C31 joins early analogue switch-off

C31, Melbourne’s community television channel, is soon to join its Sydney counterpart TVS in an early shutdown of its analogue signal – well ahead of the scheduled shutdown of other analogue services in their respective cities.

On their website, C31 advises that it will cease analogue transmission (from UHF 31 and from UHF 64 in South Yarra) on Thursday 1 March, even though the analogue shutdown is not scheduled for Melbourne until late 2013.

From 1 March, viewers will only be able to access C31 on digital television channel 44 (UHF 32 from Mount Dandenong, or UHF 66 from the South Yarra translator).

The shutdown of the analogue signal marks an end to over 17 years of transmission from UHF Channel 31, dating back to when the channel first launched in October 1994.  Back then, Channel 31 was broadcasting a program schedule only on Monday to Thursday evenings and on Saturday nights broadcast live coverage of races from Harness Racing Victoria, then a sponsor of the channel.

C31 now broadcasts 24 hours a day, 7 days a week and also has some programs available via a catch-up facility on their website.

TVS will also be closing its analogue signal from 1 March, while Brisbane’s 31 Digital and Perth’s WTV are already broadcasting solely in digital.

Source: C31

TVS to do early analogue switch-off

Sydney’s community television station TVS has announced it will be switching off its analogue transmission from Channel 31 next year, well ahead of the planned shutdown of analogue signals in Sydney.

From 1 March next year TVS will be broadcasting solely in digital – on channel number 44 (UHF Channel 29) – two years after it commenced simulcast with the analogue signal.

It is currently estimated that 74 per cent of Sydney households have access to at least one digital TV receiver.

TVS will be the third community TV station in Australia to be broadcasting in digital-only mode.  Brisbane’s 31 Digital ceased analogue transmission in May this year, and Perth’s WTV has been broadcasting exclusively in digital since its launch in 2010.

Melbourne’s C31 and Adelaide’s 44 continue to simulcast on both analogue and digital platforms.

All other analogue transmissions in the Sydney market are scheduled to be shutdown in the second half of 2013.

Source: TVS, 31 Digital.

A decade of digital TV

Australian television first entered the digital age on 1 January 2001 – a decade ago today.

On that day all five networks – ABC, Seven, Nine, Ten, SBS – commenced full-time standard-definition digital transmission in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth as part of the initial roll-out of digital television.  High-definition signals were not to launch until later in the year.

Regional areas and other cities were to gradually be covered by digital broadcasts as ABC, SBS and regional broadcasters upgraded their infrastructure to include digital in the years that followed.  Indeed, even now, some regional and remote areas are still yet to receive commercial television channels, either the primary or multi-channels, in digital.

However, very few would have actually witnessed those first digital transmissions on 1 January 2001.  With the government making last-minute changes to digital broadcasting standards as late as towards the end of 2000, very few manufacturers had been able to commit to producing compatible receiving equipment much before the launch date.  Even after 1 January, major retailers may have had a handful of set top boxes (STB) on display but would be lucky to have had any to actually sell.  Broadcasters themselves even had to scramble for the few tuners that were available.  Colin Knowles, head of ABC’s digital roll-out, told The Sunday Age late in December 2000 that he had only been able to secure five units nationwide which would be used for signal testing.  The commercial networks were forced to underwrite the initial roll-out of digital tuners, just to get them in the stores, but even then only a few thousand were expected to be in the marketplace nationwide by the end of February.

As well as the lack of supply, the cost of even the most basic set top box came with considerable cost as manufacturers sought to recoup their development costs for the new technology.  A standard definition STB would have likely cost anything from $700 recommended retail – and a high-definition box would set you back over $1000.  In both cases, the tuners only served to downgrade the digital signal to one that can be displayed through a traditional cathode ray tube (CRT) TV – so a high-definition tuner would not display high-definition when used on a CRT TV, it just meant that you could view high-definition channels.

As for television sets with integrated digital tuners – ten years ago they were still yet to hit the market and before they arrived a standard-definition set was estimated to set you back around $5000 – even more if you wanted a high-definition set, estimated to cost anything around $8000.  Prices for digital tuners would inevitably come down but it was not going to happen quickly, particularly given the high price tag for early adopters.

And in introducing digital television, the government had placed restrictions on offering more channels – even though the technology supported it – seemingly as a concession to the pay-TV lobby.  Only ABC and SBS were initially allowed to set up multi-channels and even then they had rigid restrictions on what they could actually air on them.  Basically, anything resembling entertainment was not allowed.  News bulletins were only allowed if they were in foreign languages.  Specific program genres like education, children’s and arts programs would be allowed.  Not really the sort of programming to encourage people to run out and buy digital tuners en masse.

