2016 in Australian television

Events

January

February

March

April

May

June

July

August

September

October

November

December

Television channels

New channels

• 19 January – Sky News Business HD
• 28 February – 7flix
• 1 March — WIN HD
• 2 March – Ten HD
• 25 March – V Hits| Hits +2
• 1 April – Comedy Central
• 1 April – Sky Thoroughbred Central HD
• 1 May – Sky News Election Channel
• 10 May – 7HD
• 14 May – beIN Sports 1 HD, beIN Sports 2, beIN Sports 2 HD, beIN Sports 3, beIN Sports 3 HD
• 15 May – Sky News Election HD
• 1 July – Foxtel Movies More, Foxtel Movies More HD, MUTV, MUTV HD, Chelsea TV, Chelsea TV HD, LFC TV, LFC TV HD, Spike
• 24 July – Hillsong Channel
• 5 October – Binge, A&E + 2
• 13 October – SonLife

  Channel closures

• 25 March – Channel V Australia|Channel
• 1 April – MTV Classic
• 30 April – 4ME
• 4 October – SoHo

  Affiliation changes

• 1 July – Nine Network programming to air on the current Southern Cross Ten regional network in Queensland, Southern NSW and Victoria, joining existing South Australian services. Nine programming on Southern Cross will be branded with Nine's mainstream branding.
• 1 July – Network Ten programming to air on the current WIN Television regional network in Queensland, Southern NSW, Victoria, Mildura, Tasmania, Western Australia and Griffith.

  Deaths

• 22 January – Lois Ramsey Australian actress best known for roles in soap operas Prisoner and The Box
• 9 February – Alethea McGrath, Australian actress and voice artist, best known for .
• 19 February – Peter Hudson, television executive, most notable for managing the TV1 General Entertainment Partnership which was responsible for TV1 and SF.
• 28 February – Don Battye, writer and producer most famous for his work on Neighbours, Sons and Daughters, and Homicide.
• 2 March – Sonia Borg, screenwriter most famous for Women of the Sun.
• 10 March – Jon English, Australian performer of stage and screen, whose most notable productions included theatre roles in Jesus Christ Superstar and Pirates of Penzance and television role's including the miniseries Against the Wind and All Together Now
• 3 April – Bob Ellis, Australian writer whose credits include Number 96, Dynasty Australia, and Glenview High.
• 13 April – Barbara Jungwirth, Australian actress who appeared in series such as Neighbours, and The Box, as well as being the longest serving background cast member on soap opera Prisoner.
• 17 April – Bruce Mansfield, radio and television personality.
• 29 April – Robert Greenberg, Australian screenwriter who most notably worked on children's shows such as Round the Twist and Get Ace.
• 6 May – Reg Grundy, television producer, creator of the Australian version of Wheel Of Fortune and numerous soap opera dramas including Neighbours and Prisoner, founder of the Reg Grundy Organisation
• 10 May – Scott Burgess, Australian actor best known for his roles in Water Rats and 1915.
• 24 May – Lewis Fiander, Australian actor best known for his roles in Pride and Prejudice and Bangkok Hilton.
• 28 July – Vivean Gray, British-born Australian actress best known for her roles as Mrs Mangel in Neighbours and Ida Jessup in The Sullivans
• 11 September – Norman "Nugget" May , Radio and television sport commentator, best known as an Olympic commentator
• 11 September –　Ken Sparkes, Australian radio and television personality, and voice over artist
• 28 September – Max Walker,, Australian rules footballer, cricketer and media commentator
• 7 October – Rebecca Wilson, Australian sports commentator and panelist on Sunrise and SportsNight with James Bracey and television presenter of The Fat
• 7 October – Ross Higgins, Australian actor and voice-over, best known as the voice of Louie the Fly and Ted Bullpitt in Kingswood Country
• 12 December – Anne Deveson Journalist, writer and broadcaster

  Premieres

Domestic series

International series

Telemovies and miniseries

Documentaries

Specials

Programming changes

Changes to network affiliation

Free-to-air premieres

Subscription premieres

Returning programs

Endings