Australia now has a national television station to promote the culture of its indigenous people. National Indigenous Television (nitv) was launched in Sydney on July 16.

The service will start off small, broadcasting to around 200,000 people and without a news service or a current affairs programme.

Nevertheless, many artists from the aboriginal community are excited about having an outlet for their work. "It's going to be a television service that's produced and directed by indigenous people, that will seek content from indigenous communities around Australia and some indigenous content from overseas,' said nitv's chairperson Larissa Behrendt.

But remote communities apprehend exclusion.The general manager of Warlpiri media in Yuendumu Northern Territory, Rita Catoni, says many cultural videos might not be picked up by nitv because they are not up to industry standard. "What's not going to be around is...a platform for a lot of people in remote communities to view their own grassroots content,' she said.