ABC Kids and FlyTV Resurrection Funding

  • Author:
    n/a
  • Send To:
    The Australian House of Representatives, the Australian Senate & Russell Balding
  • Sponsored By:
    Australian Digital Television Viewers
  • More Info at:
Are you the Author?
We, the undersigned, hereby request additional funding to be granted to the Australian Broadcasting Corporation by the Federal Government to resurrect the additional Digital Television Channels: ABC Kids and Fly TV. Due to the cutbacks in the 2003 Federal Budget, ABCs Managing Director Russell Balding announced that the extra digital channels would be closed down. In a press release he said that his decision was made with the full knowledge of the Federal Government, even after requests for additional funding were submitted.

The multi-channelling provided by the ABC over the past 3 years has created a feasible incentive for the average Australian to purchase a Digital TV Set Top Box and receive additional content. Without this incentive the uptake of DTV in Australia can only be harmed, which contrary to the Governments original intention. The locally produced content supplied on Fly gave Australian youth a high quality of entertainment and educational viewing. It also offered a wide reaching visual medium for local artists to showcase their creative talent. 38 full time positions were also effected due to this decision.

This petition aims to provide Australian Digital TV viewers and Australian Youth with a united voice to communicate to parliament so the extent of their budgetary decisions for the ABC can be realised and hopefully reversed.

5812 Signatures

  • Jimmy Smith
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • 26/5/2003 - This is a sad day for Digital Television in Australia. Please sign this petition to add your voice to a cause that will hopefully contribute to the revival of Fly and Kids.
  • Mark Shaw
    • State
    • Victoria
    • Comments
    • I was about to buy a STB. Now I'm not.
  • Terry Mason
    • State
    • WA
    • Comments
    • Just about to purchase an STB for my kids. Will have to shelve that now.
  • Martin Hughes
    • State
    • South Australia
  • PETER TRAIANOS
    • State
    • VIC
  • David Bailey
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • ABC Kids and Fly provide valuable and innovative services to our young people
  • Ted Harper
    • State
    • NSW
  • Steven Ford
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Andrew Clifton
    • State
    • NSW
  • Michael Mordaunt
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Rina Mordaunt
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Alex Mayo
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • If the govt wants to increase takeup of DVB-T then they should be funding such initiatives as Fly and Kids.
  • Ron Bingham
    • State
    • Victoria
    • Comments
    • Isn;t the government supposed to be supporting Digital TV?
  • Steve Young
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Lauren Kirkwood
    • State
    • Queensland
  • George M Clark
    • State
    • Western Australia
    • Comments
    • I would like to add LCN23, TV4, and DigRadio to the petition.
  • Mark Sales
    • State
    • NSW
  • Kristan Beardwood
    • State
    • Tasmania
  • Noel Pearson
    • State
    • South Australia
  • Louis Solomon
    • State
    • Vic
    • Comments
    • Fly TV rulez
  • David Bird
    • State
    • Qld
  • Cathy Teece
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • our children will be very disappointed
  • Zacha Rosen
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • Will miss the possibility of ABC News Extra particularly.
  • Michael Costello
    • State
    • Victoria
    • Comments
    • As an owner of a Digital Box, I fully agree with this petition. The extra channels provided by ABC TV must be funded.
  • Andrew Ainsbury
    • State
    • QLD
    • Comments
    • The governments handling of both DTV and the funding of the ABC smacks of the left hand not knowing what the right is doing.
  • chris
    • State
    • Vic
  • Deidre Fletcher
    • State
    • SA
  • John Grono
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • Shame on the Liberal Federal Government !!! How about investing in the FUTURE ... our kids and new technology ... instead of wasting taxpayers money with your anti-terrorism magnet and gloves ... which would have run ABC digital for a couple of years !!!
  • Mark Saunders
    • State
    • QLD
  • David Fumberger
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Jeff Wright
    • State
    • NSW
  • Donna Andrews
    • State
    • NSW
  • Michelle Chantrill
    • State
    • NSW
  • Damon Redfern
    • State
    • WA
    • Comments
    • My Kid use ABC Kids everyday.
  • Josh
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • i bought a digital box 2 years ago for $700 - fat load of good it is now...
  • Peter Challand
    • State
    • QLD
  • Alexander Belford
    • State
    • Western Australia
  • Chris Clutterbuck
    • State
    • Western Australia
    • Comments
    • Yet another step backwards for DTV in Austraila
  • Andrew Lamond
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • Fly was excellent - I bought a set top box to get it
  • Kylie Haldane
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • I am getting digital TV in two weeks. I was looking forward to it.
  • Paul Farmer
    • State
    • NSW
  • Robert Sturrock
    • State
    • Victoria
  • Amber Heyward
    • State
    • NSW
  • Harris
    • State
    • Queensland
    • Comments
    • There should be more digital programs available
  • David Jenkins
    • State
    • NSW
  • Peter Griffiths
    • State
    • WA
    • Comments
    • Keep the kids off the street!
  • qwitchibo
    • State
    • QLD
    • Comments
    • Politics and Politicians in this country are truly farked up. I'm going to NZ :).
  • Richard Cairns
    • State
    • NSW
    • Comments
    • This when Alston is arguing the other broadcasters are not promoting digital TV?!
  • Rick Dalton
    • State
    • Qld
    • Comments
    • We need the xtra chs to drive sales
  • g . little
    • State
    • nsw
    • Comments
    • incredulous