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Freeview EPG set to launch

Freeview is expected to unveil a new electronic program guide tonight.

Updated: It appears The Australian’s tip of an EPG launch was a little premature. The launch is the marketing campaign only.

Freeview is expected to unveil a new electronic program guide tonight.

Managed by the free to air broadcasters, Freeview will drive the switch to digital television under a single umbrella.

The new EPG prompted Foxtel to improve its guide by extending the available program information to 14 days.

Robin Parkes, currently the chief operating officer of law firm Thomson Playford Cutlers, is to be announced as its first general manager, says The Australian.

The ABC’s Kim Dalton said Ms Parkes was mainly chosen for her marketing skills, as Freeview’s prime function was to market and establish the terrestrial digital free-to-air platform ahead of the switch-off of analogue TV signals in 2013.

Julie Flynn, the chief executive of Free TV Australia (which represents the commercial TV networks), has told a Senate hearing TV networks will soon begin investing heavily in promoting Freeview on air.

It is likely $50 million to $60 million a year worth of air time will be allocated over the next two years “in prime time and at other times during the day on all five networks”, she said.

The ABC has its ABC2 digital multi-channel, and Channel Ten its ONE sports-only multi-channel set to launch next year, but Mr Dalton did not expect the Seven and Nine networks to reveal their multi-channel plans tonight.

“The timing is entirely up to them and I await with interest to see what they will do,” he said.

Source: The Australian

Press Release:
Robin Parkes, Chief Operating Officer of Sydney law firm Thomson Playford Cutlers, has been
appointed to one of the most prestigious positions in the media – running the Freeview consortium to
promote digital television for Australia’s free-to-air networks.

Freeview, which comprises all of Australia’s major free-to-air networks ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine and
Ten, WIN, Prime Media and Southern Cross, today announced that Ms Parkes will become its
inaugural Chief Executive Officer.

The appointment comes ahead of the historic gathering of CEOs and Network Heads representing
both commercial and public broadcasters in Canberra on Monday night, November 24, for the launch
of the Freeview brand. When the networks start broadcasting additional channels next year, Freeview
will be offering at least 15 channels.

Guest of honour at the launch will be the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital
Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.

Ms Parkes comes to the powerful Freeview consortium with a strong commercial and managerial
background and a wealth of experience in marketing, advertising, research, accounting and banking.
“I’m thrilled to be joining Freeview at such an exciting time and I am enthusiastic about working with
the board and the Freeview team to make this digital service a huge success with viewers,” she said.

“More than 14 million Australians watch free-to-air television every day and Freeview will be giving
them more choice, more content and more channels.

“I relish the challenge of promoting digital channels for free viewing as Australia prepares for the
switchover from analogue transmission by 2013.”

As a non-lawyer, the appointment of Ms Parkes to Thomson Playford Cutlers was exceptional,
reflecting high regard for her business acumen and strategic planning skills.

Prior to joining Thomson Playford Cutlers, Ms Parkes, who has an MBA, spent four years with the STW
communications group in varied roles the last being General Manager of Ogilvy Action.

About Freeview
Freeview Australia Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation comprising Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters; the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC), Special Broadcasting Service (SBS), Seven Network Limited, Nine Network Australia Pty Limited, Network Ten Pty Limited, WIN Corporation Limited, Prime Media Group Limited and Southern Cross Broadcasting (Australia) Pty Limited. Freeview was formed to assist in the promotion of digital television in Australia and enable access to the very best quality free-to-view digital programming.

10 Responses

  1. You will not need a Freeview labeled STB/PVR/TV to view the channels, they are just normal digital channels (DVB).

    *If* they do some non EIT EPG you may not see that depending on what your device supports.

  2. They’re pretty light on detail, they must have got the people who write Nine’s EPG to do the media strategy.

    Freeview will *probably* require a particular STB as they do in the UK. The FreeTV people haven’t been especially bright so far, so I see no need to get your hopes up.

    However, as long as it’s cheaper than the hobbled TiVo, I’m in.

  3. Hope its good. At the moment I use IceTV, for my Tofield TFHD7000PVRT. It does not uspport the cool features of IceTV, but at least I get a full 7 Day guide.
    I really didnt take much notice of the FreeView system in UK.

    So does this mean, anyone with a recently purchased PVR will get FreeView guides on their box tonight?

  4. Yeah, and the FTA 7-day OTA EPG has been such a raging success so far…

    SBS only ever has 1 program in advance; Nine is lucky to have 3 days in advance. ABC and ABC2 vary in their performance.

    Only 7 and Ten seem to have their OTA EPGs working correctly.

    Now if only they’d all *Stick to the times they advertise*!!!

  5. I just hope this new EPG isn’t in the format used in the UK’s Freeview system. That uses MHEG, as far as I am aware, which would mean that precisely zero STBs and PVRs support it here.

    A full all-channels-on-all-channels EPG is possible within the current system (EIT).

    Of course, this is something the commercial channels could have done back in 2001 if they’d really wanted to. Thanks to them, my year-old $3000 TV has an EPG button that responds with “Feature not available on this model” – Sony didn’t bother with EPG functionality for Australia because when the TV’s digital tuner for Australia was designed, there was no EPG and no possibility of one ever happening.

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