Channel 9 Not Launching Second SD Channel Until July
I just don’t get it. For years and years, the free-to-air networks argued that it wasn’t free EPG information or decent programming that would drive people to digital TV, it was the ability to multi-channel. Yet here we are in February 2009, the networks have been legally able to launch a second digital channel since January 1, and Channel 9 announces that they won’t be joining the multi-channel party until July because they need to upgrade their digital equipment.Considering we’ve known for a good long while that multi-channeling would be possible from January 1, it’s hard to understand why all the hardware wasn’t sorted out last year. Plus, the other victim of this announcement is sure to be Freeview, who’s claims of 15 channels are looking shakier by the day.
And to think, we actually applauded Channel 9 this morning for actually doing something positive for its audience. Looks like we spoke a bit too soon (like five months too soon)…
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Comments
Is channel 10 (southern cross for me) weening us country kids of HD shows ready for channel 1? i saw this because last year they showed some of 10’s HD in HD on SCHD but now they’ve stopped doing neighbors rove GNW and David Letterman.
At least channel nine has given us hd5.1 cricket all summer even if we do have to put up with a white noise burst every hour or so.
What I don’t understand is why Australia seems to be years behind with the freeview, in the uk the BBC launched BBC 3 and BBC 4 with completely different content to BBC 1 & BBC 2 whereas all the 7,9 & 10 networks seemed to have done is launch an HD version of the same channel?! Am I missing something?
Channel 9’s digital offering has always been pretty crap. It took them far too long to get the EPG working, and even now it still has issues.
For example, things like “Monday Night Movie” are displayed by just like that. There is no indication as to what movie it is. Going into the info section will give a description of the movie, but there’s no way to get the name of it, short of picking up the good old TV Week.
It’s almost as if they _want_ it to die in the arse …
The UK version of Freeview, upon which ours is apparently based, has 48 TV channels, 24 radio channels, and a fully functioning EPG. See link http://www.freeview.co.uk/freeview/Channels
There’s even a bloke channel called “Dave”…
From what we’ve seen to date, it looks like our telcos have saddled us with yet another half-arsed version of 21st century technology.
We’ve already got crap broadband, and now we’re getting crap TV to boot.
Way to go Australia, yet another lost opportunity.
The UK can’t be compared with us – not only is the UK market significantly larger and less spread out, Brits pay a yearly ’subscription’ fee for their tv, so its not really free.
Why would they offer extra channels for free when they want us all to pay for Foxtel or Optus tv. This is what happens with monopolies and you won’t read about it in the papers because, duh, they’re owned by the same people too. Just wait until labors net censorship comes in, you won’t even be able to read about it here.
The British TV license fee only goes to the BBC. All other channels have to generate their own revenue streams, mainly through advertising.
The introduction of Freeview in Britain has also had the bonus of forcing the cable companies to lift their games. Companies like Sky and Virgin now provide competitive services which bundle TV with radio, broadband, and cheap-rate phone calls. Can’t see Foxtel/Optus doing that in a hurry…