Help ACCESS31 Go Digital

UPDATE TO FRIDAY 27th JUNE 2008

Following the proceedings of the Members meeting at 2.00pm today, the Chairman of ACCESS 31 Hendy Cowan, has moved a motion to adjourn the meeting which proposed to Members to voluntarily wind up the Company.

A hopeful rescue package may be confirmed within the coming week, rescheduling the adjourned Members meeting to Thursday 3rd July 2008 at 2.00pm.

ACCESS 31 continues to maintain a positive outlook in confirming funding unto which time the Federal Government can secure a digital future for community television across Australia.

A massive thank you to all our supporters, please keep spreading the word on our petition.

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ORIGINAL PETITION POST: Jun 09, 2008

SUPPORT FOR ACCESS 31 - Community Television Perth

Thank you for wanting to help support your station ACCESS 31.

ACCESS 31, Perth’s first community television service commenced broadcasting on the 18th June 1999. At the same time and operating on only a one year open narrowcast licence, the company commenced and drove the national campaign to secure permanent community television licences. On the 1st May 2004, ACCESS 31 was awarded the first community television licence in Australia.

At about the same time the licence was awarded, digital television started to make its mark on the Australian media landscape. All free-to-airs except for community television were provided access to digital spectrum and significant Government funding to make their transition to digital. ACCESS 31 and the sector embarked again on a campaign to secure its rightful place in the digital media landscape.

After four years of watching our viability and audience being eroded by the take up of digital (now at 42% of Australian households, DA survey March 2008) and after four solid years of lobbying Government for a digital future, ACCESS 31 and the sector are no closer to digital. Community television still does not have;

a. Access to digital spectrum
b. Legislative change to allow it to go digital
c. Time frame to go digital
d. Funding for the transition to digital

Digital take up now at 42% and rising rapidly has eroded audiences and viability of the service to a point where the business model can no longer be sustained.

At a meeting of Directors on 27 May 2008, the CEO was directed to prepare a Declaration of Solvency and a Statement of Affairs within a week. At the end of this week a meeting of Directors was convened to formally propose to convene a meeting of members to pass a special resolution, placing the company into liquidation.

Over the next three weeks in the lead up to the members meeting it will provide the company a limited opportunity to try and rectify the situation.

The Board and Management continue to do everything in their power to lobby Government and others to allow the service to access digital spectrum and secure funding to allow it to continue to trade. Already we have a $250,000 commitment from Lotterywest but is subject to ACCESS 31 securing further funding from State, Commonwealth or other avenues.

It is important to note that this problem currently facing the station is not something that has just occurred and the Board had identified this issue of access to digital spectrum in its June 2003 Business Plan. The Board’s 2006 and 2007 Directors reports as well as audited financial reports provided at the members Annual General Meetings have included a number of references to the digital problem.

Other community stations in other states also find themselves in a similar situation where their viability has been eroded by digital takeup.

If you wish to help support ACCESS 31 - Community Television Perth we are coordinating a “Help - ACCESS 31- Go Digital” campaign.