The Writing On The Wall Just Became Bolder - Nine & Southern Cross

[gordon_s1942]

For those who can remember back in the 90's when Satellite TV was proposed, the Government of the Day wanted to make a 'MOTZA' from auctioning off the licenses because rightly or wrongly there appeared to be some serious players with deep pockets just salivating for the opportunity to do as the Packer and Fairfax family had done years before and literally print Money from their TV licenses.
Going on what I read later, because there was no vetting of those making Bids on these licenses to make sure they could pay for it, two blokes jumped in and made some atrocious bids to be granted the licenses which they proposed to 'On Sell' to the real players but no one was buying so it all had to be done again.
After that total shambles, we emerged with the carve up we are still feeling the effects from today.
Add the later debacle of the dual Co-Ax cable 'Roll Out' to service the Metropolitan areas when one would have sufficed.

I am amazed Escape_from_OZ has managed to wade through the mire to explain it in such a clear understandable albeit brief, detail.

[OSIRUS]

Lots has happened since aggregation of Australian TV took place, then came (or just before) remote regional satellite TV, then Australian Pay TV, then Australian Digital TV, Now Internet TV

All the while the Existing channel owners wanted conditions in the agreements of the New start ups ..... to protect themselves ......



I think I remember when they were discussing the format of what Australian Digital TV would take (late 1990's early 2000's ?) there was also discussion about it taking an Interactive TV direction (not sure what they had in mind at that stage .... )

but they chose to deliver traditional "broadcast" Digital TV .... the only question was would it be Digital SD channels or Digital HD channels & they decided to have both

[gordon_s1942]

I do remember reading but not being tech savy to understand it was the big argument on which was the best distribution system, Microwave Distribution System (MDS) , Cable or Satellite.
Each format had its own 'Experts' who lobbied for their favorite.
I never understood why Austar used the MDS in Bathurst (NSW) as I was told it was used in Darwin to minimise the problems faced by Tropical areas using satellite signals but even there, MDS didnt cover the whole town as it was then (bigger now) which meant you had to go Satellite anyway.

[Escape_from_Oz]

Your "No" appears to in reality be that we are talking about two different agreements, so "No" right back at you.

Something like that, gees that was bad yesterday, I could not type anything as my right hand was numb (no not anything bad just inflamed from something I ate the previous day, guess I won't eat that type of food again).

The only company not bound by the 30 year non compete would be Network 10 as they were not a party to the creation of ANC (Sky News Australia) however should Ten be owned by Foxtel obviously Foxtel would be prevented from putting a national FTA news channel produced by them which would be competing against Sky News ... Which is why they (Foxtel) are so desperate to buy out Nine and Seven hence the no compete would be null and void and Foxtel will rebrand Sky News as Fox News Australia on both Pay TV and Ten Multi-Channel platform, at the moment they can't do anything like that due to the non-compete which ends 2026.

[Escape_from_Oz]

.

I am amazed Escape_from_OZ has managed to wade through the mire to explain it in such a clear understandable albeit brief, detail.

I once read this book by Mark Westfield called "gatekeepers" way way back and remember most of the stuff that happened back then because I was in the Pay TV industry working for one of the parties back then ...

If you want to know more:

What an absolute mess it was back in 1993 through to the end of the "war" which was when Optus surrendered it's playout facilities, digital cable TV system and basically it's pay TV service to Foxtel to get out of the absolute worst content deal ever made (re: Movie Network channels, remember those?) which was 2003, a 10 year war that Optus had to fight all because Telstra wanting to protect its "hahahahahaha..... BWAHAHAHAHAHAHA.... hahahahahaha" even back then crap copper network....

and mind the rant mode:

/WE ARW STILL SOME NOW 23 YEARS LATER STILL TO THIS DAY HAVING TELSTRA TRYING RIG THE GAME ...

rant mode off.

[Escape_from_Oz]

I never understood why Austar used the MDS in Bathurst (NSW) as I was told it was used in Darwin to minimise the problems faced by Tropical areas using satellite signals but even there, MDS didnt cover the whole town as it was then (bigger now) which meant you had to go Satellite anyway.

