Television's Future Vision

Appendices

History of Open Access Cable Pty Limited

Open Access Cable was a communications company founded in 1992 that provided strategic advice and consultancy to a range of nonprofit and for-profit organisations and acted as an advocate in regards of access to and appropriate use of communications technologies. It was a founding member of Merlin Integrated Media in 1995 and became a trading name of 3V Pty Limited in 1998.

OAC was involved in setting up and operating alternative marketing and distribution channels, with particular emphasis on the social and cultural implications of the use of new technologies. OAC specialised in packaging, scheduling and presenting program and other televisual material.

It worked closely with the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, Metro Television in Sydney, Open Channel in Melbourne and the Australian Broadcasting Authority to organise public involvement in the start up of the Sixth Channel community television movement. It co-ordinated, under a consultancy to Telstra Corporation, a community and education trial access channel in Centennial Park, Sydney.

OAC contributed in an independent manner, and in some cases as an advocate for independent and community-based organisations, to over twenty federal government inquiries into media arts, innovation, media, broadcasting, economics and Australia's future and place in the world.

For more information on the 1991 to 1996 history of community TV see the Open Access Cable archive.

Objectives

OAC's main aim was to promote efficient and equitable implementation and operation of a public or community-managed nonprofit communications "backbone" or lifeline data dialtone in all domains of communications - "Tier Zero". This lifeline data dialtone would be available to all citizens at an affordable price, managed by non-government, community-based organisations at a local level, from local nodes or connection points.

The support of such a public data tier would assist in building an equitable, diverse and creative media, with many points of view and different voices. Because of its relevance, immediacy and connections to its many audiences it will increase community awareness and familiarity with new media and communications services.

It would also ameliorate the negative effects of corporatisation or privatisation of previously public owned assets such as transport and communications infrastructure, particularly Telstra (since largely sold off). These negative effects primarily concern the removal of the cross-subsidisation of "low profit" goods and services (services to the country, pensioners, public access to telephones, etc.) by "high profit" goods and services (long distance telephony, Pay TV, business, etc.), in particular the Community or Universal Service Obligations (USOs or CSOs) of carriers and telcos.

3V and Merlin Integrated Media

Merlin was an Australian Sydney-based consortium of independent media, film and television production companies, writers, programmers and media arts practitioners who came together to undertake projects and performances while continuing independently with their own work.

Merlin aims were for the creative combination or integration of many fields of knowledge and experience into a larger cluster or domain of activity and influence. We also supported creative and appropriate uses of technologies to further the cultural and social aims of those active at the margins of culture because of the diverse and innovative viewpoints they present through their work.

Merlin made practical contributions towards its aims by providing assistance to nonprofit and for-profit organisations in sorting out their communication needs and by creating unique websites for those organisations. Work on commercial sites supported our performances, technical and other assistance to artists and cultural organisations, applications and nonprofit site development, service provision and other activities.

Website work is largely ending as advertising companies and ISPs use loss leader strategies to undercut the market. In addition, university and government departments, using their government funding as an anti-competitive strategy to unfairly underprice their competitors, increasingly undercut independent small businesses. In addition, government departments and funding bodies began themselves to set the agenda for what could have been Australia's most promising industry, thus handing back to the US the slim lead Australia had.

The Merlin project ended with the completion of the Metabody CD ROM project. It became a trading name of 3V in 1998. The founding members continue with their individual projects.

3V continues as a communications and new media consultancy, operating the Culture Domain and is currently working on starting up the Media Domain.

TechTonic is a production of 3V © 1995-2002