Imparja lose money despite being significantly subsidised - there’s no reason to buy them when they would just be red ink.
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And would then lose the federal government funding that they currently receive whilst also the local indigenous groups that benefit from the operation would also lose out. A lose lose for all.
Imparja had value to the community in years gone by, but what do they offer today? Playout is outsourced to MediaHub, they don’t produce or air local content anymore, and all they air is a dirty network feed with local ads. Would this be so different to network ownership?
Surely the most they’d manage now is ads and sales? How many people do they employ?
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They run a video production company called Imparja Creative.
Apart from that, the only people they would probably employ are admin - everything else is either now cut (news) or outsourced (playout).
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And a small but very dedicated technical team who manage a lot of the maintenance at many of the VAST retransmission sites (among other duties). They travel some huge distances each year to keep a lot of that running.
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Something is going to have to give with Imparja.
It looks bad to terminate a indigenous owned and operated company, but one of these days, they’re going to have to do something. If the idea from the get-go was to employ indigenous people in the media and communications industry, then it doesn’t seem to be happening now.
One idea might be for WIN, Nine and Seven, via NPC Media, is to get Imparja to produce their local news in the central and remote areas. Use the NBN model and produce one for South Australia and one for NT and Queensland, and have it air on both Imparja/Nine/WIN and Seven stations. Provide some funding or relief to allow it to happen. Would make WIN, Nine and Seven look good, DEI wise.
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I don’t see how that is good at all, more expensive to operate than what the broadcasters do now.
Are you suggesting a combined regional bulletin for say all of regional SA (covering Mt Gambier Spencer Gulf and Imparja towns like Ceduna and Coober Pedy), another one for outback QLD etc? What about outback NSW too?
Can’t see it happening.
Two - one for Imparja North, one for Imparja South. It can air on any of the stations.
That would be the only way Imparja can justify its ongoing existence. Because it’s not really doing it at the moment, and if it’s getting any taxpayers money, it needs to stop.
What about outback NSW (areas such as Walgett, Bourke, Willcannia etc)
Its the Nine affiliate, that’s reason enough. Not like Seven and Ten are doing anything more either. VAST Remote Central/East was never going to make much money, if any, given the huge area, number of retransmission sites and small populations/ad revenue etc.
Can you see Nine continuing to support them out of the goodness of their heart? Not likely…
If Imparja was to be sold and the subsidy was to go, perhaps a local affairs show could dcrern weekly on NITV across Australia.
If it remains independently owned, perhaps an outback regional affairs show could be produced jointly with NITV - first run on Imparja and rebroadcast nationally on NITV.
These are the only scenarios i csn see anything more thsn noodle updates on outback tv stations
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Covered by the North bulletin I’d guess.
Not Nine, but the government of course. People in those areas deserve to have free access to the NRL and other sports on Nine.
Those areas get the South feed, the North feed is timeshifted back one hour during DST times.
I don’t really see a problem - while Imparja get comparatively more, all the VAST services wouldn’t exist without heavy Government subsidies, and at least Imparja means those subsidised jobs are in Alice Springs that desperately needs them, rather than in Sydney.
Given lots of those costs exist regardless to ensure ABC/SBS/NITV are available in remote areas, there’s public good in ensuring that commercial TV, and thus non-Government news media and live sport especially, are available too.
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I think many would disagree but if there was additional paid advertisements across the secondary channels to ensure a degree of local production on each of the channels. Some examples from years gone by:
- Cross Country (Prime)
- Regional News Australia (Prime)
- Our Sporting Country (Prime)
- This Morning/Today Extra (NBN)
- State Focus (SCTV)
- Newsweek (TNQ)
- Sports Action (CTC)
These are the types of programs that the regionals could produce as an alternative to local news
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A lot of those were back in the day when stations used to co-operate. They should be made in addition to their news output as they’ll have to use news stories to pad out the time.
But back to Imparja, if they’re still using taxpayers dollars and employing bugger all ATSI people to relay Nine as a near dirty feed - some is going to have to give. Why should Nine get get benefit from this?
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Unfortunately around the Covid period, a lot of rules regarding content were relaxed BUT never reinstated - this is why Ten Nth NSW doesn’t screen children’s programs
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