Freeview unites networks
Seven, Nine, TEN, ABC and SBS have joined for a single campaign: the Freeview marketing push.
- Published by David Knox
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At 6:29pm tonight all free to air broadcasters momentarily united, in the first on air marketing announcement of the Freeview platform.
Including the public broadcasters, it was a rare moment of unity. It is the first time in Australian television history Seven, Nine, TEN, ABC and SBS have joined for a single campaign. Prime, WIN and Southern Cross are also part of the not-for-profit organisation.
The advertisement signals the beginning of a marketing campaign for the digital platform, set to launch in 2009.
Network CEOs have gathered at Parliament House in Canberra for the launch by Minister of Communications Stephen Conroy, along with well known faces from each network.
“Freeview is perhaps the most important thing to happen in Australian television since Bruce Gyngell made history back in 1956 with those three simple words, ‘Welcome to television’,” the ABC’s Kim Dalton said.
“Tonight’s event is historic because every free-to-air television network is represented. Our traditional rivalries have been suspended in the name of a shared vision, ensuring that every Australian is ready for the future of digital television.
Freeview will feature 15 channels, including those already on air, and an Electronic Programme Guide, at a date yet to be announced. Today’s announcement is purely the start of the marketing of Freeview (rumours of the EPG launching tonight are incorrect).
The Freeview website has now launched.
Press Release:
The digital television revolution moves a step closer tonight with all of the nation’s major free-to-air broadcasters uniting for the launch of the Freeview brand.
Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters reach more than 99% of Australian homes.
Freeview will offer viewers better picture quality and more program choices than ever – with access to 15 digital channels and an Electronic Program Guide on ABC, SBS, the Seven, Nine and Ten Networks, as well as regional broadcasters WIN, Prime Media and Southern Cross.
Network Heads and CEOs will gather in Canberra tonight with stars from every free-to-air channel to launch Freeview with the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.
At 6.29pm, viewers get their first taste of Freeview when a 60-second announcement promoting the next generation of free-to-view digital television goes to air on all networks around Australia.
This is the first time all of Australia’s free-to-air broadcasters, including the public broadcasters, have joined forces to pool resources for a major television campaign. It is a milestone in the drive for the take-up of digital television as Australia phases out analogue transmission, which is due to switch off in 2013.
As well as much more content being provided on the multi-channel digital platform, the Freeview Electronic Program Guide (EPG) will make it simple for viewers to find what they want to watch quickly and easily on every network.
In 2009, most Australian viewers will be able to receive five High Definition (HD) and 10 Standard Definition (SD) channels, making a total of 15 Freeview digital channels.
To receive all 15 Freeview channels, along with the Freeview EPG, households will be able to purchase digital set-top boxes to work with their existing analogue television sets. These boxes will be badged with the Freeview logo and available in stores next year.
Alternatively, people will be able to buy a Freeview branded integrated flat screen plasma or LCD digital television. In addition, a Freeview branded Digital Video Recorder will allow viewers to use the electronic program guide to record their favourite programs and watch them whenever they like.
Freeview is – and will remain – a free-to-view service. Once you have the digital equipment there is no contract and no subscription fees or ongoing costs.
The Chair of Freeview, Mr Kim Dalton, ABC Director of Television, says the new service will change the face of television while ensuring all Australians continue to enjoy the great range of programming offered by free-to-air networks.
“Freeview is perhaps the most important thing to happen in Australian television since Bruce Gyngell made history back in 1956 with those three simple words, ‘Welcome to television’,” Mr Dalton said.
“Tonight’s event is historic because every free-to-air television network is represented. Our traditional rivalries have been suspended in the name of a shared vision, ensuring that every Australian is ready for the future of digital television.
“The free-to-air broadcasters have pioneered digital television, investing millions in infrastructure and converting equipment and studios.
“Now it’s time for viewers to reap the rewards. Freeview will offer Australians more channels and more choice, better pictures and sound, an electronic program guide and all the other benefits that digital technology provides,” Mr Dalton said.
The Freeview consortium will be a major driver of digital television in Australia, with the free-to-air broadcasters collectively backing the venture with more than $50m worth of air-time over the next year.
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.
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- Tagged with ONE HD
64 Responses
I have a feeling once Analogue gets shut down, the HD channels will be (or become) the “main” channels, and the SD channels will be their lesser ones. So in the case of ONE HD, it will change to be the new Ten HD, and Ten’s sports will be relegated to SD along with a secondary Ten SD channel. That can’t happen soon enough.
Once analoge is gone, and the vast majority have HD boxes or TVs, it would be a huge waste to have the HD channels showing anything less than your best content.
