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NITV future hangs in the balance

NITV, National Indigenous Television broadcaster, has today announced it will cease to exist without government funding.

National Indigenous Television broadcaster (NITV) has today announced it will cease to exist without government funding.

The plea for financial support carries a switch off deadline of June 30th 2010.

NITV, which airs home-grown shows including Marngrook Footy Show, The Barefoot Rugby League Show, Yaarnz, Yarramundi Kids, Letterbox, Grounded, and Momentum, broadcasts in the Sydney Metropolitan Area, Geelong, Ballarat, Mildura, via Foxtel, Optus and Austar and on 147 terrestrial transmitters in remote areas of Australia.

A Press Release from NITV follows:

NITV has been on air since July 2007. We have earned the support and trust of Indigenous viewers and other Australians. NITV has utilized the talents of Indigenous writers, directors, journalists and producers to make programs in genre ranging from music to health, sport, news, current affairs, culture and children’s programs. Most of NITV’s content is made, not bought.

The Australian Government has not yet committed to a future for NITV.

This means we will have to switch off NITV from midnight 30 June 2010. We need your support.

Please send your messages of support to [email protected]

OR write to Minister Garrett, the minister NITV’s portfolio comes under directly at

The Hon Peter Garrett AM, MP
Title: Minister for Environment Protection, Heritage and the Arts.
Parliament House Contact
PO Box 6022
House of Representatives
Parliament House
Canberra ACT 2600

To send an email, go to www.aph.gov.au/P_Garrett_MP/ then click ‘contact form’

29 Responses

  1. OK NITV supporter,

    You have addressed the production statement. What about the mistreatment of funds and their totally lack of cultural protocol?

    Or did you not discuss these issues for a reason?

  2. “NITV is about programs for Indigenous people not about programs developed by Indigenous people.” This is a misquote. NITV has a long history for doing Indigenous productions by Indigenous production companies.

    What a load of crap for ‘Burnt by NITV’ and Leigh Harris to suggest that NITV do not give Indigenous film-makers a go.

    Popular shows Barefoot Rugby Leauge and Marngrook Footy Show are both productions by Indigenous Productions companies, Mailing Productions and Toombak productions. These two shows equate to hours and hours of our content – and giving hours and hours of jobs to Indigenous people associated with these productions.

    These shows are just the tip or the iceberg – top line NITV shows Living Strong, MIlli Milli Nankga, Letterbox and NITV news itself are all Indigenous production companies, and this is just to name a few.

    NITV are always looking out to produce Indigenous content made by Indigenous people. The previous last two comments are simply not accurate.

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