Get a load of this!
To my knowledge, that is the first time I’ve been mentioned in the Parliament of Australia.
Thanks very much to Australian Labor MP for Fremantle Melissa Parke for standing up for community TV, and also to Greens Senator Scott Ludlum for sharing my opinion piece in The Age. As I predicted, it doesn’t look like the public will let the Abbott Government kill community television quite so easily.
Combined with the identical Sydney Morning Herald version, my article has now been shared more than 2000 times on Facebook. And the number of supporters on the Commit to Community TV website is now more than 15,000. Absolutely sensational.
In other news, Wednesday night was community television’s evening of evenings, with The Antenna Awards being held at Melbourne’s Federation Square and broadcast live on C31 Melbourne & Geelong.
The Antenna Awards are just like The Logies, except there’s an award for comedy, a host, and Richard Wilkins isn’t allowed within 500 yards of the red carpet. Also, as I discovered: no red carpet.
31 Questions Season 2 was nominated for Outstanding Comedy, but the honour went to Famous with Luis. Well deserved. As were all the winners on what was a very professionally-run event.
It’s disappointing the Antennas received virtually zero coverage in the mainstream press. However, Malcolm Turnbull did receive quite a few shout-outs.
I kinda forgot to take any photos on the night, so instead, here’s one of an amusing tin of sliced pineapple I saw the other day:
Maybe the coolest thing was having three strangers come up to me at the after party, and being introduced to the program coordinators at West TV Perth, Adelaide’s Channel 44 and TVS Sydney, all of whom I’ve been communicating with via email for 2 years, but until now had never met.
That, and the open bar.
Although the awards started in 2004, this was the first time they had been held since 2010. I hope they come back next year – partially so 31 Questions Season 3 gets a look in – but also because awards like this are important for the health of the TV industry.
Kind regards,
David M. Green
Antenna Award Nominee