The reason for MDS back then was that Galaxy did not have the rights to regional satellite pay TV so instead in selected regional areas Australis Media set up regional companies CETV and ECTV, they were going to set up in WA but basically ran out of money which is why when AUSTAR was formed in 1999 they never entered the WA regional market.

analogue PAY TV via MDS was actually a good solution as it was cheap to set up in each zone, the base station would get fed the channels to it by satellite and the tower would send a omni directional 1 way signal where then each customer needed a mesh antenna that could pick line of sight 2300MHz a down converter in the set top unit would change the frequency to what the Tuner could then compile into split channels (limited to I think 18 channels in analogue format and on the Gold Coast were MDDS was used they managed to squeeze in around 35 channels) where the out put would be easily read by the TV Tuner.

Cable was not cheap, both sides and if you include regional cable like North Gate (lol anyone remember them?) and N Cable (both are now part of TPG via iiNet ownership which was TransAct and before that were sperate companies)... anyway something like $6.5 billionn was wasted ... All because again F ING Telstra wanting to protect copper phone lines.

Now look at NBN Co and then realise that some of these cables/amps/taps and the backup systems (HFC) have been in service since 1995 ... Crazy that NBN Co are willing to waste even more money on keeping these networks alive when fibre yes while more expensive to roll out it actually a new feisgn system that would be now only 4 years old.

OK way way off topic

[Smacca]

The reason for MDS back then was that Galaxy did not have the rights to regional satellite pay TV so instead in selected regional areas Australis Media set up regional companies CETV and ECTV, they were going to set up in WA but basically ran out of money which is why when AUSTAR was formed in 1999 they never entered the WA regional market.

Galaxy broadcast in regional WA. That's why CETV/ECTV/Austar didn't enter that market.

[gordon_s1942]

Wasnt the original concept for Australia to always be split into EAST AND WEST primarily due to the time difference and to make the market a bit more competitive?
According to Foxtel, their records show I have been a Customer for 19 years which would be in the last quarter 1997.
Although the contract was with Galaxy, I got a letter with a pair of 'Coaster's' as an apology for a delay n having the Dish and Decoder installed and they bear the logo of CETV.
By 1997, I got the dish and decoder for a flat fee of $200 I think whereas only months previously, those in the mid North Coast area of NSW who were amongst the first to have PayTV had to buy the dish,decoder and pay for the installation.
It wasnt that long later that Austar was formed from memory.
If any remembers when the old PACE decoders were replaced, I think there was some very unhappy customers who wanted recompense for having to throw out the decoder they had to buy back then.
Would a 'standard' install with decoder, LNB, Dish, Mount and cable plus labour cost at least $500 ?

[OSIRUS]

I think ECTV quoted me $1200 to do the installation ...... & then I would own the equipment .... in northern NSW ......

then in 1999 I got Austar in northern NSW for about $20 install & they owned the equipment .... still got the original install equipment today ..... & still working

[Escape_from_Oz]

Ok, so now the federal court has basically said 9now (and by extension Plus|7 IPTV streams and in short part Ten Play) is legal to Internet stream (IPTV) a rebroadcast of live TV into non license regions one would think that NEC (as in Nine Ent Company) come July 1 will be on Southern Cross Media group of stations (excluding those that operate the Seven Network feeds in some regional markets) while WIN will either go at it alone (which could happen as they are creating a general ent channel with there owned content + news / sports) or enter into agreement with Ten Network for program supply (which they would have to eventually in order to keep the license due to aggregation rules where the regionals must supply the main metro feed to there broadcast zones, note: doe snot apply to the digital multi-channels so WIN should only take 10 but not 11, ONE or anything else).

What will Bruce Gordon do next?

Will Nine Ent Co now fully pursue Southern Cross Media Austereo?

Interesting times ahead, one thing for sure is that Seven and Prime will be watching .

[OSIRUS]

Nine and Southern Cross ink new regional TV deal

The agreement will see SCA broadcast Nine's metropolitan free-to-air content in regional Queensland and Victoria, as well as southern New South Wales, from July 1, 2016.

WIN's owner Bruce Gordon owns just under 15 per cent of both Nine and Ten, and it is believed his network is in talks with Ten about switching over to its content.

