Nine is testing the market for its historic Mt Coot-tha headquarters, putting one of Brisbane television’s most recognisable homes on the market after more than six decades.
Staff were reportedly informed on Thursday that Nine’s Mt Coot-tha site would be formally listed for sale through Savills, potentially bringing an end to one of Brisbane television’s most enduring homes.
In an internal email obtained by the Nine-owned Brisbane Times, Nine Queensland managing director Kylie Blucher said the network was exploring options for a “unified future home for Nine in Queensland”.
“Nine has called Mt Coot-tha home for over 67 years,” Blucher wrote.
“Over that time, our business and operational needs have evolved significantly.”
– Advertisement –
Nine Queensland managing director Kylie Blucher has told staff the network is exploring options for a future home in Queensland (image – Netball Queensland)
The move comes as Brisbane City Council develops a new master plan for Mt Coot-tha, with Nine taking the opportunity to determine the market value of its long-held property.
However, the broadcaster has not yet committed to leaving the mountain, with any eventual relocation dependent on the economics of a potential sale.
“Testing the market allows us to evaluate what is possible, though any eventual move will depend on whether the economics make sense for Nine,” Blucher told staff.
“We are in the early stages and no final commitments have been made.”
Nine’s Mt Coot-tha home dates back to the birth of television in Queensland, with QTQ beginning broadcasts in 1959.
The site has since become synonymous with Queensland television, housing generations of Nine News presenters, journalists, camera crews and production staff.
A piece of Brisbane television history
The potential sale would mark a significant moment for Queensland television.
QTQ9 began broadcasting from Mt Coot-tha on August 16, 1959, becoming the first television station to broadcast in Queensland. Nine’s studios and transmission facilities were established on the mountain as Brisbane entered the television age, with rival BTQ7 following just months later.
– Advertisement –
Network 10’s Brisbane operation would also eventually establish itself on Mt Coot-tha, meaning the mountain became synonymous with the city’s commercial television industry.
For decades, the three commercial networks operated from the mountain, with generations of journalists, presenters, producers, camera operators and production crews passing through the facilities.
Nine’s site has therefore been far more than an office building. It has been the Queensland home of Nine News, local television production and countless moments in Brisbane’s television history.
The original QTQ complex also reflected an era when television required substantial purpose-built infrastructure to get local programming to air.
That has changed dramatically.
The changing television landscape
The commercial networks no longer need the sprawling studio complexes that were built for the television industry of the 20th century.
News production can be distributed across multiple locations, much of the technology required to produce a bulletin has become smaller and more flexible, and networks increasingly share facilities or centralise production.
– Advertisement –
Nine’s potential move therefore reflects a much broader question facing traditional broadcasters: how much physical infrastructure do they actually need in an increasingly digital television industry?
It is a question that has already been asked elsewhere.
Network 10 still operates its Brisbane news operation from Mt Coot-tha, while Seven also has a long-established presence on the mountain.
There was once a time when seeing the television towers and studio complexes on Mt Coot-tha was a reminder of the three commercial networks competing for Queensland viewers. Today, those facilities are increasingly expensive remnants of a very different broadcasting model.
What happens if Nine leaves?
The immediate impact would be on Nine itself, but the consequences could extend further.
If Nine ultimately sells and relocates, it could encourage questions about whether the other commercial networks should continue maintaining their own Mt Coot-tha facilities.
That does not mean Seven or 10 are about to leave. There is no indication either network is currently planning to follow Nine off the mountain.
But Nine’s decision to test the value of its property could provide a useful benchmark for the other broadcasters as they consider the cost and practicality of maintaining ageing broadcast infrastructure.
There is also the possibility of a different future for the site altogether.
Mt Coot-tha is already the subject of Brisbane City Council’s long-term planning, with Council developing a master plan intended to transform the broader precinct into a world-class ecotourism destination while protecting its natural areas.
Nine’s property sits within that changing landscape, making the eventual buyer and any plans for the site potentially significant beyond the television industry.
For now, however, Nine is simply testing the market.
If the property attracts a price that makes relocation financially attractive, one of the most recognisable homes in Queensland television could finally close its doors.
If it doesn’t, Nine could remain on Mt Coot-tha for years to come.
Either way, the decision to put the property on the market signals that the era of the traditional television headquarters is continuing to change.
– Advertisement –
