Channel 44 (Adelaide)

Channel 44 (C44, call-sign CTS33) is a free-to-air community television channel in Adelaide, South Australia. C44 features locally and nationally made content and has been broadcasting since 23 April 2004. Previously known as C31 when on analogue television, C44 made the switch to digital on 5 November 2010 and switched off its analogue signal on 31 May 2012. C44 airs a range of local, interstate and international content that is relevant to the local community.

Channel 44
CountryAustralia
Broadcast areaAdelaide, surrounding areas[1]
SloganAdelaide - It's Your 44
Programming
Language(s)English
Picture format576i (SDTV) 16:9
Ownership
OwnerC44 Adelaide Ltd
History
Launched23 April 2004 (23 April 2004)
Former namesC31 Adelaide (2004–2010)
44 Adelaide (2010–2014)
Links
Websitec44.com.au
Availability
Terrestrial
DVB-T44
Freeview (virtual)44

History

Before C44, Adelaide's community television station was ACE TV, run by Adelaide Community and Education Television Inc. ACE TV held a temporary licence from May 1994[2] until December 2002, when it was cancelled due to breaches of its licence conditions.[3] ACE TV had its last broadcast in May 2002.[4]

In 2003, after ACE TV's closure, C31 Adelaide Ltd received the community television licence for Adelaide.[4] Its station, called C31 Adelaide (C31), launched on 23 April 2004 on analogue channel UHF 31.[5] In 2004, most community TV services in capital cities received permanent licences from the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA). However, the process for allocating a permanent licence in Adelaide, which began in 2004, was terminated in mid-2006; the two prospective applicants (of which C31 was one) were declined for different reasons.[6]

On 5 November 2010, the station was moved to digital channel 44 and was renamed 44 Adelaide, with its analogue signal switched off on 31 May 2012. 44 Adelaide received a new logo in 2013 and was later renamed Channel 44 (C44) in 2014.

In September 2014, Australian federal communications minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that licensing for community television stations would end in December 2015.[7] In September 2015, Turnbull, now Prime Minister, announced an extension of the deadline to 31 December 2016.[8] The deadline was further extended twice at the last minute by Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield, first to 30 June 2017,[9] and later to 31 December 2017.[10] Fifield made an additional extension to 30 June 2018 as part of the government's deal with the Nick Xenophon Team to garner support for large-scale media reforms in the Senate,[11][12] while a further extension, announced on 1 June 2018, gave broadcasters an additional two years through 30 June 2020.[13]

C44 has followed other community television stations and has moved operations online, streaming its channel live on their website. The move online means that local content can now be viewed by those outside Adelaide.[14][15]

Identity history
  • 2010–2016: Bringing You the Community through TV
  • 2016–present: Adelaide - It's Your 44

See also

References
  1. "Channel 44 licence area" (PDF). Australian Community Television Alliance. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 April 2015. Retrieved 19 April 2016.
  2. Lawrence, G. Adelaide Community and Educational Television Inc.. Accessed on 7 March 2007.
  3. Australian Broadcasting Authority (5 December 2002). ABA cancels ACE TV licence. Archived 27 April 2013 at the Wayback Machine Accessed 29 December 2009.
  4. Yeaman, Simon (21 February 2004). "Community TV ready for comeback". The Advertiser. Adelaide. Archived from the original on 20 August 2006. Retrieved 17 April 2016.CS1 maint: unfit URL (link)
  5. "Stateline Transcript: C31, Community TV in Adelaide". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 23 April 2004. Archived from the original on 11 September 2016. Retrieved 11 September 2016.
  6. Australian Communications and Media Authority. (29 June 2006). ACMA to take no further action in the current allocation of a permanent community television licence in Adelaide Archived 13 September 2007 at the Wayback Machine. Accessed on 7 March 2007.
  7. "Community TV: Malcolm Turnbull confirms licensing for stations will end in 2015". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. 10 September 2014. Retrieved 19 January 2016.
  8. Knox, David (17 September 2015). "Community TV lifeline: extended to 2016". TV Tonight. Retrieved 17 November 2015.
  9. Knox, David (15 December 2016). "New switch-off date for Community TV". TV Tonight. Retrieved 18 December 2016.
  10. "Channel 31 gets a six-month reprieve on free-to-air TV shutdown". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. 27 June 2017. Retrieved 27 June 2017.
  11. Wallbank, Paul (15 September 2017). "The devil in the detail: The deals the government made to get media reforms across the line". Mumbrella. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  12. Harris, Rob (13 September 2017). "Media reform: Government clinches deal with crossbench". Herald Sun. Melbourne. Retrieved 31 December 2017.
  13. "Community television broadcasters granted two-year licence extension" (Press release). Canberra. Department of Communications and the Arts. 1 June 2018. Archived from the original on 6 June 2018. Retrieved 6 June 2018.
  14. Smith, Matt (24 July 2016). "Channel 44: Adelaide community TV station prepares to leave the airwaves and go online-only". Australian Broadcasting Corporation. Retrieved 27 July 2016.
  15. Turner, Adam (20 April 2016). "Community TV: shift to online begins". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney. Retrieved 20 November 2016.
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