Southern Cross Media has announced the digital channels that it will be launching in the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions in 2011 after the shutdown of local analogue transmissions.
As part of the recent arrangements between regional broadcasters and the Federal Government in extending the commercial networks’ digital multi-channels to remote and regional areas, Southern Cross Media will be launching channels 7TWO, 7mate, GO!, GEM and One in Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill.
Southern Cross Media’s Victoria/South Australian Group General Manager Rick Lenarcic said the channels should be on air in the first half of 2011:
“With analogue TV switching off we will have the transmission capacity to
start these new digital channels in the first half of next year. We expect to have the first of them on air early in the new year and hopefully all will be available by the end of June 2011”
Southern Cross is still in negotiation with Network Ten about carriage of the new entertainment channel, 11, which launches in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth on 11 January.
The broadcaster, which has a commercial monopoly in the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions, recently launched a local broadcast of the Nine Network, exclusively in digital, to complement its existing channels Southern Cross GTS/BKN (affiliated to the Seven Network) and Southern Cross Ten.
Local analogue transmissions of Southern Cross GTS/BKN, Southern Cross Ten and national broadcasters ABC and SBS will cease on 15 December.
Source: SC Media