As well as offering widescreen, crystal clear pictures and improved sound quality, digital television also offered multi-view broadcasts on sporting events – a feature that has been used maybe once or twice as a pilot in the early years of digital television, but not since.  Indeed, the networks were even lacking in providing widescreen broadcasts of some sporting events, a genre that seems a natural fit for widescreen transmission, in the earlier years.

ABC’s first ventures in digital multi-channelling – ABC Kids and youth channel Fly TV – were launched late in 2001 but due to budget constraints were shutdown less than two years later.  SBS later launched the World News Channel, providing continuous broadcasts of foreign language news bulletins and not much else.

Is it any wonder that viewers didn’t immediately adopt digital TV?  With such a lack lustre introduction by the broadcasters and heavy restrictions by government, the take-up of digital tuners by the viewing public was less than spectacular.

By the middle of the decade it was realised that the government’s initial planned cut off date for analogue television – 2008 – was fast approaching and the viewing public was far from being ready.  The date for the analogue shutdown was postponed and incentives were put in place to encourage viewers to make the transition to digital TV.  Some of the rigid genre restrictions on multi-channels, such as ABC2 launched in 2005, were being lifted and areas like Tasmania, Mildura and Darwin, all lacking a third commercial channel, were being allowed a digital-only commercial channel operated by the existing local commercial broadcasters.

By 2007, networks were allowed to start offering exclusive high-definition content, not in simulcast with the analogue or standard-definition signals, which led to Seven, Nine and Ten launching HD-specific channels which offered limited amounts of exclusive programming, though this was mostly restricted to off-peak daytime or late-night timeslots so that major prime-time programming was still able to viewed in high definition.

Late in 2008, the free-to-air broadcasters collaborated to launch a joint initiative, Freeview, to promote digital television to the wider audience on behalf of all networks – emphasising the multi-channel platform and  subscription-free nature of free-to-air digital television as an alternative to pay-TV, and later the promotion of Freeview-branded equipment such as PVRs, though this specifically-branded equipment is not mandatory for receiving or viewing digital television but would be needed to have access to the Freeview electronic program guide (EPG) which is now in operation.

In 2009 the commercial networks were permitted to launch a second standard-definition channel.  Network Ten took the first, and most radical, step and re-launched its Ten HD channel into a 24/7 sports channel, One HD, which was simulcast as its second standard-definition channel.  Ten figured that sport was the most desired programming genre for high-definition and would be the genre least affected by internet downloads, and offering a sports format would act as a deterrent for viewers adopting pay-TV.  The downside is that Ten’s main channel was now denied any high-definition programming.

The Nine Network followed later in 2009 with a youth-focused standard-definition channel, GO!, which also included a catalogue of classic titles from the 1960s and 1970s.  Seven’s first digital-only channel, 7TWO, presented largely an extension of the Seven brand with a mix of general entertainment programming with some exclusive titles.  In more recent times 7TWO has focused more firmly on British programming such as soap operas, lifestyle programming and classic comedy and drama.

The Federal Government allowed ABC a budget increase to enable it to set up a children’s channel, ABC3, by the end of 2009.  But, while SBS was denied its requests for more funding for its digital initiatives, the World News Channel was re-worked into SBS2 in June 2009, offering the same news bulletin format during the day but with a wider scope for programming in the evenings, including lifestyle programming, foreign-language drama series and movies.

In 2010, ABC sacrificed its high-definition channel to launch its 24/7 news channel, ABC News 24, as a free-to-air competitor to pay-TV channels like Sky News.  Seven and Nine also followed suit by ceasing the simulcast their main channel in high-definition and instead offering a full-scale third unique channel, even though their high-definition channels, 7mate and GEM, would feature a lot of vintage and standard-definition programming not designed or intended for high-definition viewing.  For viewers that had hoped to see their favourite prime-time programs or signature events like sporting telecasts in high-definition, it is a disappointment – although this scenario may only be an interim phase to allow more channels across their limited broadcast allotment until the complete shutdown of analogue television which may then allow the networks the opportunity to re-assess and potentially extend their digital channel offerings.

Network Ten announced in August last year that it would replace its standard-definition simulcast of One HD with an entertainment-focused channel, Eleven, to launch early in 2011.

With all this activity by the national and commercial broadcasters, the community TV sector was all but left out of the equation entirely.  Federal governments, both past and present, had denied the community TV sector access to the digital platform even though it had given various handouts and concessions to the national and commercial broadcasters – such as free broadcasting spectrum, infrastructure rebates and the commercial networks gaining a $250 million license rebate from the Federal Government.  It wasn’t until late 2009 that temporary broadcast capacity was granted to the community TV sector and relevant channels in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth are now broadcasting in digital.

