C31 Melbourne: Difference between revisions

| logo = File:C31 Melbourne logo 2010.png

| sister_channels = [[Channel 44 (Adelaide)|Channel 44 Adelaide]]

| headquarters = 2/4 Douglas Street<br />[[Southbank, Victoria|Southbank]] Victoria

| website = {{URL|http://www.c31ctvplus.org.au}}

| terr_chan_1 = 32 ([[Melbourne]])<br />42 ([[South Yarra, Victoria|South Yarra]])

C31 is primarily funded through sponsorship, grants, sale of airtime and member donations. The station does not receive any regular Government funding.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.c31.org.au/producers/documents/CTVCodeofPractice.pdf# |title=C31 Information Kit |access-date=17 April 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070829125622/http://www.c31.org.au/producers/documents/CTVCodeofPractice.pdf# |archive-date=29 August 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The annual revenue of C31 is approximately (AUD) $21.3 million per year. For comparison, the [[Nine Network]], an Australian commercial station, has $907 million annual revenue.<ref>James Packer, "Chairman's Address", [[Publishing and& Broadcasting Limited]] Annual General Meeting, 27 October 2005</ref> The station claims that "1.4 million Melburnians tune in each month"<ref>[http://www.c31.org.au/about C31 Website - About C31] "...with over 1.4 million Melburnians tuning in each month"</ref> this figure is supplied by the ratings company [[OzTam]]. Individual programs can have ratings of up to 180,000 viewers.

The C31 website was completely remodelled in 2009, and now offersoffering streaming of every program they broadcast (if the producer consents).<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.c31.org.au|title=Community Television, Music Television, Footy Show, Car Restoration, Classic Cars Shows|access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref> C31 Melbourne iswas the only community television broadcast in Australia which offersoffered this. A new website, [https://ctvplus.org.au/ ctvplus.org.au], was released in 2016 and offers livestreaming of both C31 Melbourne, [[Channel 44 (Adelaide)|C44 Adelaide]], and catch up viewing of over 80 programs.

C31 announced to its digital service provider and officially began simulcasting from 2010 on logical channel number 44. C31 officially started broadcasting in Digital on 28 May 2010<ref>{{cite web|url=http://whatsonthetube.net/video-3d-tv-channel-trials-begin/|title=Miralax dosage|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100525104958/http://whatsonthetube.net/video-3d-tv-channel-trials-begin#|archive-date=25 May 2010|url-status=dead}}</ref> with the official launch date on 11 June.<ref name="mctcltd.org.au">{{cite web|url=http://www.mctcltd.org.au/digital/|title=C31 Melbourne and Geelong - Digital TV Information|access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref>

In September 2014, Australian federal communications minister [[Malcolm Turnbull]] announced that licensing for community television stations would end in December 2015.<ref>{{cite web|title=Community TV: Malcolm Turnbull confirms licensing for stations will end in 2015 |url=http://www.abc.net.au/news/2014-09-10/community-television-kicked-off-air-by-federal-government/5733690 |publisher= Australian Broadcasting Corporation |date=10 September 2014 |access-date=26 January 2016}}</ref> In September 2015, Turnbull, then [[Prime Minister of Australia|Prime Minister]], announced an extension of the deadline to 31 December 2016.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2015/09/community-tv-lifeline-extended-to-2016.html |last=Knox |first=David |title=Community TV lifeline: extended to 2016 |publisher=TV Tonight |date=17 September 2015 |access-date=26 January 2016 }}</ref>

C31, like other community television stations, started moving operations online, and began streaming its channel live from [https://ctvplus.org.au/ ctvplus.org.au], allowing access to viewers outside of its traditional broadcast area. In April 2016, C31 became the first community station to offer a [[mobile app]] that offers [[live streaming]] and [[video on demand]] catch-up television.<ref>{{cite news |last=Turner |first=Adam |date=20 April 2016 |title=Community TV: shift to online begins |url=http://www.smh.com.au/technology/mobiles/community-tv-shift-to-online-begins-20160412-go45mw.html |newspaper=The [[Sydney Morning Herald]] |location=Sydney |access-date=20 November 2016}}</ref> A new, improved mobile app, CTV+. was released on 26 August 2022. An app for smart TVs is currently under development.

