Surely they had that idea and explored it. If they didn’t think to investigate leasing space from in of the other networks they don’t deserve to continue broadcasting.
My guess would be that option became either too expensive, difficult or the networks didn’t want to do a deal. Broadcasting on a commercial licence rather than a community licence would have different regulations for content, teletext, advertising etc. - some better, some worse, so I’m guess a deal just couldn’t be worked out.
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One would really like to think that the community stations did investigate the possibility of leasing a couple of mbps from one of the other networks, but my guess is the same as webguy’s: A deal couldn’t be worked out because of costs or whatever else.
I thought that the closure of 4ME happened after the switch to MPEG4 HD/7mate SD but before 7Flix became an MPEG2 channel (complete with the “Now Available on More TVs” promos and all the rest)?
Turns out Friday won’t be switch-off day after all - another six-month license extension has been granted which means C31, Channel 44 & WTV will be able to continue broadcasting a linear signal until December 31st
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This Producer’s stress levels can’t take much more!
Who saw this coming? Perhaps Sydney and Brisbane switched off too early, but maybe the money just wasn’t there to continue.
Noticed a few of these shows have made the change to commercial multi channels (like Vasili’s Garden) or Aurora so perhaps that’s what will happen when the signal finally switches off?
The deadline has been extended three times now, from Dec 2016 to June 2017 and now to Dec 2017. Why don’t they just call it quits and leave community TV on the air? If the Libs are so committed to increasing local content, why would they ditch community TV?
Or, at the very least, leave them on until their licences expire (2019 for C31) and just don’t renew them. Then perhaps one of the parties can make community TV an election promise.
Still hoping that they can cut a deal with ABC, SBS or one of the commercial networks to ‘rent’ channelspace.
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This government really is fucking atrocious - shows and teams wrap up, and days out from turning off the lights at the transmitter their licenses are extended. Mindblowingly stupid.
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This is a move to make their loosening of regulations look a bit less dodgy. The spectrum needs to be reserved permanently. WTV, 44 and C31 are strong local stations, they should remain on the air.
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No they shouldn’t, there’s absolutely no need for community tv in an internet age. Stick the content on YouTube and Facebook where it might actually get an audience.
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Close all the networks then.
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In time they probably will.
I completely agree, of course.
Unfortunately, the current government probably couldn’t care less about community TV (to an extent, non-commercial broadcasting in general) so not much hope there.
Perhaps it would be a great election promise for Labor and one I think would also be supported by the Greens and some independent parties. But at the same time, Labor weren’t all that much better with community TV (remembering that it took until 2010 before the government even allowed CTV to broadcast on Digital TV!) when they were in office.
That would probably be the best way forward for community TV in the future. A few mbps for one SD channel is all they’d need, surely? I couldn’t really see them being in a position to provide additional programing or HD anytime soon.
Is it not possible to split a multiplex so 1 SD channel can coexist with other technologies?
well leave CTV until they do the same.
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Not without making the carrier smaller therefore rendering it incompatible with most TV’s
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getting ABC or SBS to carry a community channel would make sense in that they’d see 100% population reach and Government support. But as we know the Govt really couldn’t care less about community television.
I guess the next best solution would be working out a deal with Ten who would have the space to carry another channel but as posted sometime earlier I’m sure that all other possible avenues have been assessed already
Might as well auction off the entire UHF and VHF spectrum then!
In their transition to online, C31, C44 and WTV should develop a partnership with Hunter TV Newcastle. Their online operations look to work well, and a it certainly wouldn’t hurt to have more broadcasters join their informal “network”.
All broadcasters should also consider starting a small news service on their websites with local news articles (select larger stories could be recorded, perhaps) similar to HTV. It would be useful to have something that will compliment their TV content.
Tonight’s Media Watch had a story about Community Television: http://www.abc.net.au/mediawatch/transcripts/s4695560.htm
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Basically, the summary of the entire discussion.
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