A new TV channel for Vienna
It took quite a while, but Vienna will finally have a non-commercial Community TV station, almost a quarter century after most of the Western world.
However, it is not the worst moment to start such a project. First, more people have access to video production than ever before. Decent video equipment has become affordable for many, digital publication on the Internet or on DVD is no rocket science anymore, and you will hardly find a new mobile phone or photo camera on the market that does not come with some video feature. Creating your own media was never easier.
Second, there is not much to watch on the other Austrian channels anymore. This is the chance – and the challenge – for Community TV. Still based on voluntary production work, it can aim to fill at least some of the gaps that public broadcasting and the commercial stations in Austria leave neglected: the arts, film avantgarde, alternative music, theatre, literature, science and humanities, or programmes in languages of migrant communities.
Starting today, I will blog about the becoming of Vienna’s new TV station, presenting concepts, programmes, people and the large number of ways to get involved. And yes, I am not concealing that I am part of the station’s staff. So I can’t help this to be promotional. Hopefully.
After half a decade of tv-free living, I’m afraid that this might force me to buy one of those dreaded devices again… *sigh* Best of luck with the project, Robert, can’t wait to see how it develops :)
Good Luck, Robert.
Thank you.
wow, never heard of that project, will i be able to receive it over the internet? or maybe dsat?
There will be a livestream of the cable channel 24/7, plus downloads for all programmes that can be put under a Creative-Commons-License. DVB-Sat: not in the near future.
that’s really really cool! there’s an aerial somewhere on my house and a connector somewhere in my living room, so in theory i could get a cable and wire my TV up, but the cable company refused to wire me up (in the middle of the city, egregious!), so i have to put up with dsat and don’t want to bother connecting the analog stuff too. but a ‘net stream is way better anyway, i’ll be able to watch from anywhere. looking forward to it!
update: the station is live now (on telekabel), it’s called okto, and the online livestream should be available in 2 to 3 weeks. downloads: no idea … some time next year?
oh, and could someone please bring mr. stachel back? he didn’t keep his promise to keep us posted. as if getting a new TV station off the ground and doing a couple of TV and radio shows and stage productions took up so much of his time … pah! ;-)
Thank you, nex, for the update. I am afraid I missed the opportunity to announce Okto myself here. Will try harder to keep the promise…
unfortunately, the update became partly obsolete hours after i posted it. i was e-mailed a second opinion from another okto employee than the one who first replied, and was informed that the technical implementation is pretty much ready, but because legal stuff has to be sorted out, the livestream will probably launch some time in january. i hope that when the on-demand-functionality is on-line, there will be an archive, so i can check out what i missed.
Gr