Nine and Southern Cross in multi-year affiliation deal

Under the deal, which begins on July 1, the Southern Cross television brand will disappear and Nine's brand will appear on its channels in regional Australia for the first time in its history.

[mtv]

And another report.



Hasn't been a good week for Bruce Gordon.

[Escape_from_Oz]

And another report.



Hasn't been a good week for Bruce Gordon.

That depends on which investment he prizes more as he also owns 14.99% of SCMA ... So 9SC on a different LCN (same frequency as current SCM stations).

The funny thing is where WIN have 1 regions to themselves but also do supplementary broadcast of 7 and 10 ...

[SpankedHam]

And another report.



Hasn't been a good week for Bruce Gordon.

SCA's engineering staff's heads probably exploded too. SC10 doesn't make use of stat muxing and has, at least from last time I watched FTA!, had ongoing picture quality issues which from what I could glean are a combined result of their switch to MPEG-4 AVC for their contribution links, and having to use borderline MPEG-2 GOP structures and many other slightly dodgy things to fit in the current channel lineup. Toss in little treats like the presentation system, once again last time I watched, couldn't even log GPIO events to permit proper ad insertion on ELEVEN during daylight savings, and it dun look good boss.

Either a lot of money is going to have to be spent bringing SCA up to scratch, or people may start to think WIN's picture quality wasn't all that bad afterall.

[Escape_from_Oz]

I would think that Nine will want SCM to update there encoders and transmissions equipment in order to have Nine HD (MPEG4) Nine SD (MPEG2), Gem SD (MPEG2), GO SD (MPEG2), Life SD (MPEG4) and Extra (unless SCM decide to opt for Aspire TV as there datacast/shopping channel).

Remember WIN did the upgrade so technically should they opt for making a deal with Ten for the primary broadcast channel they can easily put WIN10 HD as MPEG4 but don't have to take 11, ONE and TVSN, as I said WIN have (probably by now advanced) plans for a WIN TV general ent channel which will have some sport and WIN only productions + news which was a fall back incase they were put in the position they have been forced into.

[Escape_from_Oz]

Some new information has surfaced, WIN will take 10 programming at around 33% return revenue.

For WIN it's a drop in ratings but the balance is that Nine still has to deal with WIN in regions where WIN is the only player.

[beerman]

I'm interested to see if:

A. Southern Cross Austereo now want out of CTC TEN partnership?
B. WIN have the financial commitment to buy out SCA and/or up their stake in the NETWORK TEN parent company (Bruce Gorden currently holds 15%)
C. Southern Cross Austereo want to divest their involvement in TV altogether by selling to NINE and concentrating on their more profitable Radio Network?


Sounds like a TV Drama series in the making. Now there's some content for WIN right there. Perhaps Gorden should ring his mate Mr Crawford.

[mtv]

Perhaps Gorden should ring his mate Mr Crawford.

If you mean Hector.... that might be a tad difficult... he died in 1991.

A little history, WIN bought Crawford Productions in 1989.... many say that was the end for Hector.
WIN subsequently sold the production complex at 259 Middleborough Rd Box Hill South in 2006, which was demolished almost immediately to make way for a Bunnings warehouse, which remains there today.

Sorry for the OT

[beerman]

If you mean Hector.... that might be a tad difficult... he died in 1991.

Just crystal ball gazing at the present regional distribution dramas.

Wasn't really suggesting it a real program would be feasible. But I wasn't aware of the history of Crawford Productions so thanks for the summary.

[gordon_s1942]

If you mean Hector.... that might be a tad difficult... he died in 1991.

A little history, WIN bought Crawford Productions in 1989.... many say that was the end for Hector.
WIN subsequently sold the production complex at 259 Middleborough Rd Box Hill South in 2006, which was demolished almost immediately to make way for a Bunnings warehouse, which remains there today.

Sorry for the OT

I agree with Beerman as asides like this can sometimes explain why things that dont make sense, happen.
Selling the site (Crawford Productions) and ensuring it wont be used again for its original purpose could be seen as some sort of weird vengence and by buying the product and sitting on it for years where it possibly could be making a return doesnt sound like a sound business model to me.