Since early 2009 the Federal Government has commissioned a quarterly survey, Digital Tracker, to monitor the conversion rate of households to digital television.  The first Digital Tracker survey, covering the period January to March 2009, reported that 47 per cent of households Australia-wide had converted at least one television set to digital.  The most recent survey, covering the period June to September 2010, found that 75 per cent of households had made the switch to digital.

It has not been until 2010 that the first analogue shutdowns were implemented.  Mildura/Sunraysia was the first area to make the change from analogue transmission in June 2010, with regional South Australia following last month.  Regional Victoria and Queensland will follow during 2011, with all remaining areas scheduled to convert from analogue television by 31 December 2013.

Source: The Sunday Age, 24 December 2000. Sun Herald, 10 December 2000.  Sydney Morning Herald, 1 January 2001.

TV Week Logie Awards voting opens

It’s a new era for the TV Week Logie Awards as TV Week has today opened the voting for the 2011 awards presentation.

Traditionally, voting for the popularity-based categories starts in the new year and is conducted through both the TV Week website and in the printed publication. 

This year the public voting is being conducted entirely online via the TV Week website.

But despite obvious efforts to improve the online voting process compared to previous years – at least now we can see who we are being asked to choose from – there still appears to be some discrepancy or omissions from the nominations list.

A glance at the nominees list noted a few missing names, though this a far from being an extensive list:

Most Popular Actress: Janet Andrewartha (pictured. Neighbours) – who was also missing from last year’s list, Heidi Arena (The Librarians), Jane Badler (Neighbours), Rachael Blake (Hawke), Kate Box (Offspring), Danielle Cormack (Rake), Victoria Eagger (The Librarians), Kaarin Fairfax (Bed Of Roses), Alicia Gardiner (Offspring), Caroline Gillmer (Bed Of Roses), Rachel Griffiths (Rake), Jane Harber (Offspring), Sasha Horler (Rake, Hawke, Offspring), Kaiya Jones (Neighbours), Jordy Lucas (Neighbours), Heather Mitchell (Rake), Eve Morey (Neighbours), Nicole Nabout (The Librarians), Valentina Novakovic (Neighbours), Adrienne Pickering (Rake).

Most Popular Actor: Lliam Amor (Hawke), Stephen Ballantyne (The Librarians), Morgan Baker (Neighbours), Keith Brockett (The Librarians), Vince Colosimo (pictured. Wicked Love), Richard Davies (Offspring), Firass Dirani (Underbelly 3: The Golden Mile), Bob Franklin (The Librarians), Kim Gyngell (The Librarians), Kevin Hofbauer (Rush), Lachy Hulme (Offspring, The Librarians), Josh Lawson (Hawke), Geoff Morrell (Rake),  Erin Mullally (Neighbours), Eddie Perfect (Offspring), Jordan Smith (Neighbours), Matthew Werkmeister (Neighbours), Sandy Winton (Neighbours), Felix Williamson (Hawke).

Most Popular Presenter: Paul Barry (Media Watch), Peter Evans (My Kitchen Rules), Peter Everett (Ready Steady Cook), Manu Feildel (My Kitchen Rules), Julie Goodwin (Home Cooked), Andrew Hansen (Strictly Speaking). Peter Helliar (The Bounce), Jonathan Holmes (Media Watch), Amanda Keller (Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation), James O’Loghlin (The New Inventors), Sandra Sully (pictured. Ten News), Peter Thompson (Talking Heads), Josh Thomas (Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation), Bill Woods (Thursday Night Live).

Some of the names listed above do appear, however, in the Most Popular New Talent category – seemingly implying that any new talent nominee is ineligible for any of the above categories.  A curious, and possibly new, condition given some have been in very prominent roles or have given exceptional performances.

Some inconsistencies also appear – Poh Ling Yeow (Poh’s Kitchen)qualifies for the Most Popular Presenter vote as well as Most Popular New Talent, although Julie Goodwin (Home Cooked) only qualifies for the latter.  Spicks And Specks team captains Adam Brough and Myf Warhurst qualify for Most Popular Presenter votes, but their equivalents at Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation, Josh Thomas and Amanda Keller, do not.  Generation’s Charlie Pickering qualifies for a vote based on his role as co-host on The 7PM Project.  The X Factor judges Guy Sebastian, Ronan Keating, Natalie Imbruglia and Kyle Sandilands all qualify for a vote, but their So You Think You Can Dance counterparts – Jason Coleman, Matt Lee and Bonnie Lythgoe – miss out.

