MDV (TV station)

This article is about the Australian television station. For other uses, see MDV.

MDV was a joint venture television station between Seven West Media and WIN Corporation. Based in Mildura, Victoria, Australia, it was a digital-only Network 10 affiliate for most of its history. It began broadcasting on 1 January 2006 and ceased transmission on 30 June 2024.

MDV

Mildura, Victoria
Channels	Digital: 10 (VHF)
Programming
Affiliations	10
Ownership
Owner	Seven West Media (50%) WIN Corporation (50%) (Mildura Digital Television Pty Ltd)
History
First air date	1 January 2006; 19 years ago (2006-01-01)
Last air date	30 June 2024; 7 months ago (2024-06-30)
Former channel number(s)	Digital: 33 (UHF) (2006–2014)
Former affiliations	Ten (2006–2016, 2021–2024) Nine (2016–2021)
Call sign meaning	Mildura Digital (Television), Victoria
Technical information
Licensing authority	Australian Communications & Media Authority
ERP	50 kW
HAAT	164 m[1]
Transmitter coordinates	34°22′47″S 142°11′18″E

History

MDV began broadcasting on 1 January 2006 as Ten Mildura, jointly owned by the incumbent broadcasters WIN Corporation and Prime Television Limited.^[2] In January 2009, Macquarie Media Group tried to exchange a 50% stake in Mildura Digital Television from Prime Television, with its 50% stake in Darwin Digital Television, after losing a court challenge in late 2008 and advising the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission.^[3] However, Macquarie won its court appeal about selling Darwin Digital Television in exchange for MDV, on 12 January 2009.^[4]

On 1 July 2016, due to WIN Television becoming the Network Ten affiliate in the region, MDV switched its affiliation to the Nine Network^[5] and rebranded as Nine Mildura.

On 1 July 2021, due to WIN Television becoming the Nine Network affiliate in the region,^[6] MDV switched back its affiliation to Network 10. On 31 December 2021, one of the joint-venture partners of MDV, Prime Media Group, was acquired by Seven West Media.^[7]

Closure

On 8 May 2024, it was announced that MDV would cease broadcasting on 30 June 2024 due to continued financial losses.^[8][9] WIN claimed in a FAQ posted to their website about the closure that the station had been unprofitable since it began, and that no job losses would result from the closure.^[10]

In early June, MDV began to air a commercial advising viewers of the closure, directing them to the same FAQ website.^[10][11]

On 30 June 2024, Mildura Digital Television went to air for the final time, ceasing operations just past midnight during a re-run of the day's broadcast of The Project, thus ending operations of MDT after 18 years.^[12] Following the final broadcast, the MDT license was handed back to the Australian Communications and Media Authority.

Availability

The station was a Network 10 affiliate for most of its history, which is jointly owned by Seven West Media and WIN Television. MDV is available on LCN 5 in the Mildura and Sunraysia area in standard-definition.

10's multichannels 10 HD (which is 10's main channel in high definition), as well as 10 Bold Drama and 10 Peach Comedy were available on LCN 50, LCN 51 and LCN 52 respectively. Before the 2021 affiliation swapback, Nine's multichannels 9Gem (in high definition) and 9Go! were available on LCN 50 and LCN 55 respectively.^[13] Before MDV's affiliation change on 1 July 2016, Ten's multichannels One and Eleven were available on LCN 50 (from 1 December 2009 for One)^[14] and LCN 55 (from 11 January 2011 for Eleven in Mildura)^[15] respectively.

WIN was responsible for handling playout and then transmits this signal via satellite to transmission facilities in Mildura. WIN also handled the business administration and used to handle the national advertising sales for MDV, until 1 July 2022 when Southern Cross Austereo took over national sales. Local sales remained unchanged, with WIN's sale team continuing to support local businesses in Mildura.^[16]

The Mildura/Sunraysia region changed frequencies as part of a nationwide retune process on 26 August 2014, and the station moved from UHF 33 to VHF 10 as a result of the retune.^[17]

LCN	Service
5	10
50	10 HD
51	10 Bold Drama
52	10 Peach Comedy

See also

• DTD (TV station)
• TDT (TV station)
• CDT (TV station)
• West Digital Television

References

1. HAAT estimated from http://www.itu.int/SRTM3/ using EHAAT.
2. "TEN Digital commences in Mildura". Digital Broadcasting Australia. 1 January 2006. Archived from the original on 4 July 2006. Retrieved 8 May 2024 – via National Library of Australia.
3. Steffens, Miriam (7 January 2009). "Broadcasters to swap TV stakes". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
4. Steffens, Miriam (13 January 2009). "Court victory for Mac Media". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Fairfax Media. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
5. Mitchell, Jake (28 June 2016). "Nine reaches affiliate deal to run signal into regional Victoria". The Australian. Sydney: News Corp Australia. Retrieved 28 June 2016.
6. "Nine changes regional TV partners and signs deal with WIN". Mediaweek. 12 March 2021. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
7. Danckert, Sarah (2 January 2022). "Seven completes Prime deal as executives exit". The Sydney Morning Herald. Sydney: Nine Entertainment. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
8. Burrows, David (8 May 2024). "Mildura Digital Television Pty Ltd to shut down". River 1467. Mildura: ARN Media. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
9. Griffiths, Neil (9 May 2024). "Network 10 calls on PM to urgently intervene as Mildura Digital TV set to shut down". Mumbrella. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
10. "Mildura 10 Closure". WIN Television. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
11. Knox, David (4 June 2024). "Mildura Digital Television to hand back licence to ACMA". TV Tonight. Archived from the original on 30 June 2024. Retrieved 30 June 2024.
12. "Final Moments Of Mildura Digital Television - 30/6/24". 30 June 2024. Retrieved 19 December 2024.
13. "New channels from 1 July 2016". Nine On 5. Southern Cross Austereo. Archived from the original on 6 August 2016. Retrieved 22 May 2024.
14. Knox, David (17 November 2009). "Mildura adds ONE HD". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
15. Knox, David (11 January 2011). "ELEVEN is on the air". TV Tonight. Retrieved 12 May 2024.
16. "SCA announce sales representation in regional Western Australia and Mildura". Mediaweek. 5 May 2022. Retrieved 8 May 2024.
17. "Channel change timetable" (PDF). Department of Communications. 4 November 2014. Archived from the original (PDF) on 12 December 2014. Retrieved 22 May 2024.