Westlink (Australian TV channel)
| Company type | Government-owned |
|---|---|
| Industry | Television broadcasting |
| Founded | 1992 |
| Defunct | 2017-12-16 |
| Fate | Discontinued broadcasting |
| Headquarters | Australia |
Area served | Regional and remote Western Australia |
| Products | Digital television channel (community-oriented programming, educational and training content) |
| Owner | Department of Regional Development, Government of Western Australia |
Westlink, initially known as Westlink Network, was an Australian digital television channel available free-to-air, targeting regional and remote areas of Western Australia through the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) platform. Operated and financed by the Department of Regional Development of the Government of Western Australia, the channel specialized in community-oriented programming, with a focus on educational and training content, broadcast under an open-narrowcast licence. Its coverage extended to more than 150 remote locations, including telecentres, educational institutions, and colleges.
The channel discontinued broadcasting on 16 December 2017, concluding its service with a live transmission of the West Australian Symphony Orchestra’s "Symphony in the City" performance.
Programming
Westlink’s content primarily consisted of educational material and interactive talk-back formats such as videoconferences, corporate learning sessions, and health-related education. These programs were predominantly accessed in communal environments like telecentres and TAFE institutions. Principal contributors included:
- Department of Health
- Rural Health Education Foundation
- Telethon Institute
- Office of Shared Services
- Diocesan Pastoral Formation Centre
Until its closure in August 2008, the now-defunct Perth community broadcaster Access 31 was simulcast on Westlink during weekend slots.
Between November 2009 and April 2013, Indigenous Community Television utilized Westlink’s Optus Aurora channel for weekend broadcasts prior to launching its own dedicated VAST service.
Availability
Westlink was accessible nationwide via the VAST platform on virtual channel 602. In April 2013, it transitioned from the Optus Aurora satellite system to VAST. Additionally, it provided analogue terrestrial broadcasts in Albany and Bunbury within Western Australia.
An estimated quarter of free-to-view satellite viewers in Western Australia tuned into Westlink, with the Goldfields-Esperance area demonstrating the strongest audience share—6.1% of satellite households out of an 11.8% total reported viewership.
Identity
To occupy airtime between scheduled programs, Westlink regularly broadcasted continuous loops featuring scenic images and informational slides.
See also
- Indigenous Community Television
- Community television in Australia
- Access 31
- Government of Western Australia