Community Television

This year’s inductees include:

Rove McManus (RMITV’s The Loft Live)
Stella Young (No Limits TV)
Vasili Kanidiadis (Vasili’s Garden)
The Student Youth Network (SYN)
Nimal Alwis (The Sri Lanka Morning Show)
Mark “Fletch” Fletcher (Classic Restos)
Fishcam

C31 will mark 30 years with an event this Saturday at Cathedral Hall in Fitzroy

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Nice to see Fletch in that list too.

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Wonder if 31 will ever get over Rove, so much good other talent overlooked often. Not to mention he’s really RMITV alumni.

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You’re only inducted into the Hall of Fame once and there are six others listed. Plus, he would arguably be the best known. Vasili is the only other one on that list who I have heard of.

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It’s the first induction that’s my point

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Just going through my old recordings. Found the last evening of CTS-31 Sydney’s broadcast and their last-ditch attempt to stay on-air after the ABA gave the licence to TVS instead:

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MEDIA RELEASE: Community TV Secures Historic $3 Million Funding Boost

Community television (CTV) stations will receive access to $3 million over the next three years from the Albanese Government—the largest financial support in its history. This landmark investment highlights the vital role CTV plays in amplifying local voices, fostering cultural diversity, and nurturing emerging talent in Australia’s media landscape.

“This funding will ensure CTV can continue delivering essential local content, providing training opportunities for future media professionals, and transforming for a digital future,” said Joseph Matina, Chair of C31 Melbourne and Geelong.

Dr. Tom Young, Chair of Channel 44, added, “Community TV is a platform for uniquely Australian stories. This investment supports passionate creatives and strengthens the sector’s ability to connect with diverse communities.”

The future of CTV lies in innovation. The CTV Plus streaming platform already provides live access to both C31 & C44, on-demand access to over 150 programs and will soon expand with a Smart TV app launching in 2025. These developments ensure that community content remains accessible to both local and national audiences.

This $3 million boost is part of the Albanese Government’s $180.5 million media strategy, which supports public interest journalism, strengthens media diversity, and promotes sustainability in grassroots broadcasting.

Communications Minister Michelle Rowland MP said, “Local news and community broadcasting are at the heart of our communities. This funding ensures community TV continues to make a vital contribution to media diversity and national identity.”

We thank Minister Rowland, her team and the Federal Government for their commitment to grassroots media. This funding secures a sustainable future for CTV, enabling us to continue amplifying local voices, fostering creative talent, and telling the stories that matter most.

To read the full announcement visit - https://minister.infrastructure.gov.au/…/charting…

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That is good news. That is on top of what C31 already gets from the government from booking every 2nd ad spot on the channel.

But C31/C44 don’t really broadcast anything that resembles typical local news or even comes close to a bulletin. If they are genuinely serious about expanding their services to the regions, then surely there would need to be some form of commitment undertaken by C31/C44 to provide a state-based bulletin (or regional news, for that matter) via linear broadcast or inserted into the CTV+ app streams before the government can justify a $3 million investment for the overall concept, let alone ‘support public interest journalism.’

Briz 31 used to broadcast a bulletin produced by QUT Journalism students.

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There are numerous community news and event-focused programs, and RMIT University produces Newsline that has aired on the channel for decades. It will never have the resources to staff a newsroom, but it provides community news and event coverage throughout its programming to different groups and communities.

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