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New Vision for Perth Community TV

A new 2 year community TV licence has been issued in Perth for the trial of New Vision.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority has issued a community television trial licence in Perth for two years.

The successful applicant, West TV Ltd, will provide an analogue television service, to be known as New Vision 31. New Vision 31 expects to commence broadcasting within the next six months.

ACMA says there was there was a very strong field of applicants for the licence.

“The number and calibre of aspirants is testament to the wealth of creative talent and strength of commitment to community-based television in Perth,” said Chris Chapman, ACMA Chairman.

There were four applications from West TV Ltd, Community & Educational Media WA Ltd, Perth Community Television Ltd and Community Urban Broadcaster.

ACMA met with all applicants in November 2008. At the meeting with West TV, it undertook, if successful, to offer to involve the other applicants in providing the service, including by giving them opportunities to broadcast.

“ACMA was impressed by the program production skills and broadcasting expertise of the other applicants and encourages them to embrace West TV’s offer,” Mr Chapman said.

ACMA assessed the applications on merit and considered West TV best able to provide the proposed service. This includes the financial, managerial and technical capacity to successfully meet the existing and future needs of the community and to involve the broader community in the operations and programming of the service.

Earlier this year Access 31 was disbanded after ongoing financial problems, leaving Perth without a community TV broadcaster.

Source: ACMA

27 Responses

  1. TV channels as such are on the way out. What is more important than community TV channels is low-end local TV production. New Visions will encourage this in Perth.

    But unless it is open to content from everyone in Perth, it will fall short of what it could be. The disagreements between CTV Perth and Access 31 saw much community produced TV not screen on Perth’s community TV station. Instead it was screened on pay TV and ABC2.

    Another good source of Perth video is the West Australian. Will it be included?

    Will the new station do regular searches of YouTube for Perth content, and contact the producers for a higher quality source?

    That New Vision will be working with Perth community radio groups is a great sign, and is something that should be done more often by other community TV stations.

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