Community TV plans week of action as deadline looms
"Time is running out." CTV broadcasters are planning to step up their campaign to remain on air.
- Published by David Knox
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Community TV broadcasters are planning to step up their campaign to remain on air beyond a December 31 switch-off, with a “Week of Action” next week.
19,000 supporters have signed up to the Commit to Community TV website which is pushing for Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull to extend the deadline which would see them lose broadcast spectrum. Turnbull wants them to move to an online model, but CTV broadcasters have asked for more time for their business models.
“Although providing metropolitan coverage, CTV services are NOT using the sixth channel allocation in any of the capital cities. It is therefore not necessary for CTV to vacate its current spectrum allocation in order for these trials to proceed,” they claim.
“In fact if CTV does vacate the spectrum at the end of the year, our channel will remain unused for a number of years.”
CTV broadcasters are seeking an extension to 2019, the same date as the ACMA licenses held by three permanent broadcasters in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
“Community TV stations have undertaken a thorough process of due diligence and research into the steps required to successfully transition its key stakeholders – participants, content producers, sponsors and viewers – from a free to air broadcast model to an online model of delivery. Unsurprisingly it shows that the task is a Mount Everest of a challenge.
“Denying CTV a renewal of an Apparatus (transmitter) Licence leaves the sector stranded – the CTV operators will have a BSA Licence to operate a Community TV station but will not have the required licence to operate the transmitter to broadcast their signal!”
Malcolm Turnbull has previously noted, “The internet is a natural fit for CTV’s ‘open access’ function” and says “small audience figures suggest that CTV is not contributing significantly to the diversity of media services for local communities.”
But community broadcasters point towards their legacy of training and unearthing talent such as Rove McManus, Hamish and Andy and production crew. They have also welcomed the latest report from FreeTV Australia which indicates 81% of people watch free-to-air television daily. In the same report commercial broadcasters call on the government to discontinue license fees for use of spectrum.
It’s not yet clear what comprises the Week of Action but you can support their campaign here.
8 Responses
With streaming services gaining strength and some bringing 4K picture quality (if your Broadband allows) the CTV devotees will hope that it’s offerings will maintain a suitable audience to justify it’s existence. But wasted channels are also a consideration for Networks as well, the HDTV channels are badly used especially by the ABC, there does not seem to be much vision for the future unless dragged along by forced competition such as Netflix, which is not up to US standard anyway in Australia.
“4K picture quality” – Ha! I’d settle for an ADSL connection 20 minutes from the Wollongong CBD. The HDTV channels are used as they are allowed to be used – as secondary channels, not the primary channels. 1950s B&W 4:3 movies using grainy, grubby prints is a waste of GEM.
With streaming services gaining strength and some bringing A4K picture quality (if your Broadband allows) the CTV devotees will continue will hope that it’s offerings will maintain a suitable audience to justify it’s existence. But wasted channels are also a consideration for Networks as well, the HDTV channels are badly used especially by the ABC, there does not seem to be much vision for the future unless dragged along by forced competition such as Netflix, which is not up to US standard anyway in Australia.
I wish CTV luck in their campaign but the Libs are a hard-hearted lot. Since gaining office they’ve had so many policy back-flips and out-of-left-field “captain’s call” decisions that there’s always hope. MT is right in suggesting that the Internet is the best place for niche broadcasters but only if the “digital highway” reaches everybody, isn’t a toll road and it doesn’t turn into a dirt road to a dead end. ATM terrestrial broadcasting is the most efficient way to reach the most viewers and isn’t “efficiency” the Govt’s aim?
IMO if not sold off to telco’s, the sixth channel would be for paid services like pay-tv in NZ. AFAIK the last time it was used was for 3D test transmissions.
“Although providing metropolitan coverage, CTV services are NOT using the sixth channel allocation in any of the capital cities. It is therefore not necessary for CTV to vacate its current spectrum allocation in order for these trials to proceed,” they claim.
What trials?
Turnbull’s statement was that the unallocated 6th channel would be needed for trials of new broadcasting standards (MPEG-4 was specifically mentioned, presumably using DVB-T2 rather than the current DVB-T standard), and Community TV would have to ‘make way’.
But community TV (with I think the exception of one translator in/near Melbourne?) don’t use, and have never used, the unallocated channel. The real reason would seem to be that the CTV allocation in the UHF band limits the amount of ‘digital dividend’ spectrum that can be sold off…
“Malcolm Turnbull has previously noted, “The internet is a natural fit for CTV’s ‘open access’ function” and says “small audience figures suggest that CTV is not contributing significantly to the diversity of media services for local communities.” – This is total crap! CTV’s best avenue to get its programmes out is via the standard FTA channels they currently occupy. The Internet is limited and only those with a computer can access this platform. Plus there’s a drawback in that the content shown on CTV via the internet is in the form of (mainly) You-Tube videos which draw on the data reserves of those accessing the station via the “net”. A fifty-odd minute clip could use up close to 100 Megabytes of data, even though the clip is not actually transferred to the user’s own hard-drive, but rather, streamed to the user. I’ve been watching material through Hunter TV but had to back…
This last bit of my reply was missing before I logged in. It sums up neatly why CTV should remain on the FTA channels.