New date for C31 Antenna Awards

Following Wednesday’s COVID 19 restriction updates in Victoria, the 2021 Antenna Awards has been rescheduled from tomorrow to Saturday, June 19th at 7:30pm.

Prior to the date change, event organisers were set to announce a sold-out event, with a full capacity of 400+ due to be in attendance.

The awards ceremony will still take place at Federation Square’s Deakin Edge with Lance DeBoyle and Gabriella LaBucci of Lance TV Ballarat still hosting proceedings. The night is still set to feature special musical guests, VIPs including State and Federal MPs, and Community Television personalities from across Australia.

This reschedule adds to the long list of COVID related impacts Community TV have faced. With a limited remaining window for the event to be broadcast, any further delays to the event going ahead will have a devastating impact on the sector. As reaffirmed this week, the Federal Government is still looking to enforce a switch-off date of June 30 this year. The reasoning behind this decision is unclear. The Federal Government’s Media Reform Green Paper confirms that the broadcast spectrum we occupy is not scheduled to be repurposed until 2024, possibly later.

Since 2014, the Federal Government has provided seven last-minute broadcast licence extensions, including last year’s 11th hour reprieve announced live on QandA, just 26 hours before the scheduled switch off. This ongoing uncertainty, and the difficulty in generating substantial revenue from digital platforms only, has ultimately led to the closure of community TV stations in Sydney, Brisbane, and Perth. With the assistance and advocacy of many former alumni, politicians from all-sides of Government and the broader community, Melbourne and Adelaide remain on air.

C31 Melbourne and C44 Adelaide will be holding the milestone tenth Antenna Awards to recognise the best in Community Television. We look forward to hosting media interests on the 19th as this event represents an ideal opportunity to witness the incredible strength, diversity, and passion within the Community TV sector at a crucial time in our history.