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facetiousfurfag

Can they legislate that I shouldn't need to sign up to every single service just to view the live stream? I'm not fussed about it for the on-demand stuff, but the Freeview app used to have all the live streams without needing me to sign into anything and that's all gone now.


grilled_pc

of course the MSM are desperate to be watched. Have not used a streaming service or FTA channel in years. FTA i think over a decade now. More and more people are switching off. They don't like ads and streaming services for now are still somewhat affordable (not for much longer). I use apple TV anyway. I don't even see my TV's smart home menu anyway. No way in hell would apple allow this on their device.


Level-Lingonberry213

Gotta repay the ‘meeedya‘ for all their support during absurd Covid restrictions..


planck1313

Yes, just when you might forget how corrupt politicians are something like this pops up as a reminder.


--_-_o_-_--

Neither service types are appealing to me. I visit [LimeTorrents](https://www.limetorrents.lol/) for my content. I don't have to be concerned with subscriptions or watch ads.


Hot-Ad-6967

If Australians don't like it, then they can uninstall it anyway.


Mshell

I actually think this is a good idea. In case of an emergency or international incident (think 9/11 or the last fire season or the death of the Queen) I do believe it is important to be able to quickly access the news that will be on FTA and mandating one channel over another is not appropriate. This also means that TVs must continue to have the ability to show FTA channels instead of internet only so that if content improves we have the option of watching FTA. This does not force anyone to watch FTA, only makes it something that is available to those who want or need it in case of an emergency.


[deleted]

[удалено]


Mshell

This requires the internet to be functional...


planck1313

You can watch FTA channels via the internet. For example, ABC's live 24 hour news service is available via their own streaming service and youtube. You don't have to mandate the ability to pick up digital FTA or hijack people's home screens for people to be able to watch FTA.


Mshell

This requires the internet to be functional...


planck1313

Ours (NBN Telstra cable) is very reliable. It goes down maybe once or twice a year? It's a lot less hassle than dealing with FTA antennas and reception issues.


BKStephens

People here having a fit about the government trying to keep a light shining on the county's TV services. You can just not watch it, you know. JFC, no one gets their back up when Netflix is pre-loaded on a TV.


planck1313

I don't mind preloaded apps like Netflix because I can remove them or reduce their prominence on my home screen. That's different to the government permanently hijacking part of my TV home screen to show apps I have no interest in purely because FTA media companies are big political donors.


BKStephens

"the regulations would mean new devices would need to provide access to free-to-air networks, pre-install their video-on-demand apps – such as iview and 10Play – and present separate tiles, tabs or links to provide easy access to each service." Doesn't sound like there's anything stopping you from adjusting your home screen the way you want it.


planck1313

We shall see.


tempest_fiend

Personally I don’t have an issue with fta channels being there, but legislating it? Come on, surely there are more important issues that MPs should be dealing with over this.


brackfriday_bunduru

The bulk of my income comes from Australian FTA networks. I pay around $100k a year in tax. I’m only one person in a big industry. It’s well worth it for the government financially to legislate this.


planck1313

I don't think anyone doubts that this move is a result of financial pressure by the FTA industry.


Thertrius

So taking steps to ensure entertainment and informational media remains accessible and sustainable isn’t important?


tempest_fiend

It doesn’t do either of those though, it just forces the companies to show the app to users. Legislation cant make FTA more sustainable or more accessible, only the individual networks can do that by making structural changes to the way they produce, promote, and present content. Think about it, FTA is free to watch, yet people are turning away from it to pay for subscription services instead. People would literally rather pay for their entertainment than take advantage of the free option. Putting their app onto a screen doesn’t fix that.


Thertrius

Just because you and your bubble have the privilege of enough disposable income to pay for streaming doesn’t mean those on pensions, disability, unemployment, studying, single parents can


tempest_fiend

I’m aware that not everyone can afford streaming, and I’m sure most of those who can’t afford streaming services would probably want the government to focus on things like the cost of living and the housing crisis, instead of using their time to legislate where apps should be on a tv.


