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Community TV channels on Freeview

Community TV station 44 in Adelaide has become the final community station to join the Freeview platform.

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Community TV station 44 in Adelaide has become the final community station to join the Freeview platform.

This means since Television Sydney (TVS)  became the first community TV station to begin simulcasting both digital and analogue signals, all of Australia’s capital city community TV channels are now available on Freeview: C31 in Melbourne, 31 Digital in Brisbane and West Television (WTV) in Perth.

Freeview CEO Robin Parkes said: “In the short space of a year, Freeview’s free digital community TV channel offering has expanded from one to five channels, providing viewers in mainland state capitals with a fantastic variety of programming produced by and for the many and varied members of the communities in those cities.

“Viewers in those cities now have access to no fewer than 17 free-to-view digital channels, giving them a wider choice of free viewing than ever before,” she said.

Harold Mitchell, chairman of TVS, added: “Community TV is a dynamic and increasingly significant part of the TV landscape in Australia and plays an important part in training and developing emerging talent across every facet of the TV industry.

“Community TV also provides programming content that is specific to those cities where it is broadcast. It’s tremendous that with these five community TV channels now part of its line-up, Freeview can now offer such an enormous variety of programming for free to Australian viewers.”

9 Responses

  1. I like having SBS HD although it doesn’t PanScan 4:3 however water often looks better and less blocky than SD.

    On the Melbourne Ch 31 analogue signal I hope they don’t get rid of it because the digital is not very reliable. Some days it appears and some days it’s black. When the analogue works seemingly 24 hours a day 7 days a week barring technical difficulties. So if they take away analogue they take away Ch 31 probably for over 100 days a year. I will say I like the digital because when it works it looks good but as stated a lot of the time it doesn’t work.

  3. Even if SBS had enough $$ to start an SBS Three, why should that mean the end of SBS HD? What are those ‘3’ & ‘4’ simulcast channels that keep scanning up for? Also, ABC got up to three channels running before they had to dump their HD channel for News24…

  5. Bit misleading to quote 17 channels when they’re including SBS SD and HD.

    In Melbourne I’ve noticed that channel 31 on analogue seems to have gone to a black screen the last couple of days. Is there a fault or are they closing it down early to save money? Perhaps if they don’t hear any complaints from the black they’ll switch it off fully?

  6. @tomothy, I gather this also means they will be part of Freeview promotions – listed on the Freeview website, guide, etc.

    It seems a bit disingenuous saying we have 17 Free To Air channels, when SBS HD is just the same as SBS.

    David, do you know if SBS are planning on launching a third channel any time soon, to replace SBS HD? SBS HD seems like such a waste, especially as its picture quality is quite poor.

  7. Not sure what you mean by them being on the Freeview platform..? Adelaide 44 has been digital for a few months now, however did not have an over the air guide, and also they were airing 4:3 letterbox stretched to 16:9 so the image was horrible.
    Do this just mean that it has an on screen guide and thats it?

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