Press release from TVS
The Australian Community Television Alliance (ACTA) has called on Federal Communications Minister, Senator Stephen Conroy, to immediately dismiss suggestions that Community Television be relegated to broadband.
ACTA was reacting to news reports speculating that as the Government seeks to sell off unused television spectrum existing and well established Community channels could be delivered via the national broadband network.
"The idea that Community Television should be dumped onto broadband is ludicrous and a total misunderstanding of its role in the Twenty-first Century," said ACTA Secretary Laurie Patton. "It demonstrates a serious lack of knowledge about the make-up of Community TV audiences".
"A very high proportion of Community TV viewers simply do not have high speed broadband and are not likely to get it any time soon," Mr Patton added.
"Our daytime audiences, in particular, are substantially made up of older viewers and the less advantaged for whom the Internet is simply not an option".
Despite Government assurances that Community TV will not be left behind as Australian households are urged to switch to digital television the Community stations are still waiting for the allocation of desperately needed digital spectrum.
"CTV programming is targeted at audience groups that are under-served by the other free-to-air channels. The sector provides access for special interest groups, multicultural communities and social networks that are not well catered for by the mainstream media," Mr Patton, said.
"Community TV is a unique source of local programming in an era when more and more of what we see on television comes from overseas".
Community Television also provides a dynamic training ground for people aspiring to work in television and acts as an incubator for new talent and new program concepts.