The deadline was further extended twice at the last minute by Minister for Communications [[Mitch Fifield]], first to 30 June 2017,<ref>{{cite web |url=http://tvtonight.com.au/2016/12/new-switch-off-date-for-community-tv.html |last=Knox |first=David |title=New switch-off date for Community TV |publisher=TV Tonight |date=15 December 2016 |access-date=18 December 2016 }}</ref> and later to 31 December 2017.<ref>{{cite news |date=27 June 2017 |title=Channel 31 gets a six-month reprieve on free-to-air TV shutdown |url=http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/tv-and-radio/channel-31-gets-a-sixmonth-reprieve-on-freetoair-tv-shutdown-20170627-gwzjw3.html |work=The Sydney Morning Herald |location=Sydney |access-date=27 June 2017}}</ref> Fifield made an additional extension to 30 June 2018 as part of the government's deal with the [[Centre Alliance|Nick Xenophon Team]] to garner support for large-scale media reforms in the [[Australian Senate|Senate]],<ref>{{cite web |url=https://mumbrella.com.au/devil-detail-deals-government-made-get-media-reforms-across-line-471840 |title=The devil in the detail: The deals the government made to get media reforms across the line |last=Wallbank |first=Paul |date=15 September 2017 |website=[[Mumbrella]] |access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last=Harris |first=Rob |date=13 September 2017 |title=Media reform: Government clinches deal with crossbench |url=http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/media-reform-government-clinches-deal-with-crossbench/news-story/9250f66fcebc9fc8e4631e75f51e85ba |work=[[Herald Sun ]]|location=Melbourne |access-date=31 December 2017}}</ref> while a further extension, announced on 1 June 2018, gave broadcasters an additional two years through 30 June 2020.<ref>{{cite press release |date=1 June 2018 |title=Community television broadcasters granted two-year licence extension |url=http://www.minister.communications.gov.au/mitch_fifield/news/community_television_broadcasters_granted_two_year_licence_extension#.WxdVvu6FPZ4 |url-status=live |location=Canberra |agency=Department of Communications and the Arts |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180606033503/http://www.minister.communications.gov.au/mitch_fifield/news/community_television_broadcasters_granted_two_year_licence_extension |archive-date=6 June 2018 |access-date=6 June 2018}}</ref> In June 2020, they were given another 12-month extension.<ref>{{Cite web|last=Knox|first=David|title=11th hour reprieve: C31 & C44 win 12 month extension {{!}} TV Tonight|url=https://tvtonight.com.au/2020/06/11th-hour-reprieve-c31-c44-win-12-month-extension.html/|access-date=2020-07-10|website=tvtonight.com.au|date=30 June 2020 |language=en-AU}}</ref> In June 2021, thanks to amendments tabled by South Australian Senator [[Rex Patrick]], the station was given a three-year extension.<ref>{{cite web | last=Kelsall | first=Thomas | title=Channel 44 off death row with three-year licence extension | website=[[InDaily]] | date=24 June 2021 | url=https://indaily.com.au/news/business/media-week/2021/06/24/channel-44-off-death-row-with-three-year-licence-extension/ | access-date=26 June 2021}}</ref><ref>{{cite web | last=Sutton | first=Malcolm | title=Community TV stations Channel 31 and Channel 44 given three-year lifeline in surprise turnaround | website=ABC News| publisher= [[Australian Broadcasting Corporation]]|series=[[ABC Radio Adelaide]] | date=23 June 2021 | url=https://www.abc.net.au/news/2021-06-23/community-tv-stations-channel-31-and-channel-44-saved/100237310 | access-date=3 July 2021}}</ref>

Its signal is transmitted from [[Mount Dandenong, Victoria|Mt. Dandenong]] and Como Centre, [[South Yarra]], reaching much of the Greater [[Melbourne, Victoria|Melbourne]], [[Geelong, Victoria|Geelong]] and [[West Gippsland]] areas on [[free-to-air]] television.<ref>{{Cite web |url=http://www.acma.gov.au/licplan/defmaps/documents/maps/la_250.pdf |title=Archived copy |access-date=1 August 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100602041558/http://www.acma.gov.au/licplan/defmaps/documents/maps/la_250.pdf |archive-date=2 June 2010 |url-status=dead }}</ref>

Prior to 1 March 2012, C31's signal was available in analog UHF at a lower power than Melbourne's other television stations (it was, for example, one quarter of [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]]'s output power). Nevertheless, viewers with good line-of-sight to the main transmitter on [[Mount Dandenong]] could receive a usable signal from as far away as [[Geelong, Victoria|Geelong]], [[Castlemaine, Victoria|Castlemaine]] and [[Moe, Victoria|Moe]]{{Citation needed|date=February 2007}}.

''[[Fishcam]]'' is arguably C31's best-known program. It was a pre-recorded broadcast of a fish tank located in the station's studios, set to music by independent artists.<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050309162619/http://www.aba.gov.au/tv/analog/planning/vic/community/appl_MelbCommTV_Pt2.pdf Application to the ABA for Melbourne Community Television] "From midnight there is a live camera broadcasting...with music by independent artists playing in the background."</ref> It used to be live, but the station got complaints from the [[Australian Communications and& Media Authority|ACMA]] when there was a dead fish floating on the top of the tank for several days. It was originally shown in place of a [[Test card|test pattern]] when the station had no programming available for broadcast. After it was discovered that ''Fishcam'' was reasonably popular, ''Fishcam'' became a scheduled show and was even listed in the TV guide. C31 has boasted that ''Fishcam'' is "very popular"<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20050309162619/http://www.aba.gov.au/tv/analog/planning/vic/community/appl_MelbCommTV_Pt2.pdf Application to the ABA for Melbourne Community Television] "Fishcam is a very popular and peaceful alternative to late night infomercials."</ref> and is so widely recognised in the Melbourne community that "many people know C31 as 'the fish station'."<ref>[https://web.archive.org/web/20010412030711/http://www.channel31.org.au/programs/fishcam.htm Channel 31's Former Fishcam Webpage] (via the [[Internet Archive]]'s Wayback Machine) "Fishcam is one of Channel 31's most popular and recognised programs to the extent that many people know Channel 31 as 'the fish station'. To our knowledge, there is nowhere in the world where you can switch on your television to watch fish".</ref>