I only thought of this recently. Where is the plans to try and get Community Television. I do like what is happening to help the transition easier. I just wonder when the Community Television when will be considered getting thier licence.
I saw this post yesterday and didn’t understand it. I still didn’t understand it until I read all of the comments. I actually saw the ad for Freeview after the weather and just took it as a normal commercial. I didn’t connect it with this post at all.
How much are these Freeview-branded set top boxes? I don’t have a set top box yet but want one and might as get a Freeview-branded one (as long as it’s not too expensive).
thanks for the answers david, so now the question becomes… will they keep broadcasting the EPG info in the current format as well? or will our equipment become useless when it comes to this function?
Many, many questions…… invariably with developments like this there are always more questions raised than answers provided to media.
TV Tonight had been chasing some of this information since the announcement of Freeview, which has prompted Freeview to respond.
Q. Will people who currently own a set-top box have to purchase a new updated set-top box to access Freeview? Or will they be able to access it using their current box?
A. Any High Definition set top box will be able to access all of the new digital channels. People who already own one will not need to buy a new one. However, only Freeview-branded set top boxes will be able to receive the Freeview Electronic Program Guide which displays all programming information in one format.
Q. Why is Imparja not aligned with Freeview?
A. Freeview was formed by all the major free to air networks. However, all digital free to air broadcasters will be able to have their program information provided to viewers as part of the Freeview EPG, including Imparja. Freeview is also happy to discuss possible membership of Freeview with any digital free to air broadcaster.
Great, I may now finally get to see the second eps of The Master.
Will Freeview allow us to skip the ads? Nooooooooooooooooooooooo.
Freeview Australia Ltd is a not-for-profit organisation – i thought Channel 9 were the major shareholders in it?
And one more comment re the EPG: Will 7, 9 and 10 start saying their shows start at 7.05, 7.35 and 8.35 – 8.40 as they usually do every weeknight as opposed to 7, 7.30, 8.30???
Central Coast and Gold Coast only have so many channels as they both have regional as well as capital city channels – which means you have 7 and Prime, 9 and NBN, and Ten and SC10. Only significant difference between Capital city programming and Regional is 7pm where you can watch ACA on NBN rather than 2.5 Men on 9. Other differences include the fact that regionals have extra infomercials during the day (instead of say 11am news or ET at 3pm).
As for FreeView, it is nothing more than a marketing buzz word. All the channles are there now, the networks just don’t do anything with them other than a few hours per day of unique HD programming. Any existing set top box will get the channels as well as any existing TV that receives digital. You can get them from $20 if you don’t care about HD. Boxes that can do HD you can get from $100 or so.
There would not be any change to the format in which these channels are broadcast so enough panic from people thinking they will need extra boxes!
i’m not really concerned about being able to recieve all the channels, i’m pretty sure i will, i already have a HD tv and this seems like just a branding excercise to make sure people can identify fully HD tvs in shops as opposed to ones that are “HD ready” and all the other brandings they use which sometimes only mean that it has HD picture quality and no HD tuner. they did already have a full HD logo with a tick to indicate this but people still get confused by all this, and as this is still confusing they will have to make ads saying don’t buy a new TV unless it has the freeview brand to ensure that the products will not disappoint, it does not seem like they will be producing their own equipment, just adding their branding to existing ones.
however i am concerned about the EPG, is it going to be an actual channel with scrolling information to replace 70, 99 and 11 that used to be for 7, 9 and 10 programming information? or is it going to be like the interactive ones that already exist on some equipment, because that already exists but the thing they are talking about is coming in 2009. will the new one replace the existing EPG information they send out or will they still continue the old one? my PVR already has a 7 day EPG and i program my recordings straight off it, my equipment automatically updates it’s own software so will i still be able to recieve this information and use my product as it was designed or will the new EPG require a new product?
Do with the content laws, 10 will still have to broadcast major sporting events, afl and so forth on the main channel right?
So it won’t be 10 removing sports from ten, it’ll be 10 often showing the same sporting event on all 3 channels. It could even lead to more sport as certain sports they may want to show on ONE would legally have to be shown on the main channel. Unless One will mainly be non live and not overly popular sports with the australian public.
At least until the digital switch over which is still a while away.
TenHD will be around until April, then it will be replaced by OneHD. They are sticking with MPEG-2 – you do not need to buy a new tv/set top box if you’re getting digital TV now. I’m guessing that 7SD and 9SD refer to the channels that they will be launching sometime next year. It says “In 2009, most Australian viewers will be able to receive five High Definition (HD) and 10 Standard Definition (SD) channels, making a total of 15 Freeview digital channels.” It doesn’t say when in 2009, so might not be until the end of the year for some networks.
