Since 2014, it has been the position of the Federal Government that Community TV stations, including C31 Melbourne and Geelong & Channel 44 Adelaide, should vacate broadcast spectrum and move online. Their reason? The spectrum is needed for other uses.

• 1. According to their own Media Reform Green Paper released Nov 2021, the spectrum CTV stations occupy is not required until 2024 at the earliest, possibly as late as 2026.
  2. There is no cost to the Fed Gov, or the Aus tax-payer, in providing CTV ongoing access to spectrum in the meantime. THIS IS NOT A FUNDING ISSUE.
  3. If switched off June 30 this year, the spectrum can't be used for other purposes until a digital re-stack is complete. This is unlikely to start until 2026, if it goes ahead at all. In the meantime, CTV stations would be replaced with nothing but static.
  4. During COVID, CTV stations have risen to the challenge and continued to broadcast essential news and entertainment, reaching many key demographics not usually reached by mainstream media outlets.
  5. There is no value in a CTV switch off. No upside. No public benefit. It is a policy that fails the Australian public, especially in the states where CTV stations once flourished but no longer exist.
• There is still time to correct this policy fail Paul Fletcher.
• #KeepLocalTV
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