While TV Week is possibly only listing names provided by the publicity agents of the networks (and looking at the lists above, it seems that ABC and Network Ten are being the most remiss), it is unfortunate that such omissions do occur or that some quality control over the list of names doesn’t seem to happen, even after such inconsistencies with the nominees list have been occurring for some years.  And while column space might have been limiting in the print edition, causing some names to not be included, now with online voting there is more space allowed to include a more comprehensive list of names.

On a more positive note, the award nominations this year do take into account community television for the first time.  While it is unlikely that these programs or presenters will walk away with a popular-voted award, the acknowledgement that they even exist is a positive one.

An industry-based panel will again judge contenders for the Most Outstanding award categories – including the Hall of Fame and the Graham Kennedy Award for Most Outstanding New Talent.

Online voting for the popularity-based categories closes 20 February 2011 and the 53rd annual TV Week Logie Awards will take place on 1 May 2011.

C31 switches on digital transmission

Melbourne community TV station C31 tomorrow flicks the switch on its new digital transmission.

A two-week test transmission begins at 9.00am tomorrow with the official digital launch on 11 June.

The launch of digital transmission for C31 is the result of a lengthy battle to gain broadcasting spectrum while the national and commercial broadcasters were handed broadcasting spectrum free of charge.

C31 was granted funding of $660,000 from the Federal Government and $350,000 from the State Government to assist its transition to digital.  The station also ran a subscriberthon to raise additional funds to support the digital switch.

C31’s digital launch follows Sydney’s TVS and Perth’s new WTV onto the digital platform, while Brisbane’s QCTV31 is expected to commence digital transmission next month.

WTV launches in Perth

Yesterday saw the launch of Perth’s new community television station, WTV.

The new channel launched at 10.00am (WST) after ten days of test transmissions.

WTV, broadcasting solely on the digital platform, is replacing the former Access 31 which closed transmission in 2008 after financial assistance for the station was withdrawn.

WTV can be found in Perth by tuning to digital channel 44 or manual tuning to UHF 32.  They are also online and on Facebook.

C31 seeking dollars for digital

While the Community TV sector was successful (finally!) in gaining access to Digital Television, now comes the hard part where they have to now make the actual transition.

So while Melbourne’s C31 acknowledges that it received a donation from the Federal Government to help facilitate its move to digital, they claim it is not enough, so is calling on the wider community to get behind their community TV station and become a subscriber via their website.

Subscriptions for community media are nothing unusual – radio stations have lived on subscriptions for years and C31 in its early days also ran on subscriber funds but these days rely predominantly on program sponsors. 

C31 is offering a three-tiered subscription structure – offering subscriptions of $31, $75 or $100 for one year – where members will receive quarterly updates on the station’s activities and programs as well as the knowledge that they are helping C31 make the long-awaited move to digital transmission which should give the station a clearer reception across Melbourne and increase the station’s potential audience as more viewers switch to digital televisions and tuners.

While C31 is preparing to upgrade to digital, its Sydney counterpart, TVS, is already up and running with a digital signal on UHF 29 (digital channel 44).

And it’s not only the community stations getting government assistance, regional commercial network WIN is also putting its hand out for government money to assist in its digital transition in regional areas of South Australia and Western Australia.  The network, owned by Bermuda-based billionaire Bruce Gordon (pictured), is currently faced with the task of upgrading transmission facilities in both states – amounting to over 200 transmission sites – as it races to meet the analogue shutdown dates set down by the Government.

In Western Australia, WIN’s regional network covers the entire state, outside of Perth, via satellite and terrestrial transmission with a mix of Nine and Ten network programming.  WIN’s regional South Australian operation comprises SES8 Mt Gambier and RTS5A Riverland, with both stations broadcasting the Seven Network on their primary service and a relay of the Ten Network on a secondary signal. 

WIN also owns Nine Network stations NWS9 Adelaide and STW9 Perth.

Source: C31, AdelaideNow

Going to party like it’s 1990…

Each week for the past two years we’ve been documenting the events of Australian TV during the corresponding week of thirty years ago – 1978 and 1979 – as reported in TV Times magazine.

Now, sadly, we have to bring that sequence of posts to an end as we do not have a weekly archive of TV Times beyond the close of 1979 – and, indeed, the magazine title itself became obsolete in August 1980 when it was merged with rival magazine TV Week.

However, we are able to ‘skip’ a decade and can bring you TV as it was in the corresponding week of 1990 – twenty years ago – as reported in TV Week.  This will start in the new year.

