InACCESSible 31

Access 31 is doing a great job alienating local program producers; they're now demanding that all local producers *must* sign a contract of exclusivity with Access 31 for something like 3 years. That means you can't put your show to air anywhere else except 31, even though 31 doesn't want your locally produced programs in the first place. Remember, this is a community broadcaster.

So Access 31 is forcing producers to go to other broadcasters such as Foxtel's Aurora channel, and then punishing the producers when they do. Makes perfect sense, doesn't it.

But what are the local producers doing about it? Well, some of them have told Access to get fucked, and some of them are signing the new hastily rewritten contracts *and* broadcasting elsewhere anyway - after all, what's Access 31 going to do about it? Sue? They don't pay local producers in the first place.

It's bizarre when you consider that Aurora, interstate 31s, and even overseas community broadcasters are begging for programs (send us 12 DVDs, we'll pay postage!) but our own community station won't put you on unless you pay them to.

Someone should rename Access 31 to Inaccessible 31.

UPDATE: 19/09/2005
Here's an article in the Sunday Times on the subject.