Dear OurMedia friends, A group of us here in Australia have stepped-up the campaign for community digital television. Last year we organised a symposium and have recently put together a discussion paper of the issues. Our next step is to organise a larger, nation-wide conference on the issues and to get the support of civil society organisations, Indigenous producers, the education sector, local governments/agencies and cultural institutions. If anyone is interested in reading the discussion paper, please email me at [log in to unmask] and I will send the attachment. I have pasted the 1 page summary below. It may be of use to those facing similar issues in the transition to digital television. Kind Regards, Ellie Rennie. A Vision for the Community Use of Digital Television Spectrum Community television bridges difference, taking grassroots stories and issues to a wide audience and ensuring that our diverse communities are visible and accessible. Digital free-to-air television will do more. It will deliver niche programming, educational resources, local information and access to cultural heritage. For these services to emerge, a full digital channel must be made available for community use. A full 7MHz digital channel Australia's commercial and national broadcasters commenced digital television transmission in 2001 using spectrum provided free of charge. Despite a longstanding commitment, the government is yet to allocate a channel for community television services. A full digital channel for community use will connect Australia's communities, education sector, cultural institutions and independent producers with new audiences and stimulate programming innovation: - Dedicated channels for specific communities, for instance an Indigenous channel - Local programs, entertainment and information - A space for independent digital media production, both professional and amateur - On-demand information relating to group activities (membership, donation forms, fact sheets), building a multiplatform presence for civil society organisations - Educational courseware with related content - An entry-point to cultural archives and collections - Access to government information and local issues, including programs that allow for citizen input into national debate. Innovation Community broadcasting plays an important role in Australia's creative economy. Community television is already the major training ground for the television industry, preparing talent and production crew for the commercial and national broadcasters. Digital community television will provide up-to-date industry experience, boosting Australia's creative workforce and encouraging content innovation. Next Steps The Community Spectrum Taskforce will hold a CTV Digital Television Summit in June 2006, out of which will come a comprehensive strategy for digital community television. We invite all existing and potential users, audience members, producers, trainers and partners to participate in this process. Dr Ellie Rennie Research Fellow Institute for Social Research ARC Centre of Excellence for Creative Industries and Innovation +61 3 9214 5303 0404 808 900 Education is only the beginning. Let's get on with it. Swinburne University of Technology CRICOS Provider Code: 00111D NOTICE This e-mail and any attachments are confidential and intended only for the use of the addressee. They may contain information that is privileged or protected by copyright. If you are not the intended recipient, any dissemination, distribution, printing, copying or use is strictly prohibited. The University does not warrant that this e-mail and any attachments are secure and there is also a risk that it may be corrupted in transmission. It is your responsibility to check any attachments for viruses or defects before opening them. If you have received this transmission in error, please contact us on +61 3 9214 8000 and delete it immediately from your system. We do not accept liability in connection with computer virus, data corruption, delay, interruption, unauthorised access or unauthorised amendment. Please consider the environment before printing this email.