As we move into a new decade in the present day TV continues to come to terms with the new era of digital multi-channelling.  The year will see the continued presence, and possibly even the addition, of new channels under the Freeview banner.  2009 saw the introduction of One HD, SBS2, GO!, 7TWO and ABC3, and there could be more to follow.  Freeview will also continue to be challenged by Foxtel’s “next generation” offering.  The year will also see community TV allowed its first steps in digital broadcasting, having waited and campaigned for many years for access to digital broadcasting spectrum, and Mildura will witness Australia’s first phase-out of analogue television signals.

The year will see the return of Masterchef Australia – will it maintain the public’s attention in 2010 as it did in 2009? – and more of Hey Hey It’s Saturday after its two reunion specials garnered massive support in 2009.  There will be no more Rove but we may see a greater presence from Shaun Micallef, following the popularity of Talkin’ ‘Bout Your Generation.  The 7PM Project will continue to hope to gain stronger support – but how long will Ten pursue it?  There will be a third series in the Underbelly franchise, and Neighbours will celebrate its 25th anniversary. 

The TV Week Logie Awards could break with tradition and be held in Queensland, and the year will also include the Commonwealth Games, from Delhi, India, and the Winter Olympics, from Vancouver, Canada.

The new year also marks a new era in the reporting of ratings data as, for the first time, viewing by time-shifted means (e.g. viewing of programs recorded by devices such as VCRs, PVRs, etc.) will be tallied along with programs that are viewed ‘live’ to air.

The year 2010 will also mark the 50th anniversary of ABC channels ABS2 Adelaide, ABT2 Hobart and ABW2 Perth, as well as commercial station TVT6 Hobart (now a branch of WIN Television).  SBS will celebrate its 30th anniversary later in the year and aggregation of Regional Queensland television will be 20 years old from the end of 2010.

And 2010 will mark ten years since the website Television.AU was established.

Rove calls it a day

In opening last night’s season finale for Rove, host Rove McManus announced that he is winding up the show after ten years on air:

“It was a difficult call to make but after ten years it felt like time to step away from the show and take a break to properly reflect on what I want to do next as a performer.

“The relationship with David Mott (chief programming officer) and the team at Ten has given us the space to make a show that we are extremely proud of over the last ten years. It is more opportunity than most will ever get.  I thank them for their support and hope they have enjoyed the ride as much as I have.”

After hosting a talk show, The Loft, on Melbourne’s Channel 31, McManus made his network television debut in 1999, hosting a late-night comedy show on the Nine Network, Rove, with an ensemble cast of Peter Helliar, Corrine Grant and Dave Callan.  Nine declined to extend the show after its initial ten-week run and almost a year later Network Ten had announced it was taking on the show and moving it into prime time.

The slightly re-titled Rove Live initially appeared on Monday nights before settling into Tuesdays at 9.30pm.  The show filled a void for live light entertainment on TV, a gap noticeable since the demise of Hey Hey It’s Saturday in 1999.

Rove Live continued until late-2006, when McManus’ wife Belinda Emmett passed away after a lengthy battle with cancer.  McManus then took a six-month break from television, even contemplating whether or not to return.  But in April 2007 he did return the show, back to its original title Rove, and moved to the competitive Sunday 8.30pm timeslot.  Although the timeslot change initially saw an improvement in the show’s ratings, Rove did eventually suffer from an ever-changing start time, often due to the varying end times for shows like Big Brother and Australian Idol.

The success of Rove led to McManus’ company Roving Enterprises producing a number of other programs for Network Ten – Skithouse, Before The Game, Hamish And Andy specials, Real Stories, ARIA Awards, The 7PM Project and an Australian adaptation of Are You Smarter Than A 5th Grader?

Rove has picked up three TV Week Gold Logies and has also co-hosted the Logie Awards.  He also appeared as a commentator on The Sydney Gay And Lesbian Mardi Gras, guest hosted Good Morning Australia, co-hosted the 2005 telethon for the Asia Tsunami Relief in a unique joint telecast between networks Seven, Nine and Ten, and co-hosted Network Ten’s 40th anniversary special, Seriously 40, with Bert Newton.

McManus has also presented Rove from the US and also appeared as a guest on NBC’s The Tonight Show With Jay Leno.

Network Ten has announced that its relationship with Roving Enterprises will continue into 2010 with The 7PM Project and Before The Game.

Source: The Age, Rove Daily

Community TV gets a ticket to digital!

It has finally happened – the Government has taken some positive action in allowing the Community TV sector a transition to digital!

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy has announced that the Government will make available temporary capacity to allow Community TV channels the chance to broadcast on the digital platform.

