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Freeview in planning freefall

The Simpsons on Nine? Whaaaaat?

Plans by commercial free-to-air TV networks next year for digital channels on the Freeview platform are up in the air with Network TEN reportedly having a change of heart to “share programming” with Nine and Seven.

Under a bizarre “joint venture proposal”, each of the new multi-channels would be based on distinctly different themes agreed by the networks: sport on TEN, entertainment on Nine and lifestyle on Seven.

According to The Australian, the three networks could share non-first-run or unused programming on the new digital channels.

One network source says: “An umpteenth repeat of The Simpsons could go from TEN to Nine’s new multi-channel as part of its general entertainment offering. Or some sport from Seven or Nine could go to TEN on a second-run basis.”

But TEN appeared to be re-thinking its position.

One source says: “TEN appeared to be saying that it knew what it wanted to do with the multi-channel and what it wanted to give its viewers. The TEN people seemed to be saying the joint venture concept was confusing them.”

ABC and SBS are also party to the Freeview body. The new multi-channel offerings could be completed by a new children’s channel offering by the ABC. Earlier this month, at a national press club lunch, ABC managing director Mark Scott said: “Next year, there are likely to be 15 free-to-air digital channels in Australia as we move to analog switch-off. One should be an ABC children’s channel.”

While networks will be allowed to broadcast one new standard definition channel with separate programming from January 1st, Freeview is likely to be in the second quarter of next year.

Source: The Australian.

21 Responses

  1. out of the 15 channels i think 7 will fair the best and the ratings wont change. After all it is only one new channel each but i hope someone runs a Movie Channel.

  2. What a potential mess.

    Shows me again that Aussies cannot be trusted to set up and run complex techological infrastructure. We should just stick to mining, sport, war, droving cattle, and drinking beer.

    The UK model works because the Brits are better at this than we are.

  3. what after the very bad hd launch the 3 new sd channels IS going to a very bad sd launch come on networks we know you really dont want to launch new sd channels but you have to its simple DO IT RIGHT THIS TIME ITS THAT SIMPLE

  4. The simple solution would be to offer a companion FTA satellite add-on service, with each of the 5 major networks offering one or two extra channels exclusively on satellite, pref. via the GlobeCast platform on Optus D2 as there are already lots of free channels on this particular platform (including 3 international news channels in English, the rest being mainly ethnic and religious programming); in fact, GlobeCast could even be included in the Freeview partnership for that purpose. This would make the package more attractive and encourage more take-up of digital satellite/terrestrial combo units. The satellite-only channels by the 5 major networks could then be used for the more popular niches – e.g., Nine could offer a children’s/family channel (i.e., kids’ show in the daytime, broader family-appeal shows in the evenings), Ten could offer a FTA rival to Fox Classics and Seven could offer an all-Australian drama/documentary channel (the other niches that Seven are good at beside home-life programming). The regional players could also contribute at least one extra channel themselves; this would suit Imparja’s game-plan quite well because NITV is already in the clear over on Optus Aurora and if they could also offer it in a Freeview satellite add-on package all the better. Plus, Foxtel/Austar could let some of its starter-package channels join in such as the Australian Christian Channel, Aurora TV, TVSN, Expo Channel and even Sky News and The Weather Channel (without the interactivity).

  5. Well its bizarre for three companies to make such a deal but it isnt that strange for a channel to be entirely dedicated to one theme 😛
    This kinda reminds me of that cable brew-haha in the US back in the mid nineties…..

  6. I’ve said elsewhere in the past that I think the commercial networks should specialise on their additional multichannels, so it’s good that they are finally realising that trying to duplicate their existing formats is a bad idea and will only dilute the market they are trying to build (or at least retain).

    Seven is well placed to do lifestyle, I can’t remember what I thought Nine should do, but Ten should go with a music channel along the lines of TMF. This is a natural fit for Ten’s younger demograph, and it could all be automated with requests via SMS and 1902 numbers paying for it all.

  7. These networks that are supposedly going to all work in harmony with each other are the same ones apparently squabbling over Karl Stefanovic? 🙂 Yeah i can this freeview thing going reeeeeeeeealy well 😛

  8. going back to what coops is saying.

    freeview in the UK works very well, all of the 4 main channels (BBC, ITV, C4 & five) have launched successful channels on UK freeview, and Aus TV has made a start on this, with channels like ABC 2 (possibly the ABC kids channel) & TEN HD looking alot more like TEN.2

    Plus im pretty sure Aussie freeview will launch with HD.

  9. This sounds disastrous!! The free-to-air networks in Australia just don’t seem to grasp the concept of multi-channeling at all. Do us all a favour: brand your second channels similar to the UK ie TEN 2/Nine 2/Seven 2 etc and show programs that don’t rate as well on the main channel in prime-time. Target different demographics if you like, but save the niche branding a whole channel until the third channel eg BBC Three has more of a comedy brand.

    TEN definitely seem to have drawn the short straw here – showing sports no one watches (NFL, netball) and re-runs of sports from other networks (once the result’s known, not many care!). Also, the free-to-air networks aren’t renowned for their cooperation with each other. What happens when Seven won’t let Ten air a re-run of an AFL match or Nine won’t let them screen an NRL match??

    PLEASE Australian networks – get Freeview right. The British Freeview system works well, so why deviate from it??

  10. It makes no sense whatsoever.7shows should be on 7 ect ect. Thats why I watch specific channels FOR THAT SHOW. I don’t want to think “I want to watch DWTS. Its normally on 7,let me think it’s light entertainment so it will be on 9”.
    Maybe i’m being a tad dramatic?

  11. I can see where they are going with this. Its like Pay-TV. Where they have a Sports, Entertainment, Lifestyle, Comedy, International, Childrens channel and stuff. I get it, and think it has possibilities, but not for free TV in Australia. I think a lot of us like the idea that we have limited things to choose from… it means less thinking…

  12. LOL Ten comes off as the confused kid of the class in this whole debacle. If these channels ever do get established, I’d probably watch Nine’s channel over Seven’s factual series and Ten’s televised sports

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