They can’t keep asking for extensions.
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Ridiculous. So many stars got their first gig at a community station, many at C31.
Really awful news. Stupid decision by the government.
How much spectrum will be gained by closing down the remaining community TV channels? It may not even be enough to provide a 5G service for 10,000 people!
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I hate to be a contrary Mary, but I am certain that these community groups would do much better and reach more people if they focused their efforts in fostering online content creation rather than trying to prop up their linear broadcast channel.
The spectrum gained from channel 44 will almost certainly benefit more people than the <1000 regular viewers it has in each city. It has the potential for, yes, 4G or 5G mobile data…but it could also enable 4K transmission of each major network’s main channel. That certainly would have more benefit than what’s currently on offer.
The power of community TV was really only there when no other mechanism for small groups to get their content in front of everyone’s eyes.
Now that literally anyone in the community can pick up a camera and start producing their own content, I think there is very little benefit in giving these small community groups a very sizeable chunk of spectrum.
The role of community TV has been taken over by Youtube. There are many, MANY hugely successful Australians producing content with large, diverse fanbases which fills the role of what community TV did. It simply is no longer relevant in this day and age.
What do I think each CTV organisation should do? Keep their CTV organisation going after linear transmission ends. From what I understand, each CTV organisation generally can provide help with equipment and staff to film and edit each program, and I think this would definitely still come in handy.
Each content creator in the organisation should create their own Youtube channel, gather donations through Patreon or some other means and use those to fund the productions they make (and say “this program was produced in conjunction with [e.g.] C31 Melbourne” at the start and end of each video/episode). That way I think there can continue to be a healthy Community TV community. The fact that these CTV organisations have remained on the air for so long is a testament to how passionate these people are about it, and I’m sure they would be able to succeed with the transition to full online-only production. You look at organisations like TVS in Sydney which basically died in the arse because it wasn’t really a community TV organisation - it was just basically treated as UWS’ television training facility for students.
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Will this mean that UHF-32 in Melbourne and UHF-33 in Adelaide will be used by commercial television for a 4K multiplex, similar to a trial in Sydney in which commercial networks had test 4K transmissions on TVS’s old frequency.
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Didn’t that one use VHF-10?
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they shouldn’t have to.
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Correct. There is no imminent or even mid-term plan for the usage of the spectrum C31 are using right now - they are using the unassigned frequencies for adjacent regional markets. The argument is not that it is needed for 4K trials in capital cities - it’s that it would be needed for a permanent service in Bendigo and Renmark - the closest places with high power services on the current Unassigned channel that C31 occupy in Melbourne and Adelaide.
The absolute no-brainer outcome here would have been C31 on an ongoing DVB-T2 multiplex, a trial is worthwhile, and there should be a government plan for a migration to an all DVB-T2 future so there can be a sale of the 600MHz band.
When there is no impending usage of the spectrum, and as it would be very simple to have it carried once that spectrum is in use, there is no justification for not allowing C31 operators to continue in the medium term - especially as a locally owned media voice in a rapidly consolidating environment.
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I’m guessing the narrowcast television licences owned by Aboriginal organisations Larrakia in Darwin, Juluwarlu in Roebourne and Goolarri in Broome, and ICTV Alice Springs, and Snowy Mountains Television in Jindabyne, and the community television licence owned by Aboriginal organisation Buku-Larrnggay Mulka in Yirrkala will continue.
The Yirrkala licence appears to be the only active community television licence. The Adelaide and Melbourne community television stations both have narrowcast licences.
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It already has (disappeared since Saturday)! There is one post yesterday on their facebook page and the response was “WTV is currently going through technical changes. Stay tuned for more updates.”
Stay tuned to what though C44 or Youtube? Their website is also a mystery in terms of what delivery mechanism they are using now (see http://wtvperth.com.au)
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Herald Sun reports Marngrook Footy Show, which was axed in late 2019 by NITV, will return to Melbourne’s C31 on March 18 at 7pm (replayed on Foxtel’s Aurora channel the following day). However with the Federal Government threatening to close the channel on June 30, the revival could last as short as three months.
Grant Hansen and Leila Guruwiwi will co-host the show with panellists including Phil Krakouer, Doug Hawkins, Kevin Bartlett, Shaun Burgoyne, Warwick Capper and Abbey Holmes.
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/entertainment/confidential/axed-marngrook-footy-show-finds-new-home/news-story/9438201d43d9410e25ec0be9da05a43b
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If they can still run it on community TV, what’s the reason for NITV axing it, surely they could just carry an independent production if funding was the issue?
Presumably it’d also get a run on ICTV?
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Easter services live on Channel 31 Melbourne.
https://melbournecatholic.org.au/News/ArtMID/416/ArticleID/24393/Holy-Week-Liturgies-Televised-Live-Streamed?fbclid=IwAR2xCCVUfyJ8fjsl9PTP05D48w2VFeU6T6QHu9NPYsrWIEE_-BIepJCLIzY#.Xocin4qAdDk.twitter
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Sadly I think while there was very little hope before, COVID has ensured that this will definitely occur. We need a service like Ticker to be launched to replace this I think.
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Ticker is great - shows like the Ben, Rob and Robbo show really show off what @Ahron has been able to achieve with Ticker!
Anyone can broadcast live on YouTube. Is that an option?
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Anyone can broadcast from home but it doesn’t involve crews, broadcast quality equipment and training. That’s the point.
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Ticker is a good experiment but it’s not broadcast. Lots of people don’t have easy over the air access to stumble upon it.
Community TV is a lot more than just pointing a camera at someone.
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Agreed. Anyone can YouTube. My show (when we can start producing again!) is uploaded there but its not the same.
And yes, I know ticker is not broadcast. But I think its the future.
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