The station has previously made [[VHS]] tapes of ''Fishcam'' available for purchase. After having its timeslot continually cut back over the years to make room for more traditional programming, ''Fishcam'' finally ceased broadcasting on 4 March 2007.<ref>[http://www.c31.org.au/shows/fishcam.php C31 : Our Shows: Show Guide<!-- Bot generated title -->] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080407024526/http://www.c31.org.au/shows/fishcam.php |date=7 April 2008 }}</ref> On 13 October 2014 FishCam returned at the new time of 9pm hosted by Luis from Lessons with Luis.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.tvtonight.com.au/2014/10/fishcam-returns-to-channel-31.html|title=Fishcam returns to Channel 31|work=TV Tonight|date=13 October 2014 |access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref> The return of FishCam coincides with the station's twentieth anniversary.

* ''Melbourne Musos -– The Drum Show'' is a popular educational Drum Clinic show hosted by Chris Quinlan (f.dip.a) which specialises in all musical styles as applied to Drums and Percussion. With over 625 shows produced since 1995, ''Melbourne Musos -– The Drum Show'' has been one of the longest continuously- running shows on Australian Television with host Chris Quinlan receiving a nomination for Australian of the Year in 2013.

*''Boob Tube'' hosted by [[Jo Stanley]] and Jodie J Hill<ref>{{cite web|url=httphttps://www.angelfire.com/bc/comicattitude/jodie.html|title=Comic Attitude: Jodie J. Hill|access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref><ref name=autogenerated1>{{cite web|url=http://www.theage.com.au/news/tv--radio/taping-the-source/2007/05/24/1179601573392.html?page=fullpage|title=Taping the source|date=27 May 2007 |access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref>

*''Good Evening Melbourne/Extra Edition'' is a local bi-weekly community based news / current affairs program. andIt features local stories dedicated to the Greek community of Melbourne. TheIts programcurrent ishosts producedare bySotiris GCTVSotiropoulos since(Sunday) 1998and withPlaton currentDenezakis hosts,(Monday). SotirisThe Sotiropoulosprogram andis Platonproduced Denezakisby GCTV since 1998.

*''[[Planet Nerd]]'' is a variety show for, and about, nerds and geeks. It is hosted by [[Dan Walmsley]].

*''[[The Loft Live]]'' which was hosted by [[Rove McManus]]<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.crikey.com.au/2010/03/24/hamish-andy-rove-and-pete-go-missing-on-channel-31-effort/|title=Hamish, Andy, Rove and Pete go missing on Channel 31 effort - Crikey|date=24 March 2010 |access-date=5 July 2015}}</ref> and later Kim Hope

*''Paranormal Investigators'' Television series which looks into the paranormal as a group of people go out to often secluded locations in search of the paranormal [http://www.paranormalinvestigators.com.au/ ]

*''GolfZone TV'' Golf themed TV show, featuring golf instruction, golf rules, golf product reviews, course reviews and rule interpretation. [https://web.archive.org/web/20090122222748/http://www.golfzonetv.com.au/ ]

*''With Tim Ferguson'' -– live satirical comedy show hosted by [[Tim Ferguson]]

*''[[Under Melbourne Tonight]]'' hosted by [[Stephen Hall (actor)|Stephen Hall]]<ref name=autogenerated1 /><ref>{{cite web|url=http://web.aanet.com.au/vfok/umt/umt.htm|title=UNDER MELBOURNE TONIGHT|access-date=5 July 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20131113202325/http://web.aanet.com.au/vfok/umt/umt.htm#|archive-date=13 November 2013|url-status=dead}}</ref>

*GCN Focus -– A local news program which features positive local stories from the Geelong region. The program is hosted by Jack Nyhof and other various co-presenters.

Many comedians, performing artists and producers worked at C31 before moving to mainstream television, these people include [[Rove McManus]], [[Amy Parks]], Greg Tingle, [[Hamish and Andy]]'s [[Hamish Blake]] and [[Andy Lee (comedian)|Andy Lee]], [[Adam Richard]], [[Peter Helliar]], [[Merrick and Rosso]]'s [[Merrick Watts]] and [[Tim Ross]], [[Jo Stanley]], [[Darren Chau]], [[Corinne Grant]], Jamie McDonald, [[Tom Ballard (comedian)|Tom Ballard]], [[Tommy Little (comedian)|Tommy Little]], [[Dave Thornton]], Jess Harris, [[Anthony McCormack]], Alex Tigani, Josh Schmidt and [[Kim Hope]].