An Australian Television Blog and Podcast

How Freeview Should Be Done

We all know about the whole freeview debacle. 10 are really the only network to be launching their extra channel so far. If all the networks truly did combine together freeview should be done as follows:

Here is how I would do it:

ABC 
Stays normal, we love it how it is, let’s keep it that way

ABC2 
Same as above, they have a few extra shows plus some repeats of ones you missed, they do a good job of it, hopefully it will continue to grow.

ABCHD(3) 
I’m not sure whether ABC will have an HD channel but this should be a channel dedicated to kids. Get remakes of all the old kids tv shows, plus the new. They early morning slots would be for the real young ones with shows such as play school, and other educational shows. The afternoon slots with Degrassi new and old, plus other rollercoaster shows currently on ABC1. With evening slots filled with pre-teen shows such as Kyle XY, Secret Life of the American Teenager, Icarly, Greek etc. Sort of like an ABC family/Nick at Nite/Nickoldeon evenings.

SBS 
Keep the same, no problems there.

SBS(2) 
Make it like ABC2, with lots of reruns plus a few extra new shows if they can.

SBSNews 
All the news from around the world, every hour a news service from a different country. Including other English speaking nations such as US News, UK News etc.

Seven 
Same as normal

Seven(2) 
With Seven(2) I’m going to be realistic, for there to be 3 stations for each FTA network it simply isn’t going to work as there won’t be enough content. Seven(2) should be a lifestyle/Documentary network. This could be filled with both repeated and new programs from all 3 FTA networks combined. For example Lifestyle – Great Outdoors, Getaway, Bondi Rescue and Crime Investigation Australia daytime repeats. The evenings would be filled with Documentaries these could be from National Geographic, Crime and Investigation Network Premiere type shows and Informational shows. Any shows not played out on either of the Free to Air networks that are of the lifestyle/documentary category would be dumped to this network to be played in the evening slots.

SevenHD 
Would be the same as Seven regular however it would be +2 hours. This would give the people who love watching their shows in the top notch quality of HD the opportunity to do so, plus give viewers the option of catching something if they got home to late.

Nine 
Same as regular.

Nine(2) 
9 would have the Drama, Comedy and Reality Channel. During the day and night it would be filled with repeats of your favourite shows. This would include all 9s current comedy crop – The Nanny, Seinfeld, Just Shoot me etc could be repeated throughout the day. Plus other dumped comedies from other stations such as Will and Grace, King of Queens etc. Reality TV could also be plus in the possible evening slots, UK and US Big Brother, US American Idol, X-factor, Celebrity Apprentice could all be a big part of this network. Even if it was months after it would give people an opportunity to watch these shows at night. Any of the axed shows on other stations would slot somewhere on this channel to finish up preferably in the evening slots.

NineHD 
Again like 7HD would be 2 hours in advance.

10 
Keep the same

10(2) 
Same as the HD channels for 7 and 9 except in SD. If the government gives the networks the opportunity to have every station viewed in HD then this should be done in HD too.

10HD 
Should be the sport station which is the only thing that is changing so far with freeview.

I feel with these changes it would work perfectly keeping everyone happy.

Feel free to leave feedback and other suggestions.