TV Central ends guides for 9 and 9Gem only – In an unfortunate set of circumstances, I’m saddened to let the TV Central audience know that I will no longer be publishing the Channel 9 primary channel or multi-channel 9Gem guides, effective immediately.
I will continue to publish guides for 9Go!, 9Life, and 9Rush — those channels see minimal last-minute changes and are manageable to maintain.
Nine has been a strong supporter of TV Central over the years, as shown by the access they’ve provided for interviews, the information they share for coverage, and the participation of their talent in our podcasts. This decision is not a reflection of that relationship, but rather of ongoing logistical challenges that have now become unworkable.
For many years, I’ve battled to get guide information from Nine that is on par with what Seven and 10 provide. Here’s how it compares:
- Seven: Guides 2 weeks in advance, with daily amendments for all channels and all capital cities.
- 10: Guides 2 weeks in advance, with amendments sent as needed for all channels and all capital cities.
- Nine: A partial Sydney guide, sent late Friday, covering only one week. Other capital city guides arrive on Monday — a day after the Sydney guide is published — leaving little time for updates. No amendments are ever supplied.
The result?
- Guides are often full of “TBA” placeholders, especially Thursday–Saturday nights when live sport is involved.
- Adelaide and Perth frequently have large sections blank due to time differences.
- Unlike other outlets who receive complete guides and amendments, I’ve had to manually check YourTV.com.au daily for updates and fill in gaps myself.
This process takes me roughly 7.5 hours per week just to keep Nine and 9Gem guides updated — compared to no more than 2 hours each for Seven and 10. With the site growing into the millions of visits per month and podcast production increasing, I have to be more efficient with my time.
I know these guides have been a favourite with readers. TV Central’s format — offering a single, easy-to-read document with a full week of listings for each channel, across all capital cities — is unique.
There’s no need to click through multiple pages or days. But without timely, complete information from Nine, that level of quality isn’t possible.
I’m grateful to Nine for their ongoing support of TV Central, for their openness to interviews, and for trusting me to cover their content without resorting to clickbait or scandal. I also want to acknowledge Amanda (from her Foxtel days), Michel, and Hamish for their kindness and professionalism over the years — I hope our rapport continues well into the future.
This was not an easy decision, but it is the right one for the long-term sustainability of TV Central.
Watch this space for updates and fingers crossed these guides will return soon.
Link to 9Now HERE
TV Central Nine content HERE
TV Central ends guides for 9 and 9Gem only
Nine do need another more of FTA channels:
9Gem in SD (Ch 92) would be replaced by another entertainment and movies channel (under a different name) targeted women, broadcast nationally
– 9Gem in HD (Ch 95) would be changed by another entertainment and sports channel as well, broadcast in 5 separate markets
Too many placeholder TBAs and too many live sport is nothing…