Fears have emerged for the future of Channel 10 in two major Australian states after the network closed in a major city over the weekend.
Ten stopped broadcasting live in Mildura, Victoria, at midnight on Sunday, dealing a blow to its media network Network 10, and sparking outrage among locals.
Network 10 does not own its regional stations and relies on distribution through joint ventures; Mildura Digital Television’s broadcasts have ended due to rising costs.
Now fears have been raised over Ten’s future in Tasmania and the Northern Territory as businesses are forced to make “tough decisions” amid the challenging climate.
Following the shocking news from Mildura, Ten’s talk show The Project shared its fears that similar closures could occur across Australia with a domino effect.
The programme said the Northern Territory and Tasmania could be next in the firing line, along with areas of regional Western Australia.
“There are fears that Mildura is just the tip of the iceberg, and that similar signal outages could occur across Australia, threatening jobs and access to local content, news and sport,” the long-running panel said, according to Yahoo!.
‘And next in the firing line? WA, the Northern Territory and the whole of Tasmania.’
Fears have emerged for the future of Channel 10 in two major Australian states after the network closed in a major city over the weekend (pictured: The Project presenters)
In Tasmania, Network 10 operates as Tasmanian Digital Television (TDT), a joint venture between Southern Cross Austereo and WIN Network.
However, DTT has acknowledged that all regional broadcasters are currently in difficulty and have to make “difficult” decisions to protect their businesses.
“Like MDT, there are a number of joint ventures in Australia that will be on the brink of collapse and TDT is no exception,” they said. Tasmanian Pulse.
‘While SCA and WIN have no plans to close down, all current agreements are very short-term. There is a constant evaluation, not only for DTT, but also for the future of all regional broadcasting services.’
SCA, which owns 7 Tasmania and 50 per cent of DTT, said there had been “no discussions” about a blackout but stressed the government must step in to help.
“DTT is profitable. There are no plans to close DTT in the next three years,” an SCA spokesperson told the publication.
Network 10 has had to turn off Mildura’s free signal after appealing to the government for help, calling the decision “grossly unfair” to the area’s 60,000 residents.
The network’s subsidiary, MDT (a joint venture run by Seven and WIN Network), was forced to cease broadcasting after 18 years due to falling advertising revenues and rising costs.
Local spectators have been mourning the loss of some of Ten’s hugely popular shows such as MasterChef, Australian survivor And have you been paying attention?
Another 500,000 Western Australian residents narrowly escaped the same fate with Western Digital Television, a subsidiary of Ten, owned by WIN and Seven West Media.
The operator abandoned its shutdown plans on July 1 thanks to last-minute funding from the federal government in a seven-year, $32.9 million lifeline, according to AFR.
Mildura’s 60,000 residents were furious at the decision to turn off the area’s free signal, leaving them only able to watch the channel online via 10Play.
Residents will no longer have access to Ten or its BOLD and Peach channels, with viewers complaining the move isolates fans who don’t have smart TVs or aren’t tech-savvy.
“I feel sad for the region, not just for myself,” said Elizabeth, a resident of the Mildura area. Television Tonight About the shutdown.
Another local, named Nikki, He added: ‘On a societal level, it affects more those who cannot afford smart TVs and internet connections.
Residents in the Mildura region on the border between New South Wales and Victoria have spoken out against Network 10’s decision to pull the plug on its free-to-air signal in the area. Pictured: Jonathan LaPaglia, presenter of Network 10’s Australian Survivor
“And also to those who are not digitally savvy. This reinforces the social and geographical disadvantage in our region.”
Resident Cindy added that the decision was a “disgrace” and noted that for years, Channel Nine was the only commercial station available in the area.
“And it was only when I was in my twenties that we managed to get Channel Seven,” he told TV Tonight.
From Sunday, fans living in and around the regional city of Mildura (pictured) will no longer have access to Channel 10 and its BOLD and Peach channels. Viewers in the area have complained that the decision will isolate fans who do not have smart TVs and cannot afford internet, as Network 10 content will only be available through 10Play.
While they still have access to 10Play, some locals argued that internet speeds in Mildura, which is 541km from Melbourne, are not always reliable and say watching live is their best option.
Last month, Network 10 urgently appealed to Prime Minister Anthony Albanese for “urgent” assistance to help prevent the blackout.
In May, Mildura Digital Television announced it would close on 30 June and Network 10 expressed disappointment at no longer being able to broadcast in the area.
Fans living in the region told TV Tonight on Friday they will mourn the loss of Network 10 hits such as MasterChef (pictured), Australian Survivor and Have You Been Paying Attention?
TV Tonight reports reveal that for years Channel Nine was the only commercial station available in the area which is home to 60,000 people. Pictured: Network 10’s hit Have you been paying attention?
“We remain deeply disappointed that people in Mildura do not have the same access to all free-to-air channels as people living in cities,” a Network 10 spokesperson told Daily Mail Australia on Friday.
‘This is tremendously unfair to these people, but also to all Australians in the region.
‘We continue to call on the Federal Government to step in and ensure that all Australians, no matter where they live or how much they earn, have equal access to all free local TV channels and the local content they love and enjoy, such as vital news and emergency information, epic sport, comedy and entertainment.
‘It’s also a wake-up call for the Federal Government, which must listen and act now to update the impending prominence laws to ensure that all connected TVs in Australian homes today and in the future have free local apps like 10 Play automatically downloaded and easily accessible on the screens.’
Residents in the region will have access to Network 10 content such as MasterChef via 10Play (pictured). But some locals say internet speeds in Mildura, which is 541km from Melbourne, are not always reliable.
Chris Halios-Lewis, president of Mildura Digital Television and WIN’s chief financial officer, said the decision to pull the plug was for commercial reasons.
“The state of the regional advertising market means that MDT cannot justify cross-subsidizing to deliver Ten programs to the Mildura television market,” he said. Australian financial magazine reported in May.
He added: “Without the subsidy provided by the joint venture owners, MDT will be insolvent and will no longer be a going concern.”
The future of the troubled Network 10 is uncertain as it continues to lose TV shows amid falling ratings and an advertising revenue crisis.
In May, talents Dave Hughes and Osher Günsberg publicly confirmed that two of Channel Ten’s biggest reality shows, The Masked Singer and The Bachelor, had been axed from the network.