Community TV History

I posted this about 2 years ago in the general history thread. I was a bit puzzled about this, but I think I’ve found what this “CTV-1” channel is.

Apparently it consisted of a VCR and an RF modulator + a BBC Micro computer (to generate Teletext in vision) which was hooked up to the community TV antenna on the roof of public housing units in Waterloo and Redfern. 2000 people would have been able to view it. See this vid below:

There was a book written about CTV-1 some years ago but I’ve never read it.

“Promo video” for Channelvision, Canberra’s community TV station, which was only avaibile through TransTV, TransACT’s cable TV service. It became defunct due to the TransACT-iiNet merge.

1 Like

Wikipedia says it shut down at some point in 2014.

1 Like

Yep that was when the merge happened. But someone actually backed up the TransACT site back-in-the-day:
http://122-99-91-19.static.transact.net.au/

1 Like

Community TV channel ACE TV began transmission in May 1994 and closed December 2002. Its licence was cancelled in 2002 due to a breach of licence conditions. It would be superseded by C31 Adelaide.

ACE-TV_ident_2

2 Likes

From C31 Melbourne’s Facebook page.

3 Likes

I have noticed with new antenna installations around Melbourne and Geelong they are VHF-only (they don’t have any UHF elements) which means they cannot receive C31 on UHF 32. Perhaps in part due to uncertainty with the Federal Government trying to force them off the air. A couple of years ago when I got a new antenna in my flat I specifically asked my antenna installer to install a VHF/UHF antenna so I can watch C31. I was offered cheaper antennas that were VHF only but told them no, I wanted C31.

2 Likes

Hey everyone,

I run a YouTube channel called “IBIS Channel 32”. This year I produced a mini-doco series about Brisbane community TV channel “Briz 31” (yes, have a guess where I got my YouTube channel name from…)

Thought this’d be a good excuse to start a discussion thread on the defunct channel, also.

PART 1:

PART 2:

Enjoy.

3 Likes

C31 Melbourne has worked to restore an old VHS recording of its first night of programming – 6 October 1994 – starting with the media conference that took place earlier that day, including comedian/actor Jane Turner on the panel.

YouTube: Channel 31 Melbourne

2 Likes

Found a tape with some ACE Television.

1 Like

ACE Television, Saturday 30th September 2000.

2 Likes

Almost 4 hours of ACE Television from Saturday 30th September 2000 is now up.

1 Like

A test transmission from Metro TV Sydney circa 1988.

YouTube: InvisiblTV

2 Likes

Nice find. I had no idea C31 Sydney went that far back. They must have been running flea power in those days. Even at 10 kW I struggled to get them in Oatley; admittedly my location was very poor for reception from Artarmon (lots of multipath/ghosting).

2 Likes