22-397: The Antenna Awards is an Australian awards ceremony which recognises outstanding achievements in community television production. First held in 2004, the ceremony is produced by C31 Melbourne , and is broadcast by terrestrial community television stations (colloquially known as Channel 31) across Australia. Nominations are accepted from producers, presenters and other volunteers within
44-596: A gala awards ceremony at Federation Square in Melbourne by C31 Melbourne, and have been revived twice – once in 2014, and again in 2019. The 2021 Antenna Awards were postponed a number of times and eventually held online with the iconic statuette being awarded to over 20 recipients. A special emphasis of community television is the provision of programs in an increasing range of community languages and about community cultures. Over twenty languages groups, many from newly migrant and refugee communities, are broadcast regularly by
66-748: A lesser extent, program content. They are licensed by, and regulated by, the Australian Communications & Media Authority (ACMA). In the strictest sense of the term, Australian community television is the officially licensed stations and their programming. However, there are a number of stations and distributors that release similar content - but they are not subject to government regulation. Some community television programs are made by amateurs volunteering their skills to produce programs about their own communities and special and diverse interests. In other cases, not-for-profit organisations and independent content creators produce programs. The sector
88-502: A new online streaming service, CTV+. The CTV+ platform allows viewers to stream both channels linearly, or watch programmes on demand. An app for mobile devices, CTV+ was launched in August 2022. Australia has a special type of broadcasting licence for community television which is available via free-to-air terrestrial reception. Holders of a community television licence must conform to various rules, primarily relating to advertising and to
110-679: A trial basis since 1994 under the open narrowcast 'class licence'. These licences are issued on the condition that they are used only for community and educational non-profit purposes and are held by broadcasters in most Australian capital cities. In 2002, the legislation was changed to introduce new community television licences and in 2004 the first licences were issued in Sydney , Perth , Melbourne and Brisbane . In September 2014, Minister for Communications Malcolm Turnbull announced that all community television licences would end in December 2015. Just
132-602: A week before becoming Prime Minister in September 2015, Turnbull amended the deadline by one year, to 31 December 2016. However, Television Sydney later ceased broadcasting on 20 December 2015. The other stations in Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth had already started their shift to online services, but remained broadcasting. The deadline was extended a number of times at the last minute by Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield , first to 30 June 2017, and later to 31 December 2017. An additional extension to 30 June 2018
154-513: Is a not-for-profit entity and is subject to specific provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 . A Code of Practice, registered with the Australian Communications & Media Authority , provides additional regulation of the sector. The community television stations operate independently so they are technically not a network (in the commonly held definition of the term). However, some programs are broadcast on multiple stations in
176-553: Is a form of free-to-air non-commercial citizen media in which a television station is owned, operated and/or programmed by a community group to provide local programming to its broadcast area. In principle, community television is another model of facilitating media production and involvement by private citizens and can be likened to public-access television in the United States and community television in Canada . Each station
198-548: Is a not-for-profit industry association representing free-to-air community television (CTV) channels licensed by the Australian Government under the Cth. Broadcasting Services Act 1992 . ACTA has been established to represent existing and potential CTV licensees and to advance the interests of community television. It also developed the community television codes of practice for community TV licence holders in 2011. ACTA
220-573: Is represented by the Australian Community Television Alliance . Community television is funded by a mixture of sponsorship, subscriptions and donations, membership fees, grants, and merchandise sales. It receives no regular national government funding. Many programs are paid for by the producers themselves. The Antenna Awards , recognising outstanding community television programs, were established in 2004 and were awarded annually until 2010. They are traditionally hosted at
242-631: The awards were revived to honour 20 years of community television in Brisbane and Melbourne , and were held again in 2019 to honour 25 years of C31 Melbourne. * Best Living and Learning Program : No Limits The 2008 awards ceremony were held at the BMW Edge theatre, Federation Square on Thursday, 24 April, and broadcast on Sunday, 27 April at 7.30 pm. In 2010, C31 Melbourne Antenna Awards were held on Sunday 27 June at BMW Edge from Federation Square, Melbourne. On 1 July 2014, C31 Melbourne announced