The Government will also commit $2.6 million to aid the Community TV broadcasters in the transition. 

This is on the back of various handouts and concessions, including free broadcast spectrum, given to the national and commercial broadcasters since the transition to digital television began almost a decade ago.  It is also following the Government’s promise to assist the community radio sector in its transition to digital broadcasting.

The Senator also took the opportunity to take a political stab at the former Howard Government:

“Unlike the previous government, the Rudd Government greatly values the role of community television. It provides hundreds of hours of truly local content every month, and reaches more than a million viewers each week.”

Despite this it has still taken the Rudd Government two years, a number of promises and a lack of budget and public support for Community TV, coupled with a fairly consistent campaign by the Australian Community Television Alliance (representing TVS Sydney, C31 Melbourne, QCTV Brisbane, C31 Adelaide and a planned channel for Perth), to come to what is really only promised as a temporary solution.

The relevant channels will be assigned broadcast spectrum previously set aside for data-casting services which have, until now, yet to be utilised.

The Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide channels will now be able to simulcast in both analogue and digital in the lead-up to the switch-off of analogue services, scheduled for completion by 31 December 2013.

The new channel in Perth, which will replace the now-defunct Access 31, will operate from 2010 on a digital-only basis.  In the latest government Digital Tracker survey, Perth is the capital city with the second highest rate of conversion to digital TV, with 60 per cent of households now converted to digital.  (Darwin is the highest with 68 per cent)

Source: DBCDE, TVS

TVS extends digital plea

Sydney community TV channel TVS has campaigned the Prime Minister for access to the digital television platform.

The DVD campaign, fronted by TVS presenter Joy Hruby and fans of her long-running program Joy’s World, makes the plea: "We just want TVS to be given the same opportunity as the others.  All the other channels have been given digital spectrum except ours."

TVS chief Laurie Patton said that despite the Government’s campaign strategy to move viewers across to digital TV, “Community Television remains marooned on analogue."

"Every time another household does as the Government asks and buys a new digital TV or a digital set top box they potentially lose the ability to watch their Community channel,"

"Community TV programming is targeted at audience groups that are under-served by the other free-to-air channels.  The sector provides access for special interest groups, multicultural communities and social networks that are not well catered for by the mainstream media."

The plea to Prime Minister Kevin Rudd comes after Melbourne’s C31 asked the PM for a ‘fair go’ in allowing the community broadcasters equal access to digital television spectrum as its commercial and national counterparts.

Source: TVS

C31 steps up digital plea

Community TV continues its plea to the Government to allow it a defined migration path to digital transmission. Melbourne’s C31 has stepped up its campaign for digital with a new slogan - ‘Fair Go, Kev!’.

The slogan (pictured) is now broadcast around the clock as a watermark in place of the station’s logo across all programming. It is a simple plea to prime minister Kevin Rudd following the recent budget announcement that, once again, denied the Community TV sector an invitation to move to digital TV – while ABC and SBS both received boosting to their finances to fund their digital initiatives and $140 million was set aside to assist regional communities in moving to digital TV. But nothing has been promised for digital TV other than an earlier vague statement from communications minister Senator Stephen Conroy that Community TV ‘would not be left behind.’

Curiously, the Budget has made financial commitments to fund and support the community radio sector’s transition to digital which is still barely in the start-up stage with only a few capital cities currently receiving digital radio. Digital TV, on the other hand, is now into its ninth year in the major capital cities and reaching a point where almost half of all households in these cities have converted to digital and, possibly, many have lost access to their local community TV channel which is stuck on analogue.

In a press release, published on their website just after the announcement of the Federal Budget, station manager Greg Rees argues that Community TV provides invaluable diversity of content, industry training and marketing and that there is sufficient spectrum available right now to allow them immediate access to digital transmission – and that C31 is essentially ready to go to digital: “the cost associated with upgrading our facilities to broadcast in digital are, relatively speaking, miniscule.”

In a recent article published on Crikey, Rees estimated that only $2 million would be needed to convert C31 to digital transmission with an ongoing annual cost of $120,000 to simulcast with analogue. This compares to the sum of around $250 million that the Government is allowing in concessions to regional commercial broadcasters. The Government has also allowed free access to all commercial and national broadcasters to digital broadcast frequencies and unlimited simulcast with analogue in the lead-up to the phased shutdown of analogue services.

Source: C31

Community TV not invited to the budget party

Tonight’s announcement of the Federal Budget for 2009-10 has promised a windfall for our national broadcasters, ABC and SBS, but the community TV sector – again – appears to have been left out in the cold.

