Editing Prime7 (section)

===2000s===
[[File:Prime Television Broadcast Centre.jpg|thumb|right|250px|Prime Television Broadcast Centre in [[Watson, Australian Capital Territory]]]]
The renamed Argentine network Azul Televisión was sold for $108 million in early 2000 due to lower-than-expected performance.<ref>{{Cite news |last=Schulze |first=Jane |date=17 March 2000 |title=Prime offloads Azul for $108m |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AUNB&req_dat=2FC64405CDC9450D8CE0F660AE4E730F&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F1053B8979CCED62A |access-date=19 February 2022 |newspaper=[[The Sydney Morning Herald]] |publisher=[[Fairfax Media]] |location=Sydney |page=27 |via=[[Newsbank]] |id={{ProQuest|363678724}}}}</ref> During the same year, Prime benefited greatly from its affiliation with the [[Seven Network]] throughout its carriage of the [[2000 Summer Olympics]] in Sydney. The network's relationship with Seven was further developed throughout the early 2000s, leading to the introduction of ''7onPrime'' promotional branding for [[Seven Network]]-produced programs on 11 February 2001.<ref name="atvh-00s">{{Cite web |title=Prime Television 2000s |url=http://www.austvhistory.com/prime/00s.htm |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102041439/http://www.austvhistory.com/prime/00s.htm |archive-date=2 January 2008 |access-date=17 September 2007 |website=AusTVHistory}}</ref><ref name="Sibley2001-02-10">{{Cite news |last=Sibley |first=David |date=10 February 2001 |title=New look for Prime TV in ratings chase |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |publisher=[[Rural Press]] |location=Canberra |page=7 |id={{ProQuest|1016133692}}}}</ref>

Local news bulletins for [[Newcastle, New South Wales|Newcastle]], the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]], [[Canberra]], and [[Wollongong]] were axed on 9 June 2001 due to falling ratings and the anticipated costs of the switch to [[digital television]].<ref>{{Cite news |last=Maguire |first=Tory |date=9 June 2001 |title=Regional TV news gets axe |url=https://infoweb.newsbank.com/apps/news/openurl?ctx_ver=z39.88-2004&rft_id=info%3Asid/infoweb.newsbank.com&svc_dat=AUNB&req_dat=2FC64405CDC9450D8CE0F660AE4E730F&rft_val_format=info%3Aofi/fmt%3Akev%3Amtx%3Actx&rft_dat=document_id%3Anews%252F0FD2EBE54526C247 |access-date=19 February 2022 |newspaper=[[The Daily Telegraph (Sydney)|The Daily Telegraph]] |publisher=[[News Limited]] |location=Sydney |page=17 |via=[[Newsbank]] |id={{ProQuest|358703275}}}}</ref><ref>{{Cite news |last=Sibley |first=David |date=9 June 2001 |title=Prime TV axes news bulletins |newspaper=[[The Canberra Times]] |publisher=[[Rural Press]] |location=Canberra |page=1 |id={{ProQuest|1016088957}}}}</ref> This, and the closure of a number of news bulletins by [[Southern Cross Broadcasting]], prompted the [[Australian Broadcasting Authority]] to investigate the adequacy of regional news services<ref>{{Cite episode |title=ABA to hold investigation into adequacy of regional news |url=http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s423564.htm |access-date=1 September 2007 |series=PM |series-link=PM (Australian radio program) |last=White |first=Annie |network=[[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]] |date=21 September 2001 |archive-date=2 January 2008 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080102024430/http://www.abc.net.au/pm/stories/s423564.htm |url-status=live}}</ref> The ABA later mandated that stations broadcast a minimum level of local content, based on a points system{{snd}}two points per minute for local news, and one point per minute for other local content, excluding paid advertisements.<ref>{{Cite web |date=7 September 2004 |title=Regional television exceeds local content quotas |url=http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_91497 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071007165326/http://www.acma.gov.au/WEB/STANDARD/1001/pc=PC_91497 |archive-date=7 October 2007 |access-date=1 September 2007 |publisher=[[Australian Communications and Media Authority]]}}</ref>

Prime formed a partnership with the [[Nine Network]] (affiliated in Australia to competitor [[WIN Television]]), giving its owner, [[Nine Entertainment Co|PBL Media]] the option to purchase a 50% share of [[Prime (New Zealand TV channel)|Prime Television New Zealand]] in return for access to original programming, and cross-promotion in PBL's New Zealand magazine titles.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=Nine Network Australia Formally Commences New Zealand Partnership with Prime Television Australia |date=18 February 2002 |publisher=[[Nine Entertainment Co|PBL Media]] |url=http://www.pbl.com.au/nine_network_australia_formally_commences_new_zealand_partnership_with_prime_television_australia.htm |access-date=2 September 2007 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927213135/http://www.pbl.com.au/nine_network_australia_formally_commences_new_zealand_partnership_with_prime_television_australia.htm |archive-date=27 September 2007}}</ref> Following this, Prime Television New Zealand began to take on branding and programming similar to that of the [[Nine Network]]. In November 2005, Prime Television New Zealand was purchased by [[subscription television]] provider [[Sky (New Zealand)|Sky Network Television]] for {{currency|30 million|NZD}}, completed after approval by New Zealand's [[Commerce Commission]] in February 2006.<ref>{{Cite web |year=2006 |title=About Us |url=http://www.primetv.co.nz/default.asp?t=4 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071026151518/http://www.primetv.co.nz/default.asp?t=4 |archive-date=26 October 2007 |access-date=1 September 2007 |website=[[Prime (New Zealand TV channel)|Prime Television New Zealand]]}}</ref>

[[Mildura Digital Television]], a digital-only station in [[Mildura]] began transmissions in 2006 as a joint venture between [[Prime Media Group|Prime Television]] and [[WIN Corporation]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=1 January 2006 |title=TEN Digital commences in Mildura |url=https://www.dba.org.au/index217f.html |archive-url=https://webarchive.nla.gov.au/awa/20060704011202/http://pandora.nla.gov.au/pan/14239/20060704-0000/www.dba.org.au/index217f.html |archive-date=4 July 2006 |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=Digital Broadcasting Australia |language=en-AU |via=National Library of Australia}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref> [[Section 38A|Section 38B]] of the ''Broadcasting Services Act'' allowed for the provision of a third station owned by either one or both existing networks.<ref>{{Cite press release |title=ABA media - NR4/2005: New digital commercial television service for Mildura/Sunraysia |date=28 January 2004 |publisher=[[Australian Broadcasting Authority]] |url=http://www.aba.gov.au/abanews/news_releases/2005/04nr05.htm |access-date=30 March 2024 |url-status=dead |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20050316020122/http://www.aba.gov.au/abanews/news_releases/2005/04nr05.htm |archive-date=16 March 2005}}</ref> MDT is a direct relay of [[ATV (Australian TV station)|10 Melbourne]], albeit with local advertising.

Prime Television announced on 21 December 2009 that it would start broadcasting [[7two]] on 23 December 2009.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Knox |first=David |date=22 December 2009 |title=7TWO to launch on Prime |url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2009/12/7two-to-launch-on-prime.html |access-date=30 March 2024 |website=[[TV Tonight]]}}</ref>