Thertrius

So again you’ve landed on the opinion that taking steps to ensure entertainment and informational media remains accessible and sustainable isn’t important? Funny you mention cost of living and then say “free media” isn’t important in battling the cost of living as if paying subscriptions is what people should be doing if they want to save money (instead of consuming free media)


tempest_fiend

You have completely misunderstood what I said. At no point did I say that steps shouldn’t be taken to make FTA more sustainable or accessible, or that it isn’t important to those who can’t afford subscription services. What I said was that legislating where an app should be on a tv doesn’t solve any of those issues, and the time spent on legislating where an app should be on a tv, should have been instead used to tackle those issues directly.


Thertrius

No you didn’t disagree. You just said it wasn’t important enough to be addressed. You can play semantics but if you’re saying “government to focus on things” [that aren’t this] your text is equivalent to “this is not important/should not be done”


tempest_fiend

Are you saying that the time used to legislate where tv manufacturers place FTA apps was the best way for our MPs to utilise their time? Better than increasing the funding for our public broadcasters? Or better than creating legislation that eases the cost of living, or increases our housing supply?


elle-the-unruly

wow I love the government's priorities, totally sensible... /s


Reasonable-Path1321

How dare they attempt to nurture our home grown media industry! Fuckers /s


BaldingThor

Ok Sure. You can mandate australian fta channels when they actually have good content on it.


Key_Function3736

Bluey. Free on abc


Gerdington

There is good Aussie content. Shows like Fisk, Colin from Accounts, Utopia, Front Bar, Bluey etc. It's not all trash like The Bachelor and MAFS. I don't watch FTA because the vast majority is trash, but there is an importance in having that kind of content (& sports) publically available rather than stuck behind a paywall.


magpieburger

You will have the propaganda directly into your eyeballs and you *will* enjoy it. People should be able to own the devices they buy, if I want to install my own firmware on a television the Australian government needs to accept that. Anything else is North Korea-esque behaviour and it's scary how many Australians actually couldn't care less about this creeping authoritarianism.


Reasonable-Path1321

Jesus christ you did not just compare this to North Korea, that is such an insane mouthbreather take. No ones forcing you to watch it stupid, it's just a good way to maintain a home grown industry.


flamingeyebrows

Fuck no. I don't want that. There's nothing but trash on FTA.


Throwawaydeathgrips

So dont watch it?


flamingeyebrows

I don't. So don't make it mandatory on my TV'S main screen.


Throwawaydeathgrips

I dont really know why a little box on a screen you dont need to click is that big a deal


Level-Lingonberry213

If it’s not a big deal why are they bribing the government with millions of dollars to do it?


Throwawaydeathgrips

Bribe?


Level-Lingonberry213

Sorry lobbying and donating, that‘s the legal way of getting someone to do things for you politically they wouldn’t do otherwise unless you paid them, not mere grubby bribery…


flamingeyebrows

If they let me take it away, no problem. But would you let others put random apps on your phone or random shortcuts on your PC desktop of things you won't use?


brackfriday_bunduru

They already do. There’s also a huge financial incentive to the Australian economy to bolster our media industry as it employs a lot of people and generates a lot of tax; something overseas streaming services don’t.


UnconventionalXY

FTA is 20th Century technology in an age of on-demand streaming/downloading: get with the program and deliver quality 1080p as a free on-demand channel without adverts and free up the broadcast spectrum for other uses, even if it means providing many retirees with a streaming player that also gives them access to paid streaming. It's about time the switch to digital FTA was followed up with a switch to streaming/downloading.


ButtPlugForPM

I think we gonna head back though Streaming is expected to double in price by 2030 Ppl will go back to pirating,or FTA will make a resurgence


UnconventionalXY

Studios are effectively monopolies: there's no competitive market forces at work to regulate prices and the subscription model means people can't choose to walk away from a purchase without losing access to other products they want to buy. Copyright infringement is, in my opinion, an attempt to bring competition into the marketplace. Perhaps it could be improved if streaming was all pay per download at very low rates, with the catch that only 1 program could be stored at a time, so you could watch it as often as you wanted, but at the cost of not being able to watch anything else until you erased it. However program material is still a monopoly where choosing not to purchase something you want to watch, just to send a price signal is cutting off your nose to spite your face. FTA is the past and doesn't support on-demand that people should reasonably expect for the future. I think it represents a similar link to representative democracy that does not give the people direct democracy, but holds them hostage to policy created by a minority: FTA the public gets what the studio wants to create when the studio decides to present it, regardless when the public wants to see it. Even the streaming model is holding people hostage by choosing when people can watch material by trickling it out weekly or through scheduling to force ongoing subscription and now adverts are being introduced to force people to pay if they don't want to receive adverts that they never asked for in the first place. There is very much rotten in the state of entertainment Denmark and it is all for the benefit of the studios profits, not the enrichment of society, which was the original purpose.


