With deregulated multichannels, there’s very little reason for the MDT service itself to exist.
The best outcome cost wise - both for the taxpayer and broadcasters - is for Ten to be a secondary service on the Seven or WIN multiplex.
WIN’s solus Riverland SA market multiplexes had changes similar to that - Nine (WIN) - #8516 by Shaun1997 - with the 7/10 channels now sharing a mux. I dunno if this was maintenance and was reverted or is permanant - but it cuts their transmission costs and given the regionals are already short on multichannels and it’s all MPEG-4, it doesn’t impact picture quality significantly to do so.
Argument could be though that WIN runs all three channels - doesn’t matter which mux they share - WIN keeps all the revenue.
Meanwhile MDT is jointly owned by WIN and Seven. If 10 was to be a Seven multichannel, then WIN would complain that it would be unfair on them as Seven would get additional revenue from offering 2 of the main channels.
Why run any Network TEN services in the area, whether as a stand-alone, JV, or carrying as a multi-channel? There is not enough revenue to carry the TEN signal in that market it appears no matter who carries it on a sustainable basis. If anything, the existing WIN and SEVEN services would be marginal at best as well without the TEN services spreading the existing small revenue pie even more thinly. This is a sign of what is further to come as ad revenue continues to dry up across the whole FTA TV industry.
Well in theory you’d have negotiations between Ten and WIN/Seven over an affiliation deal, and the higher revenue share offer would get to carry the channel. I’d expect Seven as an O&O station wouldn’t care if WIN grabbed a second affiliation, they’ll just book the revenue upside of not making losses from MDT anymore.
Ten’s main channel is still the 3rd position commercial channel in the ratings in most regional areas, so if you’re going to carry any multichannel, it may as well be 10. 10 would fill more inventory than 9Life would.
I know I said what else could the Government do a few posts ago, but I think it’s timely to ask the question of why FTA should get the protections around sports broadcasting they’ve effectively demanded recently, especially if market exits are going to be something we’re going to see more of.
The FTA networks made a big deal about allowing sport to be free, but not via an FTA network is significantly limiting, it shouldn’t go unrecognised that they may contribute to this occurring with these service withdrawals.
Backdoor way to Equalisation if say TEN was to be carried on the WIN mux in Mildura. Yes, nothing stopping WIN becoming a dual affiliate. If so, WIN should carry all the TEN multi-channels that MDT did, even if that means running a 2nd mux and not cramming the TEN main channel onto the existing WIN STV mux. No doubt Mildura would lose access to TEN in HD as well if on the WIN mux? Why should the residents of Mildura lose TEN multi-channels? If the likes of WIN had their way, they would love to go back to their solus monopoly days and only carry the main channels only on the 1 mux in each of the incumbent areas they broadcast in. And come to a gentlemen’s agreement for the other regionals to do the same. Won’t happen as the Metro networks would lobby hard against that too. Equalisation was lobbied hard for by the regionals, but lost out to Aggregation instead.
As I keep stating, this mess that is regional television and it’s longterm decline to oblivion is due to government inaction on both sides of Parliament. The sooner the regional TV1 licences are abolished the better, as the regional audiences are the losers here, not the regional TV companies. The metro networks should be given national TV licences, same as ABC and SBS. Regional audiences are more likely to gain access to continued services, and in some cases some they don’t get at the moment through the economies of scale that would eventuate instead of the hodge podge analogue era licensing regime that exists at the moment to the detriment of regional audiences.
Government inaction is a direct response to our media policies being largely dictated by the incumbent operators - we’ve permitted the industry to pretty well dictate the terms under which they’re allowed to operate (and to control expansion).
Both our Television and Radio licences are no longer fit for purpose in the modern era, but they won’t change unless the industry agitates for change.
The problem with FTA is that the incumbent operators didn’t have any competition pre streaming. The unfortunate thing for regional centres such as Mildura is there is an assumption that everyone can access a high quality internet signal. The reality is that not everyone can access a reliable internet service, regardless of their location.
The argument that the television operators should become national broadcasters is not necessarily the solution unless there are fines and penalties if they fail to deliver a quality service to regional areas.
Let’s face It, this proves that some markets can only support 2 commercial broadcasters to broadcast network 10 & their multi-channels WIN or Seven would need to free up bandwidth on their allocated digital spectrum.
True regional television already gets huge subsidies from the government, a bailout is only a short term solution which would go round & round when the bailout amount runs out.
By default, we have national commercial stations in name (branding), just not full ownership in the regions. Regional TV is only regional TV in name only. In reality, as the regionals relay the metro networks in some cases 100%, the fallacy of regional TV is just that - an anachronism of the past that is not fit for the current times to the increasing detriment of regional viewers.
My point was more directed towards supposed national networks, not just in television. Think about banking organisations closing branches, insurance agencies, closing of unprofitable operations etc.
Television is a business and unprofitable operations would be closed hence the intent to close the third network in the Mildura operations. If it’s exceed revenues, the operations will close. It’s plain and simple .
The argument that operations are no longer economically viable will become a common theme.
As a group, let’s promote the viewing of the FTA through live broadcasts where possible to save this medium. I’m sure we all embrace the value of choice
I haven’t watched FTA in a long time… Part of the reason is the model I feel no longer fits in the modern world.
Who has time to wait for their show to start when it can likely be screened on my terms at a time that suits me best.
This is probably a contributing factor in Mildura. Might be cause to see more people move to streaming as opposed to wanting a local ten service when the service is not really local to begin with.
I don’t know what bank you are with…my bank operates 24/7. I can do what I need when I need, at a time that suits me. I don’t need to talk to a teller and have them tag on the latest product or refer me to a home lender.
It is called the convenience generation. Maybe as a planet we have made everything too convenient?
(And yes, I don’t carry cash either…it is dirty stuff)
I think it is harmful to the model that the Linear TV Channels operate on… But look at Netflix, Prime Video, Disney+/Hulu and the like… All have built successful businesses on streaming without the need to have a linear offering.
I guess some players such as Paramount are still dabbling in Linear with Pluto TV being one such offering.
They said that Video killed the Radio Star… And I guess streaming is potentially going to kill linear broadcast TV… But I guess it is a case of adapt to survive. Many other have mentioned on this forum that the problem for the regional operators is that lack of being able to adapt compared to the metro channels when it comes to streaming.
In a way I think you are right. With VOZ ratings which combine both linear broadcast and OTT/BVOD, Network 10 will still count in the overall national ratings numbers in Mildura after the MDT shutdown over time as more people switch to on-line. Small numbers at first, but will build over time as people have no option but to make the switch to on-line for Network 10. If anything, both WIN to a major extent and SEVEN to a lesser extent could be shooting themselves in the foot, as many in the Mildura area who will be forced to switch to 10Play in that area will no doubt as part of that switch also get in the habit of switching on to 9Now and 7Plus alongside ABC Iview and SBS On-Demand and not go back to go back to FTA in that region. The biggest loser in the equation will be WIN as they will be increasingly bypassed by their metro partner by viewers forced to go on-line for one of their competitors. If so, is an own goal by WIN if reports are correct being they instigated the shutdown of MDT end of June.
WIN gains from its substantial ownership of Nine. Any talk that WIN is out in never never land is unfounded. The silent arrangement between WIN and Nine will play out over the next 5 years or so.