in a cubic fashion.

Later Variant: Starting May 2007, the dots are revealed on two opposite sides with the number "9" intact on the other way.

FX/SFX: CGI and live action.

Music/Sounds: An intense score.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: None.

22nd Logo (2008-2009)

dotless variant used on STW-9 in Perth and NWS-9 in Adelaide, which were under seperate ownership to the rest of the network.

Nicknames: "We love TV", "We heart TV" "Smile" "Return of the dots"

Logo: On a sky background, we see a translucent rendering of the new slogan, "we heart (the heart being an actual heart symbol) TV" as a series of CGI circles fly around it. The slogan rotates and turns into the 9 from the previous logo as the dots settle into place next to it to form an updated version of the classic 9 logo.

Variants:

FX/SFX:

Music/Sounds: The new network song, a cover of "Smile" by the Supernaturals.

Availability: Extinct.

Editor's Note: This ident marks the full return of the famous 9 dots, 2 years after their apparent retirement, and a year after they were used as a secondary element of the "rotating cube".

23rd Logo (2009)

Adelaide/Perth variant

Nicknames: "Choose 9" "Circles"

Logo: We see a green dot zoom out and explode into many dots. This leads to a cascade of other dot "explosions". The explosions rotate, changing colour with each turn from greens and yellows to pinks and purples to blues and whites. Finally, we see 9 of the dots rotate in to fill about halfthe frame. the word "Choose" appears in one of the dots, next to which the Nine logo appears.

Variants: There are two short variants, one with only the pink section leading into the end of the ident and one with only the green portion leading into the end of the ident.

FX/SFX: CGI.

Music/Sounds: An upbeat tune with male singers vocalising throughout then singing what sounds like "smile" at the end.

Availability: Extinct

Editor's Note: Given the short lifespan and apparent cheapness of these idents, it's possible they were a placeholder for the next ident

24th Logo (2009-2012)

Nicknames: "Welcome Home" "The Big Blue 9"

Logo: We see a blue structure from various angles, as streaks of light pass through the logo. We pan through one of the walls to reveal that the structure is actually the Nine logo. We then see the logo from various close-up angles a-la Columbia Showcase Theatre. We finally cut to a front-on angle as the logo zooms into place and the new slogan, "Welcome Home", writes itself in in a cursive font

FX/SFX: Impressive CGI.

Music/Sounds: A grand, rising orchestration leading into the classic "Still the One" jingle.

Availability: Extinct. Check those recordings.

Editor's Note: This ident marks the return of the classic Nine jingle, three years after it's apparent retirement.

25th Logo (2012-2017)

Nicknames: "The Swoosh", "Colourful 9" "Welcome Home II"

Logo: We see various shots of a "swoosh" passing the frame in variouys colours, sometimes weaving around spheres in the same colour as the swoosh and the background. The colours are as follows: blue, red, green, purple, yellow, green. Eventually we cut to a shot of the swoosh moving up the left side of the frame as the Nine logo appears on the right with "Welcome Home" below it. As this ha[ppens, the colour changes three more times from purple to yellow to blue

FX/SFX: Again, impressive CGI.

Music/Sounds: An upbeat tune with vocalising, leading into the "Still the one" jingle"

Availability: Extinct. While elements of this branding are still used, albeit in a slightly updated form, the ident itself is no longer used.

Editor's Note: This is Nine's final regular ident to date. As of 2017, only holiday-themed idents are used as well as some made for special occasions and significant events.