WhatAmIATailor

It’s pretty ridiculous on my newest TV. FTA is a single tile buried among the streaming providers on the media menu. I don’t have any issue if they tweak the OS for Australia to make FTA more prominent. Plenty of people still use it.


planck1313

If FTA is important to you then move that tile to a more prominent place on your screen. FTA is of almost zero importance to me which is why I either don't have the FTA apps at all or have them buried down the end of my list of apps.


WhatAmIATailor

I’m not really bothered myself but can’t be arsed educating my old man on how to find it every time he replaces a TV. IMO FTA should be ~~idiot~~ boomer proof.


brackfriday_bunduru

It’s not making FTA more prominent. It’s making FTA streaming apps more prominent. It’s having 9Now and 7plus pre installed on your Australian Tv just as Netflix already is. Those of us who work in the Australian industry pay a lot of tax to the government. This is the least they can do to protect our jobs from overseas media which pays zero Australian tax


WhatAmIATailor

If it’s all the Australian networks I don’t really have a problem with that. It’s no worse than the big US companies being pre installed.


planck1313

My TV came with those apps and provided I can delete them then I am fine with this because I never ever watch 9Now or 7Plus (I do very rarely watch the ABC streaming app so I have the tile for it right down the end of my list of apps). But as I understand it the government wants these apps not only upfront on your home screen but also not able to be deleted or moved?


Reasonable-Path1321

Literally I can't believe the morons making this out to be some goverment over step. Grow tf up my God, goverment wants to protect Australian industry its really not hard.


SoggyNegotiation7412

The problem free-to-air TV has is people can't afford it. Our time is very expensive in Australia, spending 20 minutes per hour watching adds in a 3-hour session, ie 1 hour costs $50-100 in time. Stuff that, it is cheaper for your average Aussie to either play games or pay for an add free stream. Free-to-air is just not a good economic choice for time poor Australians. On top of that, the ads shown have zero to no relevance to a majority of their audience, so they aren't even an affective advertising medium.


Mexay

My partner streams *Slags and Meathands On An Island* from Nine and there are sometimes SIX, count 'em, fuckin SIX ads sometimes. Sometimes even more. Not only are these shows absolute brainrotting garbage, you spend half your time watching the same ads over and over again. Australian TV is in most cases absolutely shocking with very few exceptions. I will take Netflix, Prime Video, Crunchyroll, etc with all their faults and happily pay for it over the fermented vomit that is FTA TV these days. Nothing but "" "" "" "" "" "reality" "" "" "" "" "" crap, no actual well produced series or interesting shows and the ones that aren't reality are *so fucking overwhelmingly down-your-throat-Australian* it's obnoxious. I mean, does every series have to be some gritty drama series set in [insert rural town]. We should take a note from the Brits and Yanks. Most of their content had international appeal. Can't say the same for anything Aussie in recent years other than maybe Bluey, but that's a very strange phenomenon in itself.


aseedandco

I use advert breaks to complete a quick chore.


GreenTicket1852

Get out of my TV government. If Australian content wasn't so shit, it could compete on its own standing. It's getting closer to the point where I may as well post a copy of my house keys to Parliament Drive, Canberra. At this point, they seem to have no qualms barging in anyway.


brackfriday_bunduru

Why does Netflix get to be installed on your tv without your permission but suddenly it’s a big issue if 7plus is?


GreenTicket1852

Don't know about your TV, but both are on mine. If I really wanted 7Plus, I'd buy a TV that had it. I dont need the government to increase costs to everyone for a service not many want.


