Matt Burnell (Spence, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Link to this | Hansard source

Channel 44 is South Australia's local community TV station, with a variety of programming which caters to a diverse audience. One important aspect of community television is launching Australians towards successful careers within broadcasting and beyond. A couple of weeks ago, I caught up with Gawler local Jess McCall, who is launching her own TV show, BTS with Jess, or 'behind the scenes with Jess' in April on Channel 44.

Jess is currently in her third year of studying film, TV and journalism at the University of South Australia. Jess approached Channel 44 with an idea for her own show, BTS with Jess. Supported by her university, Jess outlined her goal of producing a show exploring the work of young people in the arts sector, presenting the process of their creativity as well as showcasing the finished product—a behind-the-scenes experience. After receiving a pilot episode, Channel 44 gave Jess the opportunity to produce a full season of BTS with Jess, to be aired not just on the South Australian community station but also on Channel 31 in Victoria.

As a result, Jess has had the opportunity to travel across the state, pursuing her passion and discovering a world of artistic endeavours. And she is now about to present that to a wider audience across two states. As we will discover in just under a week, this unique opportunity has provided Jess with a deeper dive into the community of Gawler as well. She has interviewed local musicians, dancers and visual artists within my electorate of Spence to bring their stories and experiences, both as artists and individuals living in the northern suburbs, to life on television. It's something that Jess should be immensely proud of.

While Jess largely produces her show by herself, which is highly impressive as it is, she said that the highlight of her experience was comparing her first production to her most recent one, having seen the skills she has learned by creating for Channel 44. Jess also noted that Channel 44's assistance has proven invaluable to her profile overall. She said to me that, thanks to the opportunity provided through community television, she now has something to base herself on as a professional. As Jess herself put it, if someone wants to be a camera operator, an editor, a director, a producer or anything to do with on-screen media, they can get those opportunities by volunteering for Channel 44 or Channel 31. These opportunities can be very hard to access through commercial television, which underlines the importance of maintaining thriving community television services.

I'd encourage everyone to tune in to Channel 44 next week, on Tuesday 3 April at 7.30 pm Adelaide time, and watch the first instalment of BTS with Jess. It promises to be an absolute cracker.