Hitchhike TV
| Company type | Community television broadcaster |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Predecessor | Briz 31 |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Founder | Wes Tatters, Ric Adams, Simon Bunker, Ben Morrisson, Cait Spreadborough |
| Defunct | 2019 |
| Headquarters | Brisbane , Australia |
Area served | Brisbane and surrounding areas |
| Products | Community television programming, online streaming service |
Hitchhike TV was a community TV broadcaster located in Brisbane, Australia, initially launched as Briz 31, and operated from 1992 until its shutdown in 2019.
1994–2017: Brisbane community television
The inaugural community television channel in Brisbane was founded by Wes Tatters, Ric Adams, Simon Bunker, Ben Morrisson, and Cait Spreadborough. It began with a two-week trial broadcast in 1992 under the name Briz TV coinciding with the opening of South Bank Parklands, featuring programming created by members such as variety shows.
Following efforts to secure full-time broadcast rights from the Australian Broadcasting Authority, the station officially commenced on 31 July 1994 as Briz 31, transmitting on analogue channel 31 (callsign CTQ-31) with technical support from Telstra at the ABQ-2 transmitter on Mount Coot-tha. Initial content included text-based information services alongside original productions like Crazy Crosswords and Tamara Tonite, a variety series hosted by a Brisbane drag performer that continued until 2004. By the early 2000s, daytime programming broadened, culminating in the acquisition of a permanent broadcasting licence in 2004.
The channel featured a nightly news program produced by the Queensland University of Technology journalism department and current affairs shows from Deutsche Welle. To signify its expanded audience beyond Brisbane, it was rebranded as Channel 31 in October 2006. A significant transmitter upgrade in 2007 extended its signal to Ipswich and neighboring regions.
In July 2008, the station adopted the name QCTV, then shifted to 31 QCTV in November 2009, before simplifying to 31 in April 2010. The transition to digital broadcasting occurred on channel 44 on 7 June 2010 under the name 31 Digital, with analogue transmissions ceasing on 15 May 2011.
In September 2014, federal communications minister Malcolm Turnbull declared that community TV licences would expire by December 2015; this deadline was later extended to December 2016 and subsequently to June 2017 under Minister Mitch Fifield. In response, 31 Digital began focusing on online streaming through its website to reach audiences beyond traditional broadcast limits. The station discontinued free-to-air transmissions at midnight on 28 February 2017. Although an additional licence extension until December 2017 was granted, terrestrial broadcasting had already ended.
2017–2019: Online service
After ceasing over-the-air broadcasts, the channel shifted entirely to an online video-on-demand platform, rebranding as Queensland Online TV (Q Online TV).[1][2] The sports talk show The Commentary Box debuted on Facebook in February 2017 as the first program under this new identity, delivering weekly Queensland-centric highlights.[3]
In June 2018, another rebranding occurred with the service becoming Hitchhike TV, reverting to a linear streaming model and discontinuing video-on-demand features. Hitchhike TV streamed archived content from 31 Digital in two-hour segments via its website, with intentions to develop into a full 24-hour channel. Nevertheless, the platform was discontinued during 2019 without any formal announcement.[4]
Legacy
On 31 July 2024, marking three decades since Briz 31's inception, Brisbane-based YouTuber "IBIS Channel 32" unveiled a documentary that explores the station’s origins and its influence.
In-house Productions
- Crazy Crosswords (1994–1996)
- The Bike Show
- Clips 31
- Tamara Tonite
- Art Studio
- The Boat Show
- The Late Nite Show with Scott Black
- This Town Brisbane
- The Storyteller (1995–1996)
- Community Billboard (1994–2002)
- The Commentary Box (2017)
Additional Programming
- Hot Dog with the Lot
- Harness Racing
- Underground Sounds
- 4WDTV
- Queensland Pro Wrestling
- QUT News – created by Queensland University of Technology
- My Autistic Brother – an initiative to promote autism awareness
Brand Evolution
31 Digital
- 1994–1999: Getting Together
- 2006–2008: Your local television
- 2008–2009: Queensland's Only Community Television Station
- 2010–2017: Your stories... Your station
Queensland Online TV
- 2017–2018: Q Online. Local. Always.
Hitchhike TV
- 2018–2020: Locally Sourced. Crafted with Love.
See also
External links
- Articles with short description
- English-language television stations in Australia
- Australian community television
- Television stations in Brisbane
- Television channels and stations established in 1994
- Australian companies established in 2017
- Defunct video on demand services
- Television channels and stations disestablished in 2017
- Australian companies disestablished in 2020
- Television stations in Queensland