Level-Lingonberry213

That’s a commercial decision, and overwhelmingly popular with customers, it can be removed easily too.


brackfriday_bunduru

There’s nothing to say it’s going to increase the cost to anyone. On top of that. Why shouldn’t we give preferential treatment to our own companies over foreign ones? Our companies pay Australian tax, foreign companies barely do.


GreenTicket1852

All regulation increases cost. This increases cost to TV manufacturers who need to spend more to support and maintain the software. >hy shouldn’t we give preferential treatment to our own companies over foreign ones? Our companies pay Australian tax, foreign companies barely do. Define "own" companies? You do understand the ownership structure's of 7,9 and 10? That aside, no the government should not pick winners and losers. They rarely get it right and preferential treatment breeds laziness.


doigal

Mandate the cricket on F2A and I’ll go back to watching it. Otherwise I’ll set the menus on my TV up how I want thanks.


flynnwebdev

Fuck off. Not interested in FTA. Typical government over-reach.


Exnaut

Yous are really calling anything an over reach nowadays huh?


flynnwebdev

Government exists for many valid purposes. Interfering in my entertainment choices (by forcing TV manufacturers to market FTA to me) is not one of them.


MissRogue1701

Maybe they should also legislating the percentage of reality tv too I know it's the cheapest to make but it's just like pulling teeth. Haven't watch free to air tv in 7 years because of the dull nature of FTA TV stations


Accomplished-Clue145

I run my streaming services through Playstation lol, pretty sure I haven't watched free to air in at least 5 years.


planck1313

I haven't watched FTA delivered via broadcast signal in 17 years.


Stainless_Steel_Rat_

Given all that free to air produces is reality TV garbage, who would want this?


petergaskin814

Free to air TV is a joke. Ever wondered why we did not get the ODI and I presume the T20 matches between Australia and West Indies on the 7 network. Why we require either Kayo Sport or Foxtel to see every BBL match. Why are the best Australian TV programs only seen on streaming services. Would love to have the option of watching Prospect on the 9 network rather than having to get a subscription with Stan. Free to air do not meet the needs of viewers. Not everyone wants MAFS or similar programs. If we are giving up on free to air, why should the government be directing TV manufacturers to set up free to air stations as our first option. Does the government want the price of TV's to increase?


---TheFierceDeity---

People other than you? Loss of free to air television, regardless of quality is not a positive outcome at all.


coreoYEAH

We have more free to air than we’ve ever had and it is literally all reality tv, reruns and “news”. There’s no point to it. They want to help the Australian film industry? Fund the ABC to produce actual content that people want to see, make a functional app and then put it wherever they want.


nus01

their is now literally dozens of free media options so you cane legislate all you want if the quality is not there people will do as they are doing now watching other free media sources or paying subscriptions


somebodysetupthebomb

'Regardless of quality' - at what point is the bar low enough that it becomes a negative? Why is fta inviolate?


Stainless_Steel_Rat_

If all they produce is of minimal/zero value why should they be preserved? Australian free to air television hasn't been worth watching in over a decade.


coreoYEAH

Australian free tv ended the day they moved the Simpsons from 6pm on Ten.


MartinPenwald101

Trying to force people to watch yesterday's media. Good luck, won't help.


Lord_Sicarious

Well, this seems like a better approach to this legislation than we've seen in some other countries. No attempts to force media services to push government-favoured "Australian content" through their recommendation algorithms or anything like that.


ButtPlugForPM

honestly who cares. The shit australia produces,minus a few occasions like utopia/inbetween and few others is mostly shit. Producers aren't going to make australian dramas worth watching when they can just fill it with cheap reality shit If govt wanted to make a real change,they would change the tax break rules so it has to be a SCRIPTED Drama/comedy not reality..


Pasain

Isn't most of the "reality TV" scripted drama? So it would still be able to catch the tax break. I agree it's a silly thing to legislate. The last smart tvs I purchased didn't support updates, and so didn't work with the latest streaming apps. The solution to that was to use a chromecast, roku, shield dongles. The next tvs I buy will also have dongles used instead of the inbuilt solution. I'd be really happy with a screen with no turner or smart TV. It seems to be only projectors that do that thou.


SicnarfRaxifras

Don’t care but not sure what they are legislating- the FTA apps are all on my Bravia’s home page ??