Is a loss worth the local presence though?
Also SWM bought the Prime and GWN channels despite them operating at a on paper loss. It depends on their long term strategies
Technically yes. But they will be paying for something at a loss
Could a council run a self-help 7 Central retransmission with the new VAST legislation?
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I don’t think so because it involves commercial stations
With populations that small it does not make financial sense for more then one station to operate, it’s not as though they are missing out on FTA tv at all which has happened in Medicine Hat in Canada, they will still have a station with a Nine affiliation and Ten for time being. Nine, ABC and SBS is better than no stations at all. Just like major metro areas have more choice in healthcare, airlines, retail they also have more choice in television, just the reality of life in a metropolitan area versus that in speck on the map, the problem is they want their cake and eat it to but expect others to pay for the cake.
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Exactly there was the same conversation regarding Mildura & whether Network 10 could buy the licence but MDV had been operating at a loss since the station started broadcasting In 2006, Also the transmitter needed replacing which does not come cheap If you are running a station at a loss lets face it some TV markets can’t support 3 commercial networks.
Riverland RA1 spans five local councils though…
Even the main TX covers at least 3 - you would have to get them all to come to some sort of funding agreement?
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Forgive my ignorance, but I thought the joint venture stations piggy-backed on the infrastructure of one of the existing stations to reduce costs?
All stations shared the same tower at Yatpool, but each station needs its own antenna & transmitter to broadcast the signal, playout of MDV was done by WIN at Mediahub.
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Councils working together on anything meaningful…At least where I am from…Thats a novel idea!
I guess councils do lots of things that benefit each others area’s, filling gaps others may have. I am thinking regional sporting facilities, arts centers…Swimming pools.
In Tasmania, where I am from, I would be staggered if another council directly cross subsided another’s services, however we have seen collaboration when it makes sense from a regional perspective.
Heres a really easy thing the pollies and ACMA can do.
Just combine Mildura and Griffith into their rightful license areas.
Just do it.
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Mildura could combine with the Riverland, but would take legislation to do so, as for Griffith they could always merge into the Wagga TV market but can’t see that happening.
- List item
It would take ledglislation
Is there anything to stop Seven building a translator in Griffith and relaying their Wagga Wagga signal?
Just stick a local news journalist in Griffith in the 6pm local news to cover local content provisions if required.
Not having the licence to do so
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I think more likely than not we’re gonna see more affiliate/JV stations being shut down rather than being combined into other TV1 license areas. MDT’s already gone, now Griffith and Mount Gambier/Riverland/Loxton (NSW and SA respectively) are losing Channel 7. I think regional areas with small populations won’t be able to sustain having 3 commercial TV networks, there’s a reality more regions like the ones I mentioned will be cut down to 2 or even just 1 commercial TV network.
If anything, probs won’t be too long and WIN may also firstly cut off local advertising on the Network 10 stations, then elect to shut down those stations in Griffith and Mount Gambier/Riverland/Loxton in a bid to drive viewers (and advertisers) over to Nine. It would simply be Back To The Future for these regions where they only had 1 commercial TV station and a public broadcaster (ABC). In this day and age though, there would be 1 commercial TV network and 2 public (national) broadcasters (ABC/SBS).
Network 10 could choose to accquire these stations from WIN like what they did with WIN’s NNSW Network 10 affiliate stations, but then again WIN probably doesn’t want to risk introducing competition into the regions where they have a monopoly.
If WIN’s goal is to drive revenue and viewership over to their main affiliate i.e Nine, then the Government need to step in and make its VAST satellite service available for free to viewers in said regions in NSW and SA, similar to Mildura in VIC who (because MDT 10 was shut down) can now get the VAST satellite service and access to all 3 commercial networks, 7 Central, Imparja and 10 Central.
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They tried that (by relaying the Wagga Wagga feed through WIN) but local businesses in Griffith complained about ads for Wagga Wagga (and even Central West NSW and Wollongong) businesses getting into the Griffith TV1 license area, fearing customers would end up spending their money there instead.
To recap from what happened last year, here’s an interesting quote from a local Griffith furniture store…
Last night I was watching companies in Orange and Wollongong advertise on our network without paying for it. This competes with our local businesses. They’re undermining our ability to reach our audience, without any consideration or proper compensation. Local advertisers are paying for shows to be on free to air; we can’t understand why they’d decide to undermine that with this decision. | Paul Pierroti, Caesars Furniture Store
From: WIN Network pulls plug on Griffith Sky News coverage, upsets local advertisers | Region Riverina
Mildura and Griffith are relatively easy - you fold them into the closest geographic market in that state.
Regional SA will be more complex to resolve because there isn’t anything to fold back into
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Not under the current system. Not unless rules can be changed.
Isn’t Mildura more culturally linked to Melbourne than Adelaide?
The Riverland market gets the Adelaide feed (plus local ads?). Combining into the Regional Victoria market might be more suitable.
Could the status be changed and be folded into the VAST geographic area? I know that may force Imparja into the undesirable position of being the 10 affiliate in SA, BUT as it is, Imparja is government subsidised.
Then if WIN wanted to participate in the wider VAST area, perhaps push them to pay additional fees