Kicking the can?

RIVERLAND fans of the reality television juggernaut MasterChef, plus other programs such as Have You Been Paying Attention?, were given a last-minute reprieve from fears that free-to-air Channel 10 programming would have disappeared from the region’s households from this morning.

However, while similar in some ways to the situation seen last year surrounding the potential shutting off of Channel 7, the challenges involving Channel 10 seem to be intensified to a higher degree, and are reflective of the ongoing struggles most mainstream media outlets have been trying to navigate.

To what degree, though, have these challenges been self-inflicted? What new approaches have been implemented in order to counter the rapid rise of personal options presented through the convenience of streaming services?

When was the last time anything on Channel 10, or other free-to-air channels apart from the AFL, or Socceroos at the current World Cup, has been described to you as ‘must-see TV’?

Instead, on any given weeknight, those utilising free-to-air broadcasts are usually presented with the choice of watching the latest season of a long-running reality show such as Survivor, or I’m a Celebrity.

Even the much-publicised recent breakdown in the relationship between Channel 9 and former star personality Karl Stefanovic hints toward financial disagreements surrounding a very high-value contract in the background.

Karl’s estimated earnings of more than $2 million per year would undoubtedly been an increasing drain on Channel 9 resources, and the fact his termination occurred with just over six months remaining on his current deal seems to indicate that any re-negotiations may have been a little tense.

This same crossroads can be applied to the traditional cinema experience, where even the amount of box office revenue that can be generated from countless new instalments in superhero franchises is beginning to run thin.

The uphill battle for traditional is made even tougher in regional areas, where available advertising revenue is spread thinner. Does this mean all free-to-air services in such communities are being enjoyed on borrowed time?

It is evident that the issues surrounding streaming accessibility and functionality across the Riverland are lost by the more metropolitan-based decision makers, with the need to invest in better internet connections, or satellite-based services again presented as a last-resort solution. This is an option out of reach for many households in the region.

Are there new approaches to regional free-to-air broadcasting that can be explored within the new three-month timeframe? It seems more reasonable to expect to be back in this same position come September 30.