Australian broadcaster inaugurates IP broadcast facility in Parramatta

ABC News in Australia has relocated its New South Wales (NSW) operations to its new Parramatta broadcast facility.

The Sunday, Dec. 8, 7 p.m. news bulletin inaugurated the new facility, broadcasting from the state-of-the-art Studio 91.

“This is a great moment for the ABC and our audiences,” said Justin Stevens, ABC News director. “ABC Parramatta locates our NSW newsroom within one of Australia’s largest, fastest-growing, and most diverse communities. It means we’re even more closely representing and connecting with our community.”

The debut broadcast also represented a technological advance: ABC’s first full IP-based production. The facility utilizes Grass Valley’s GV AMPP platform, which enables cloud-based video production and editing.

Studio 91 features a set with a Parramatta Square skyline backdrop. The studio is set to integrate augmented reality elements with full perspective tracking in the near future, a first for ABC News.

Anchors Jeremy Fernandez and Nakari Thorpe presented the inaugural bulletin, which focused on Western Sydney stories.

The newsroom at Parramatta now accommodates the NSW 7 p.m. team, alongside ABC Radio Sydney and Product & Technology staff. This follows the recent relocation of ABC Radio Sydney programs to the new Parramatta location.

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The move aligns with the ABC’s Five-Year Plan, emphasizing broader representation of Australia’s diverse communities through its content and production practices.