Community broadcaster Channel 31 has had its licence extended for three more years after the federal government reversed a decision to end their free-to-air operations.<\/p>\n
Communications Minister Paul Fletcher announced the extension on Wednesday evening after a campaign by volunteers, staff and City of Melbourne councillors.<\/p>\n
Mr Fletcher said that the existing community TV licence holders, Channel 31 and Channel 44 in Adelaide, will be able to continue to hold their licence until mid-2024.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Channel 31\u2019s poster celebrating the licence extension.<\/span>Credit:<\/span>Facebook<\/cite><\/p>\n The Age had reported on the disappointment among the next generation of broadcasters facing federal government plans to close the channel\u2019s free-to-air operations at the end of June, despite not planning to use its frequency range for at least three years.<\/p>\n Mr Fletcher said the amendments allowed existing services in Melbourne and Adelaide to continue, but prohibited new licences for community television services.<\/p>\n \u201cThese measures reflect the government\u2019s approach to simpler, more transparent and more flexible legislation in broadcasting regulation,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cThis will give the two community television licensees more time to transition to online platforms.\u201d<\/p>\n Channel 31 has been a training ground for aspiring broadcasters, producers, sound engineers, directors and screenwriters and has helped launch the careers of TV personalities who are now household names.<\/p>\n Hamish Blake, Andy Lee, Waleed Aly and Gorgi Coghlan all got their start at the community TV station.<\/p>\n Channel 31 general manager Shane Dunlop said it was a huge relief for the team that had been campaigning for an extension for seven or more years.<\/p>\n \u201cRelief is an understatement, it\u2019s been a long seven or so years,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a really well-loved institution and a station people are proud of – whether people watch it or not. I think most of the people in the city want Channel 31 to exist.<\/p>\n \u201cWhat\u2019s been saved is a public asset, particularly over the last 12 months, we\u2019ve been able to keep our community connected and comforted.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s clear there\u2019s a lot of good community TV and I think that\u2019s why we\u2019ve had such strong support across the board.\u201d<\/p>\n The station, along with Channel 44 in Adelaide, has faced uncertainty since 2014 when then-communications minister Malcolm Turnbull ordered it to shift to an online-only model to free its spectrum for new technologies.<\/p>\n Melbourne City Councillor Nicholas Reece, who had spent two days in Canberra lobbying for the extension, said it gave the channel three years to build a bigger and better service, and plan properly.<\/p>\n \u201cThis is a great day for community TV, It\u2019s a great day for local broadcasting, it\u2019s a great day for the telling of local stories and it\u2019s a great day for the next generation of broadcasters,\u201d he said.<\/p>\n \u201cIt\u2019s a triumph of common sense over bureaucratic boneheadedness.<\/p>\n<\/p>\n