Tasmanian Digital Television
|
Tasmania, Australia Australia |
|
|---|---|
| Channels | Digital: 11 (VHF) |
| Affiliations | Nine |
| Owner |
Southern Cross Austereo WIN Corporation (Tasmanian Digital Television Pty Ltd) |
| First air date | 22 December 2003 |
| Call letters' meaning |
Tasmanian Digital Television |
| Former affiliations | Ten (2003-2016) |
| Website | www.tdtv.com.au |
TDT is a digital television station in Tasmania, Australia. It is jointly owned by WIN Corporation and Southern Cross Austereo.
In Australia, the major capital cities, and a majority of the regional areas, are served by three commercial broadcasters. However, some less populated areas are only granted two licences (and until the early 2000s, one in some cases) because there is not enough advertising revenue in some areas to keep three separate commercial broadcasters afloat.
In 2002, WIN Television, who had a Nine Network affiliation in Tasmania, and Southern Cross Broadcasting (now Southern Cross Austereo), who had a Seven Network affiliation in Tasmania in combination with a Network Ten affiliation in other regions, lodged a joint application under the Broadcasting Services Act (1992) to establish a third commercial broadcaster in Tasmania. The application was successful with TDT launching on 22 December 2003 on LCN 5. The station was available in Hobart from its launch date and to north-eastern Tasmania (including Launceston) in August 2004, and in 2006 Kelcey Tier, Devonport. Rollout continued across the state over the following years including the rest of the north-west coast, the west coast and the east coast before the digital switchover in 2013.
TDT was the first digital-only commercial channel in Australia. TDT's effect on the digital television market in Tasmania was widely anticipated, as success or failure would strongly guide the digital plans of other broadcasters.
As part of the joint venture, Southern Cross Broadcasting is responsible for handling playout (from their Canberra facility), and transmits this signal via satellite to WIN Television transmission facilities in Tasmania. WIN Television handle the business administration and advertising sales for TDT.
In May 2016, WIN Television announced it was taking up a Network Ten affiliation across its stations from 1 July 2016, affecting its Tasmanian station TVT. With TDT's number two rating Ten content being taken by WIN, the Nine Network would have to sign a new deal with TDT to ensure its content continued to be seen by Tasmanians. Following intense negotiations which lasted until the last day, 30 June, a deal was made for TDT to become a Nine Network affiliate. As a result, TDT Nine rebroadcasts the Nine Melbourne feed supplemented with local advertising.
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