Station chief executive Daryl Clarkson in the control room
yesterday with digital conversion hardware. Photo by Craig
Baxter.
Channel 9 viewers can watch their favourite shows on the
Freeview HD platform from Wednesday.
Station chief executive Daryl Clarkson said the broadcast
date was 39 days before the analogue signal was switched off
on April 28.
The date was also when the channel would be renamed Channel
39 - the channel position on the Freeview high definition
(HD) platform.
''We are going to be launching on Freeview Channel 39, 39
days before switch-off.''
Viewers would need a UHF antenna to receive the channel, as
it would not be available on the Sky Television platform, he
said.
However, 60% of viewers in Dunedin already had a UHF antenna,
he said.
The digital signal would be coming from the transmission
system on Mt Cargill and more Dunedin residents would be able
to receive the signal than before, Mr Clarkson said.
The new signal would reach 111,240 viewers, he said.
The channel name was ''slowly migrating'' from Channel 9 to
Channel 39 to the new channel name Dunedin Television.
''We are rebranding the channel as Dunedin Television on
Freeview channel 39.''
The company had chosen the channel 39 position on the
platform because it included the number nine and would ''hold
the heritage'' of Channel 9, Mr Clarkson said.
''We've got a dedicated team who are quite passionate about
making sure that continues.''
The test loop signal would start on Channel 39 on Freeview HD
at 10am on Monday, he said.
Although, the channel was on the HD platform, it would not be
broadcast in high definition, he said.
- shawn.mcavinue@odt.co.nz
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