Channels will be:
HD
ABCHD
SevenHD
NineHD
OneHD
SBSHD
SD
ABC1
ABC2
Seven
SevenSD – not sure what this is yet
Nine
NineSD – not sure what this is yet
Ten
OneSD
SBS1
SBS2 – not sure what this is yet
That makes 15. Also that doesn’t include ABC 3 and 4 that they want to launch (but aren’t allowed to due to government regulations). However if they did that they would need to turn off ABCHD.
Good that we don’t need a new set top box but when will these channels be nation wide, here in the Hervey Bay we are still waiting for 10HD and 9HD is pathetic at the moment. And 7 has made no announcement about what it’s doing with it’s second SD channel. So currently we get 8 FTA channels considering ABC and SBS HD are bother the same as their main SD channels.
I don’t think I’ll be chucking out my Austar box yet…
Same applies on the Gold Coast. I already get 17 channels.
Evan :->
Re: Grinspoon’s comment..
No, it doesn’t make any sense to drop quality HD programs for sport. I’m not sure it’s been confirmed or not, but surely Ten would have to broadcast Ten HD when One HD is closed for the night. Are they seriously going to show 24 hours of HD sport per day?
Freeview would have made more sense tonight if they announced MPEG-4 compression for all networks, and marketed 2 or 3 boxes which are compatible (a bit like the UK with their Freeview+ recorder). That way networks may have been able to not only launch more HD channels, but keep their regular HD channels which have heaps of potential in the future.
So many questions!
If TV Tonight readers are this confused, I can only wonder about the general public!
With regards to the channel avail……saying “15” is a bit rich.
Even when (I’m presuming here) “Seven SD” and “Nine SD” become new channels, not similcasts as they are now – we we only have 10 channels:
ABC1
ABC2
Seven
Seven NEW SD Channel
Nine
Nine NEW SD Channel
Ten
One
SBS
SBS World News
That is presuming SevenHD, NIneHD, ABCHD, and SBS,HD remain essentially a similicast of the main SD channel
‘Freeview’ is nothing more than a new name for ‘free-to-air’, to entice everyone who hasn’t gone digital yet to do so. You don’t need to worry and buy new equipment if you already have it. This is something I think the marketing department need to focus on, because equipment confusion would have to be the number one question everyone ‘not in the know’ is asking.
Oh yeah, sad that neither GWN or Imparja aired it. I guess they don’t want to break any promises. Hah.
On the NSW Central Coast you will get 24 channels, not 15.
Ok.. hopefully this means TEN HD will be sticking around now. Otherwise it is only 14 channels, and not 15.
Some classic quotes from the ad:
“A new era in Australian television is about to begin” – I thought that spot was reserved for TiVo
“Bringing you the best in television from the people who are the best in television” – LOL
“Television doesn’t get anything better than this” – Sure it does, it’s called torrents
Yes, Channel B, Channel Bittorrent.
Sigh. Why do they even bother. They all hate each other so much and yet we’re supposed to believe they have joined forces for our benefit. Tomorrow they’ll go back to ripping each other to shreds (in fact they’ll have to given Freeview will cannabilise an already stretched audience share)
Wait, ok looking at the ONE HD press release.
So ten is replacing the HD channel with an all sport channel, then using their newly allowed second SD channel to rebroadcast the sport channel.
So Channel 10 is removing programming i watch and would watch, and will now offer no non sport programming in HD. For me it’s back to the day before they had HD as I don’t give a crap about a sports channel.
Is this the sort of crap the other networks will do, then it’s free to air moving backwards. Will 7 stop showing heroes in HD and show upscaled episodes of mash??
Seems like this was just badly organised. A last minute change to the schedule, for such a momentous occasion. How stupid! Why wouldn’t they have hyped this up for a week or so? Not reveal what it was about, but just reveal that all channels would be participating in an Australian first event. Then have the ad campaign to reveal all. Let’s me just reiterate that- this was an Australian first and they make the announcement to watch only a few hours beforehand. How pathetic! It’s actually mindboggling that this was how it was organised. I know personally I didn’t know about the campaign until after the fact when I came on this website. And no doubt, countless more would be in the same boat and completely miss this once-in-a-lifetime event.
And it seems (by comments on this website) that after this advert has raised more questions than answers. Why roll something out if you’re not going to fully explain everything? Then again, this is typical of Australian free-to-air networks. Look at the “announcement” of ONE Sports. This Freeview was pretty badly organised if you asked me….
As good as it may be, it can’t beat do-it-yourself programming thanks to the internet.