The Community Television sector has today received the news it anticipated: Minister for Communication Mitch Fifield has told them there will be no more extensions to spectrum access.

The bad news comes after a last minute extension in December to the end of June.

Despite broad media reforms for the big guns before the parliament, Community TV will lose spectrum access after June 30th 2017, forced to exist online.

It brings to an end 23 years of free-to-air access for the sector.

Organisations such as C31 Melbourne had been arguing that the deadlines imposed were insufficient time to build alternative revenue streams.

C31 General Manager Matthew Field said “It is unfortunate that the Minister is so eager to kick us off air, given the fact that there is no planned use for the spectrum we currently occupy, and also given our genuine efforts to find a solution that would not stand in the way of more efficient spectrum use in the future. The losers are communities underrepresented in mainstream media, young aspiring screen practitioners and audiences who value a free to air channel committed to airing 100% original Australian content. It is an extraordinary decision in the context of the explosion of shopping and racing channels since the advent of digital TV”.

Some Channels such as C44 Adelaide have already moved online, while Sydney’s TVS shut down in 2015 as a result of govt taking back spectrum.

C31 Melbourne has argued that its spectrum access should be aligned with its broadcasting licence, awarded by ACMA through to 2019, but it will now continue through apps and digital after June 30th.

A post shared by Channel 31 Melbourne (@c31melbourne) on Jun 13, 2017 at 8:47pm PDT

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