ABC has been allowed an additional $151.7 million in its budget allocation to fund the launch of its new children’s channel, ABC3, and to increase Australian content, particularly drama.  ABC will also receive some additional funding to support the development of online content in regional areas.

SBS has been given an additional $20 million over three years to boost Australian content.  This is despite the broadcaster asking for an additional $70 million to fund programming initiatives and a new channel to replace the digital World News Channel.  Regardless, SBS appears to be moving ahead with its new channel, SBS2, to launch next month.

The Government has also promised $140 million to assist regional communities in the transition to digital television.

However, the community TV sector – surely, the most financially-starved of all broadcasters – has been omitted from tonight’s budget promises.  This is despite past assurances by Senator Stephen Conroy that community TV will be looked after in the transition to digital transmission.

So far, both previous and current governments have done little to assist or support community TV in migrating to digital – despite the national and commercial broadcasters being given assistance in funding, infrastructure and broadcast spectrum – and have also been allowed to simulcast in both analogue and digital to allow viewers time to make the move to digital equipment before analogue transmissions are shut down across Australia between 2010 and 2013.

Recent news reports indicate that 43 per cent of capital city households have already made the transition to digital television – and, potentially, just as many households are now without access to community television.

Over eight years since the launch of digital television in Australia, Community Television continues to be restricted to analogue-only transmission with no confirmed migration path to digital.  The only concession allowed to the community channels to date has been the inclusion of the community channels in the to-be-launched Electronic Program Guide (EPG) as part of the Freeview platform. 

The Australian Community Television Alliance, representing TVS Sydney, C31 Melbourne, C31 Adelaide and QCTV Brisbane, has already called for an urgent meeting with communications minister Senator Stephen Conroy to discuss the budget developments.

Source: The Age, Senator Stephen Conroy, TV Tonight, Australian Community Television Alliance

NITV goes to Sydney

Australia's national indigenous broadcaster, National Indigenous Television (NITV), is expanding its coverage by gaining access to Sydney's Digital 44 free-to-air service.

NITV commenced operation in July last year, initially broadcasting via the Optus Aurora satellite and re-transmitted through the facilities of Imparja Television in remote areas.  The channel is also available via Foxtel, Optus, Austar, Neighbourhood Cable and TransACT pay-TV platforms and even via the in-house television system at Parliament House in Canberra.  The expansion to Digital 44 marks the broadcaster's first free-to-air transmission in a capital city, adding to the 150 transmission sites already in operation in remote and regional communities.

As the name implies, NITV provides programming made by, and aimed at, Australia's indigenous communities, including children's programs, documentaries, drama, music, entertainment, news and current affairs.

Earlier this year NITV's sports program, Marngrook Footy Show, won Best Sports Program at the Antenna Awards in Melbourne, and NITV and SBS were broadcast partners for the Deadly Awards held at the Sydney Opera House earlier this month.  NITV was also a sponsor at this year's St Kilda Film Festival in Melbourne.

NITV has also joined with international broadcasters including Maori Television New Zealand, S4C Wales, SABC South Africa, BBC Scotland, APTN Canada, Taiwan Indigenous Network, TG4 Ireland and Australia's SBS, to form the World Indigenous Broadcast Network, giving NITV programs the potential to be given a global audience.

Digital 44 is a datacasting service operating on an extended trial basis in Sydney.  The service is not allowed to provide mainstream television but carries a number of niche or narrowcast channels including Expo Channel, Australian Christian Channel, news and weather reports (ABC), parliamentary broadcasts and NSW government information.

 

Source: NITV

Stop the digital TV discrimination!

Not only did ABC announce the upcoming launch of its new ABC News Breakfast venture for ABC2, but also press reports last week indicated that the commercial networks appear to be putting in some planning and acquiring programming for their new standard-definition digital channels that they are permitted to launch from 1 January 2009.

But, while it is great to see our national broadcaster and commercial networks embracing their digital future, the community TV sector continues to be left wanting for a piece of the digital pie.

Both past and present governments have done little to ensure community TV has a migration path to digital transmission - while our national and commercial broadcasters have had access to free digital spectrum, allowed to run in parallel to their analogue frequencies, plus other concessions and incentives to roll-out digital transmission sites in order to fulfil the Government's digital transition strategy.

The plight of Perth's Access 31, which has now since ceased operation, is a reminder that without a licence to broadcast in digital, the community TV sector risks losing its relevance in the market and, therefore, its financial sustainability as it will struggle to find sponsorship funds when its viewer base is being eroded - particularly as the market penetration of digital tuners is on the increase and will continue to do so as ABC, SBS and commercial operators ramp up their digital offerings.

