Television Sydney

Infobox TV channel
name = TVS
logofile = TVS Logo.svg
logosize = 150px
logoalt = TVS Logo
launch = February 20 2006
slogan = "Sydney's New Free-TV Channel"
picture format = 576i (PAL)
owner =
web = [http://www.tvs.tv/ www.tvs.tv]
broadcast area = Sydney, Wollongong, Southern Highlands, Springwood, Central Coast
terr serv 1 = Analogue
terr chan 1 = "Tuned to 31"

TVS, or Television Sydney ( [http://www.tvs.tv] ), (call sign TSN-31), is a free-to-air community television station broadcasting in Sydney, Australia on UHF channel 31. It is backed by the University of Western Sydney and Metro Screen.

TVS is promoted as Sydney's newest free-to-air TV channel.

Since its opening on 20 February 2006, TVS has been broadcasting 24 hours a day 7 days a week. Despite a very limited marketing budget the channel is progressively creating a loyal audience with a year-on-year ratings increase of 26 percent as at July 2008 according to the station's management (source OzTAM).

TVS has a 20kW analogue transmitter and uses the same Broadcast Australia tower as the ABC and SBS located at Gore Hill. The channel provides coverage across most of Sydney, with reports of clear reception from locations as far south as Wollongong, in the lower Blue Mountains and on the Central Coast. The transmitter is slightly weaker than that of SBS, however some viewers report stronger signal reception for TVS than for SBS.

As with the other community stations TVS is currently negotiating with the Federal Government which has indicated that it plans to allocate digital spectrum for community television in the near future.

TVS has a broadcast operations centre on the UWS media campus. The station's fully digital automation system is based on the Playbox ( [http://www.playbox.tv] ) software.

The focus is on Sydney-specific programming with some programs sourced from interstate community channels and from professional program makers. Genuine not-for-profit community based program makers receive free airtime.

The TVS program line-up is based on a "modified wheel" concept where programs are run several times in the same week to allow audiences a choice of viewing times. The station's program schedule is published on the station's website, in most Australian electronic program guides (EPG) and in the Sydney Morning Herald and the Daily Telegraph.

TVS accepts sponsorship advertising and has an external sales and sponsorship agent, Stenmark Media Brokers ( [http://www.mediabrokers.com.au] ). It also sells program airtime (a maximum of eight hours per day as permitted under its licence conditions).

The channel has engaged a small team of paid employees and volunteers (many of them media students) and is headed up by former Seven Network executive Laurie Patton as CEO, Henri de Gorter (Program Manager) and Ian Sneddon (Operations Manager).

TVS is a founding member of the Australian Community Television Alliance ( [http://www.community.tv] ).

External links

* [http://www.tvs.org.au/ TVS]
* [http://www.mediabrokers.com.au/ Stenmark Media Brokers]
* [http://www.community.tv/ Australian Community Television Alliance]
* [http://www.uws.edu.au/ University of Western Sydney]
* [http://www.playbox.tv/ Playbox]

See also

* Television broadcasting in Australia
* Channel 31
* Australian Community Television Alliance