Melbourne’s Channel 31 and Adelaide’s Channel 44 have just launched what they're calling the future of Australian Community Television with the launch of the CTV+ app.
As the first broadcast streaming service to feature 100% Australian-made and produced content, the CTV+ app marks Channel 31 and 44’s diversification away from traditional free-to-air channels, cementing Community Television’s future in the Australian media landscape.
The anticipated decision comes in the wake of the government’s decision to wind up Channel 31’s broadcasting licence, in order to free up their frequency for other use, as audiences continue to shift their presence online.
Stay up to date with what’s happening in and around Melbourne here.
With the careers of some of Australia’s media stalwarts such as Rove McManus, Waleed Aly, Nazeem Hussain, Emmylou MacCarthy, and Tommy Little all being traced back to Community Television, the CTV+ app will continue to uphold Community TV’s dedication to fostering Australia’s next TV greats.
The CTV+ app enters the streaming service arena with a well-established audience base with one in 10 Melburnians and one in five Adelaideans currently engaging with Community Television per month (2022). With Channel 31 alone seeing 1.2 million viewers over the 2021/22 summer period (Dec-Feb 2022), audience data highlights the steady demand for hyper-local and community-relevant content across the two state’s capitals.
Boasting an impressive 28-year history that has seen over 150,000 individual Australian-made programs air across both stations, Channels 31 and 44 have held an important role in the Australian media landscape. Not only will the CTV+ platform continue to herald Australian-made content but will remain an invaluable space for the growth of up-and-coming talent.
“We are incredibly excited to be launching the first national Community TV app, CTV+, in partnership with C44 in Adelaide,” Channel 31’s general manager Shane Dunlop said.
“This new broadcast video-on-demand platform will allow our audiences to view hyperlocal content anywhere, at any time. Despite the challenges we have faced over the past few years, Community TV stations in Melbourne and Adelaide continue to produce high-quality, uniquely local and culturally diverse content which has cemented us as a vital part of the Australian media sector. The CTV+ app will expand our reach beyond metro Melbourne to engage new audiences and program makers in regional Victoria and interstate.”
There are over 80 programs currently available, and with over 100+ slated for the platform’s Smart TV app launch in early 2023.
Viewers can tune in for expert furniture-making tips on Woodworking Masterclass or discover their new favourite local band on MUUZOSTREAM. If they’re looking for a little travel inspiration, viewers can join comedian Annie Louey on a whistlestop tour of their own backyard on Rediscover Victoria or be inspired by the tantalizing cuisines of Italy with Caterina Borsato on Regional Italian Cuisine.
Funded by C31 and C44 with the support of the Victorian Government (VicScreen, Creative Vic) and the Community Broadcasting Foundation, the CTV+ app has set impressive growth targets to ensure the platform remains connected and aligned to the local audiences it caters to.
With the rise of international streaming services across the country (that are currently held to no obligation to show Australian content) the CTV+ platform will remain integral to ensuring that Australian programming continues to connect with local communities and foster up-and-coming talent for decades to come.
The CTV+ app launched nationally today (24 August) and is available through the App Store (Apple) and soon through Google Play (Android).
For more information, please visit www.ctvplus.org.au.
