By JOHN VAN KLAVEREN
FEDERAL Government will pull the plug on Geelong’s community television station next year.
Communications Minister Malcolm Turnbull announced this week that community television licences for the “sixth channel” spectrum would cease at the end of 2015.
The spectrum would be sold, forcing Channel 31 off the air.
Mr Turnbull told community stations to move to the internet.
The Tribe Television and Video producer Adam Tribe said the decision removed a valuable training ground for the industry.
“It is a great training and a breeding ground for future production expertise. It has often been a stepping stone for both programs and people who have moved to the networks.
“It gives an opportunity for programs that might otherwise not see the light of day. It is an extremely competitive industry with a lot of people vying to get into it and opportunities are scarce.”
Mr Tribe, who ran GOTV in Geelong online for several years before selling it due to lack of business support, said suggesting community television simply moves to the internet was too simplistic.
“Television production as opposed to online video is significantly different. To throw a line out there that one can replace the other is incorrect and misleading.
“They’re very different beasts. You won’t have the same content, duration of content or striving for quality of content.
“You have got a real audience now but on the internet you will lose your audience.”
News Geelong producer Noel Fanning said Mr Turnbull demonstrated limited understanding of the communications industry.
“Local football and local news won’t get a look in any more,” Mr Fanning said.
“Community television is self-sufficient. It’s not costing the government anything but (closing it) will cost lot of jobs.
Mr Fanning said local audiences were “still not ready” for online TV.
Media student Zoe Hollingsworth described the decision as a “terrible idea”.
“It’s strange how the Government just decided this and expected everyone to go along with it.
“Media students have only very few avenues as there is and Channel 31 is one. It’s crucial as a media student.
“This is a real setback.”
Channel 31 broadcasts 90 first-run locally produced programs weekly to a cumulative monthly audience of around 1.4 million viewers.