What can you or I do to help? Tell the Government what community TV means to you, that you support its transition to digital and that the Government provides the technical (ie. digital spectrum) and financial means to do so.

Write to Senator Stephen Conroy, Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

Write to the Prime Minister, Kevin Rudd.

Contact your local community television station for more information:

C31 Melbourne
TVS Sydney
QCTV Brisbane
C31 Adelaide

Disclaimer: I write this article only as a digital TV viewer who has effectively lost access to viewing my local Channel 31*. I have no connection or affiliation to any community TV group so the views expressed here are my own and not intended to represent those of any community TV organisation.

* and yes, I am aware that there are steps to be taken to essentially have the analogue signal 'bypass' the digital set-top-box connection to my TV set. It is not a practical solution in this instance.

Access denied?

A month ago it seemed that there could be a future for ailing community TV channel Access 31, but today the station is now no more.

Station chief Andrew Brine had resigned from the station earlier this week but as recently as yesterday was quoted in the press saying that he felt the station still had potential.  Today it is off the air.

From this afternoon, Access 31 has ceased all program transmission and in its place is a simple caption:

"18th June 1999 - 6th August 2008.  Access 31 thanks all our loyal viewers, sponsors and program providers for your support."

The channel was offered a financial lifeline last month with an offer of $500,000 from a local Perth businessman Gary Baverstock, plus $250,000 from LotteryWest, enough to keep the station afloat for another year, but both offers were seemingly withdrawn by today.

Source: WAToday, WAToday, TV Tonight
Related: TV's newest endangered species

TV's newest endangered species

The dire predicament that Perth community TV station Access 31 (pictured) has found itself in should serve as a warning to other community TV stations and the government whose inaction in protecting the sector in the wake of digital conversion continues to make it even more vulnerable.

Access 31, which began transmission in 1999, is facing a $5 million funding shortfall and has called on the Federal Government for assistance.  If it fails to gain extra funding, the station will be forced to close at the end of this month.

Access 31 chief Andrew Brine said the lack of funding support is linked to declining audiences due to the community TV stations not being allowed to broadcast in digital: "digital take up in Australia is now at 42 per cent and we've been basically shut out of the digital spectrum."

Andrew Carroll, manager of the Brisbane-based 31, said that the situation for other community stations is not going to improve unless the Government steps in, "we are operating comfortably at the present time, but if we continue to lose audience share because of government decision making, well then it's going to be very difficult for us to survive."

Community TV stations are willing - and in most cases, already technically able - to move to digital transmission.  However, the previous and current governments have made little effort to assist the community TV stations in migrating to digital, most notably the resistance to offer digital spectrum, while commercial operators are given concessions such as rebates and free digital spectrum to allow long-term simulcast on both analogue and digital platforms. 

The Government's continuing denial to allow community TV access to digital transmission and leaving them to find their own path to digital via other media only continues to threaten the stations' relevance in the communities which they are licenced to serve.

More @ ABC News, ABC News, PerthNow, Televised Revolution, TV Tonight,

It must be awards season...

The TV Week Logie Awards are now just a week away (has everyone made their last-minute vote for the 'Race for Gold'?).

The Fugly Awards are also down to the last week of voting while they figure out how they're going to present them this Friday 2 May.

Last week saw pay-TV's annual awards, The ASTRAs, handed out to their favourite shows and presenters, and the MTV Australia Awards did their bit for the music industry with a few TV awards thrown in.

And from tonight, Sunday, it's the turn of the community TV sector to present its annual accolades with the Antenna Awards.

This year's Antennas were actually handed out in a presentation last Thursday night in Melbourne, but the event is being broadcast on the various Channel 31's at various times from tonight.

Melbourne: C31 (pictured), Tonight/Sunday 27 April, 7.30pm

Perth: Access 31, Tonight/Sunday 27 April, 7.30pm

Brisbane: 31, Sunday 4 May, 7.30pm

Sydney: TVS, Sunday 4 May, 7.30pm

Nominations for the Antennas are submitted from all over Australia.  The winners are decided by an appointed panel of judges in the following categories:

Best Indigenous Program
Best News or Current Affair Program
Best Camera Work
Best Editing
Best Program that supports New and Emerging Communties
Best Music Program
Best Theme Music Composition
Best Young Persons Program
Best Live or Outside Broadcast
Best Lifestyle Program
Best Comedy Program
Best Interview Show
Best Sound
Best Sports Program
Best Special Presentation
Best Arts Program
Best CALD Program
Best Female Presenter
Best Male Presenter
Best Director
Producer of the Year
Best Program