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#1732873131039264-805: The channel's first broadcast. The 2019 Antenna Awards were held on 5 October 2019, with 24 Antennas awarded. On 1 February 2021, C31 Melbourne announced a third revival of the Antenna Awards. The 2021 Antenna Awards will be held on 19 June 2021, instead of 29 May 2021, and will mark the 10th time the awards have been held since their inception in 2004. As of the 2019 Antenna Awards , awards are given in 23 categories: 37°49′04″S 144°58′07″E / 37.817798°S 144.968714°E / -37.817798; 144.968714 Community television in Australia Community television in Australia
286-571: The community television stations. Australian Community Television producers are often also producers of other community media, such as the Student Youth Network . Many original television programs have been created by community television stations. These are often broadcast on stations in other states, and sometimes transfer later to pay television or free-to-air. Programs include: Australian Community Television Alliance The Australian Community Television Alliance (ACTA)
308-504: The early 1970s, the Australia Council worked together with various community groups to establish a number of video production centres that could be used to produce Australian television programs. Many people began using these production centres, as well as their own resources, to make television programs. It was still difficult for these programs to be screened on commercial or government-funded television. It has been suggested that this
330-659: The group, and they do co-operate with each other in various ways. The stations act collectively through the Australian Community Television Alliance . " Channel 31 " is the colloquial name for some metropolitan community-licensed television stations throughout Australia, with Adelaide Community Television known as Channel 44. The name originates from UHF 31, the frequency and channel number reserved for analogue broadcasts by metropolitan community television stations. By 2010, all stations were broadcasting in 576i standard definition on digital channel 44, since their analogue signals were switched off and replaced with digital . In
352-539: The return of the Antenna Awards for 2014, to mark 20 years since the first broadcasts of C31 Melbourne and 31 Digital Brisbane . Following the success of a Pozible crowdfunding campaign, the 2014 Antenna Awards were held on 1 October 2014 at the Deakin Edge at Federation Square in Melbourne , with 13 Antennas awarded. On 4 July 2019, C31 Melbourne announced a second revival of the Antenna Awards, marking 25 years since
374-494: The sector for programming produced within the eligibility period of each ceremony. Entries are judged entirely by a panel decided by the event organisers; previously, the Viewers' Choice Award allowed for Channel 31 viewers to nominate their favourite programs in a given year. Between 2004 and 2010 the awards were held annually – first at RMIT University 's Storey Hall , and later at the Deakin Edge at Federation Square . In 2014 ,
396-421: The two remaining community stations Channel 44 and C31 Melbourne , Fifield again extended the deadline for an additional 12 months to 30 June 2021. In June 2021, Channel 44 Adelaide and C31 Melbourne were given a three-year extension, thanks to amendments tabled by South Australian Senator Rex Patrick . In 2017, Brisbane's 31 Digital attempted a video on demand service called Queensland Online TV, but
418-475: Was because the programs were thought to be too short, long or different from the programs already showing. Whilst community radio stations were quickly established around Australia, community television took longer to develop. During 1984, a Perth -based community group unsuccessfully applied for a community television licence. In the late 1980s in Alice Springs , Imparja Television (now a commercial station)
440-502: Was established. In 1987, RMITV was set up by students at RMIT University in Melbourne . This became the first community television station to receive a test transmission permit. In 1992, the Government of Australia asked the ABA to conduct a trial of community television using the vacant sixth television channel (UHF 31 in capital cities). Community television services have been provided on
462-520: Was made as part of the government's deal with the Nick Xenophon Team to garner support for large-scale media reforms in the Senate . However, by that point, 31 Digital had already ceased broadcasting on 27 February. A further extension, announced on 1 June 2018, gave broadcasters an additional two years through 30 June 2020. On the deadline date of 31 June 2020, following further negotiations with
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#1732873131039484-572: Was unsuccessful and the service went offline within a year. A second attempt, re-branded as Hitchhike TV was created in 2018 streaming linear programming in short blocks from their website. However, this service was also unsuccessful and went offline in 2020. Newcastle station Hunter TV and Perth station West TV ceased free-to-air transmissions in 2017 and 2020 respectively, but have both attempted video-on-demand presences on Youtube and from their websites. On 12 August 2021, both C31 Melbourne and 44 Adelaide together with Film Victoria launched
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