[LINK] Labor would allow fourth TV network

[Adam Todd]

>This has always baffled me.  In the 1960s, I grew up in a small town in 
>Indiana, around 55,000 people.  We had two local tv stations, complete 
>with news staffs, broadcast facilities, local programming like kids tv 
>with cartoons, all that stuff.  We we able to receive two or three more 
>stations from about 70 miles away in Indianapolis and also one from 
>Bloomington south of us.  Some of that programming was duplicate from the 
>national networks, particularly in the evening, so you watched the channel 
>with the best reception.

We get Sydney: 7, 9, 10, ABC, SBS and C31 (occasionally)

We also get Wollongong: Prime, WIN and Capital.

We get better reception (from the North Side of Sydney) of the Wollongong 
stations than we do of the Sydney ones, VHF or UHF.

There are some program differences on some channels.  Mostly WIN.

We're also watching mostly Digital, which now gives us the RTA cameras and 
other stuff from the datacast service provided by the State and Federal 
Government.  Makes for interesting TV to say the least.

>We didn't have a public broadcast station.  But we had access to 5 
>stations probably serving a population of no more than 250,000 total in 
>the broadcast area.  The population isn't much higher now, but I don't 
>know what the number of stations are there now.  Cable TV has also come a 
>long way, but given the rural nature of the area, I doubt that it has 
>taken up the whole market.

There are talks by people who want a Digital Public TV stations established 
for Community TV use.  However the legislation and Commercial networks have 
ensured that this will never easily happen and with the FTA now in place, 
the chances are non existent.  We can't "up" the number of TV licences, any 
more, but we can take them away.

>Why can't Australia support another free to air network?

You mean like Commercial Radio?  There are more than 3 :)

Because the commercial networks don't want it and the Government doesn't 
want to have to administer and regulate the school yard bullying that will 
take place.  Only because who is going to take on a public service job with 
a public service pay to quell the richest people in Australia?