ABC to bring in a new channel but it's not Fly!

One of the things I used to love about being and early adopter of digital TV was FlyTV. It was an ABC run station focused on Youth programming. Basically it was like having triple j on your television 24-7. However, on June 30 2003 the programming (along with the dedicated abckids channel) were axed due to budget cuts. (detailed here in an article from The Sydney Morning Herald)

ABC takes the buzz out of digital TV

The ABC has pulled the plug on its digital multichannels, ABC Kids and Fly TV, making them the first casualties of the Government's decision not to boost the ABC's budget.

The 35 staff who work on Kids and Fly were told at 10am yesterday that the channels would be shut down on June 30. The ABC is negotiating with the union how many staff will lose their jobs and how many will be redeployed to other areas.

It was truly a sad day for Digital TV (let's face it apart from the better quality of the transmission this was the only thing you had to show off to your friends about Digital TV). The only dedicated Digital Channels gone forever.

But all is not lost. The ABC has announced that is will have a new Digital Sibling ABC2. Although it won't be a dedicated youth or kids station it's a step in the right direction for the digital network.

ABC television will have a younger sibling from March 7 in the form of ABC2, the broadcaster's new free-to-air digital channel. It's the second bite of the cherry for the ABC following the demise of its multichannel digital services ABC Kids and Fly TV in 2003, after the ABC was unable to secure additional funding for the channels. But ABC2 is assured of a longer life, with a business plan in place through to the 2009 financial year.

So don't despair early adopters you will soon be watching a new dedicated Digital Channel