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NITV receives $15m for 2011-12

After months of speculation National Indigenous TV is to receive $15.2m in government funding for 1 year.

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National Indigenous TV is to receive $15.2m in government funding for its next year of operations from July 1st, ending months of speculation about its future.

NITV, which airs Australia-wide via a mix of remote area transmitters, satellite and Pay TV, was thrown a one year lifeline last June after financial support was due to end.

The broadcaster will also move from the portfolio of the Department of the Environment to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy.

The announcements follow a review conducted by Neville Stevens, which recommended the network remain editorially independent and be funded on a three-year rather than annual basis.

Ken Reys, NITV Chairman, said, “The funding renewal and our being moved into the Communications portfolio is a big step forward for NITV and the Indigenous broadcasting sector. We have been fighting for more than two decades to have this level of recognition within the Australian media landscape.

“We believe the Government recognises the contribution we are making in helping to close the gap between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians. We also welcome the recognition in the Stevens Review Report that ensuring continuing editorial independence for NITV is crucial and that NITV should be funded on a triennial basis.”

NITV is still lobbying for communications minister Stephen Conroy to give it a dedicated free-to-air digital channel.

One of NITV’s original shows, Marngrook Footy Show, was recently picked up by ABC2 while new kids game show Go Lingo! airs on both NITV and ABC3.

Source: NITV, The Australian

12 Responses

  1. Instead of being moved on to a SBS channel, NITV should be allowed to have its own independent channel! NITV does great work and it needs to be available to all of Australia via Digital Free TV.

  2. Just letting you all know that we are very happy at the moment about our funding future for the next 12 months and then negotiate for free to air. Please follow us on our facebook page and also our website. We have some great programming that is unique and we look forward to bringing the best in Indigenous television. Also need to clarify that the Marngrook Footy Show is still on NITV every Thursday from 10pm AEST. Thank you all for your support.

  3. Rather, SBS does not have enough content for one fulltime 24/7 channel, let alone the 4 channels that they want to do and are reserving their full mux for.
    I do not include the WorldWatch content, as that is way out of date by the time it gets to air, and the same content is more readily available as 24/7 channels that are are readily beamed into anyone’s homes who wants them or via the internet.

    The SBS mux should instead carry SBS SD, SBSHD – even as a multichannel whenever SBS ever gets serious about real native HD, and each state captial’s Communty TV service on a statewide basis and NITV on a national basis. This would be 3 X SD and one X HD, same as what ABC does on their mux now. This would then free up the 6th digital frequency that is being used in some areas to carry one single SD Community TV service.

  6. @Bogues
    I think the general idea is that they would share bandwidth, even with their poor encoders community tv doesnt need all the bandwidth on the mux. I think they get about 15mbps, at least here in Perth, because of the high error correction to cope with the low transmission power. Tbh i think you could easy give nitv and ctv each 6mbps and even have a-pac on 3 (given a-pacs nature).

    Either that or SBS move SBS2 to HD and broadcast nitv using sbs bandwidth. I get the feeling that atm what is standing in the way of nitv becoming national on fta is legal, rather than any physical barrier…

  12. Instead of a dedicated FTA channel, can’t they team up with the local community channels in each mainland state capital to share their frequency?

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