Launched 31 July 1994 Owned by Briz 31 Ltd Country Australia | Closed 28 February 2017 Picture format 576i (SDTV) 16:9 Founded 1994 | |
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31 Digital was a community television station based in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. Its programming features five locally produced shows and shows produced by other community stations around the country. It is broadcast from the ABQ-2 transmitter tower on Mount Coot-tha. 31 offers newcomers to the media field an opportunity to gain experience before entering commercial broadcasting. The station also carries a number of programs originally developed at other community television stations in other states. 31 also broadcasts classic films and television programs, and the best in community made programming and original productions.
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After a long time of uncertainty, 31 went digital on 7 June 2010. With the discontinuation of analogue television services the station now broadcasts on 529.500 MHz.
History
Brisbane community television was formed by foundation members Wes Tatters, Ric Adams, Simon Bunker, Ben Morrisson and Cait Spreadborough. The station began broadcasting during a 2-week test transmission in 1992, during the opening of South Bank Parklands. During the broadcast week many different formats produced by the members went to air. Live footage from the opening of South Bank, member produced formats including a variety show On the Bed with Simon and Karen where guests were invite to come and sit on a bed in the studio in their pyjamas and be interviewed by the hosts.
The following two years were spent lobbying the ABA (Australian Broadcasting Authority) for permission to broadcast on a full-time basis and developing a draft funding model for the organisation. At this time there were no licence categories available except the experimental broadcasting category.
The station began broadcasting in the Brisbane area from Vulture Street Studios on 31 July 1994 as Briz 31 on analogue channel 31 after an arrangement was struck with Telstra to provide broadcasting facilities on Mount Coot-tha.
To reflect its expansion into other parts of Queensland outside of Brisbane, the station was renamed Channel 31 in October 2006. In 2007 the station had a major transmitter upgrade, which allowed it to reach another 40% of viewers mainly in Ipswich and the surrounding areas. In July 2008 the station was renamed QCTV for "Queensland Community Television". In November 2009 the station announced their intent return to the "31" name and was renamed 31 QCTV before being renamed simply 31 in April 2010. The station had announced in March 2010 that it would begin broadcasting in digital by 7 June 2010, and upon launching on digital channel 44 on 7 June 2010, the station was renamed 31 Digital. The station's analogue broadcast later ceased on 15 May 2011.
In September 2014, Australian federal communications minister Malcolm Turnbull announced that licensing for community television stations would end in December 2015. In September 2015, Turnbull, now Prime Minister, announced an extension of the deadline to 31 December 2016. The deadline was again extended to 30 June 2017 by Minister for Communications Mitch Fifield in December 2016. 31 Digital, like other community television stations, is moving operations online, and streams its channel live on their website which allows access to viewers outside of its traditional broadcast area.
31 Digital ceased broadcasting on television at 11:59PM on 28 February 2017, remaining available through its online services.
With this change in broadcast nature, the channel will rebrand itself as Queensland Online TV.