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20th April 2024 Saturday 5:17pm
About Imparja
Imparja's Name
Imparja (pronounced IM-PAR-JA) is the anglicised spelling and pronunciation of the word Impatye, meaning tracks or footprints in the Arrernte language. Arrernte (pronounced AH-RUNTA) is the traditional tribe and language of the Alice Springs region.
Imparja's Logo
The original Imparja logo was developed by an Arrernte artist and traditional owner who is not only credited with developing the logo but also the original painting on which it is based. The logo symbolises the meeting in Alice Springs of the Todd River and the Yeperenye (pronounced YEP-A-RENYA) Caterpillar dreaming moving along the MacDonnell Ranges at Heavitree Gap.
Imparja's History
Imparja was established in 1987 after the Central Australian Aboriginal Media Association (CAAMA) applied and won the Remote Commercial Television Service (RCTS) license for Central Australia.
Renovations for the studio and office complex began late 1987 in Wills House on Leichhardt Terrace. After all the television production and transmission equipment was installed, a total of 5 staff members moved in. Imparja started with 8 retransmission sites at Ceduna, Coober Pedy, Leigh Creek and Woomera in South Australia and Alice Springs, Tennant Creek, Katherine and Bathurst Island in the Northern Territory.
Imparja’s first test program was telecast on 02 January 1988, bringing a delighted outback population the live broadcast of the Australia Vs Sri Lanka Test Cricket match. Regular transmissions began two weeks later reaching a total audience of 62,000 people.
The old Imparja (analogue) station in Alice Springs, utilised from 1997 – 2008
Imparja's Broadcast Area
Imparja’s broadcast area is now over 3.6 million square kilometres, spanning six states and territories – Northern Territory, South Australia, Tasmania, Queensland, New South Wales and Victoria with an estimated over one million resident viewers. Our service is also watched by approximately three million tourists who visit Outback Australia each year and 200,000 viewers in terrestrial black spots.
Imparja is a free-to-air television broadcaster. Its signal is sent out across the vast viewing area, broadcasting from 28 transmission towers as well as more than 20 remote towns who retransmit the signal on low-watt transmitters. Imparja also broadcasts direct to home by satellite to some 200 very remote indigenous communities and 75,000 homes within its license area. Imparja provides these services on the VAST platform which also provides digital infill for all black spots east of the W.A. border.
Imparja also provides satellite services for 14 indigenous radio services, at no cost to these organisations.
In addition, Imparja provides the satellite service for ICTV (Indigenous Community TV). Imparja helped develop these services which has been utilised by the wider Indigenous community to transmit and promote Indigenous programming that would otherwise not be available.
The programs are primarily in language, promoting Aboriginal culture, values, health and education. Content is supplied by Aboriginal media organisations such as PY Media, TEABBA, PAK-AM and Warlpiri Media.
Map of Imparja’s free-to-air licence area (in blue)
Imparja's Community Support
Imparja’s founders, directors and shareholders are all Aboriginal and they have never requested nor received a dividend, preferring to invest any profit back into the development of the company.
Imparja invests heavily in its local communities, with a wide variety of sponsorships. All of Imparja’s activities positively promote Aboriginal culture and values.
Imparja has supported many community events over the years in the way of commercial production and air-time sales including the NT Young Achiever Awards, Tourism Central Australia, the Brolga Awards, Henley on Todd, Alice Springs Masters Games, the Imparja Cricket Cup Carnival and many more.
In addition, the Imparja Substance Abuse Fund Program was established in 2005 to support community groups and initiatives that are aimed at supporting those who have been affected by substance abuse. The Board of Directors allocates $30,000 every year to organisations that qualify under the funding guidelines.
To date, Imparja has gifted over $400,000.00 to community programs, some of which include;
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Imparja is a great believer in giving back to the communities that support us.
Yamba's Playtime Program
Yamba’s Playtime stars Yamba the Honeyant, an immensely admired indigenous preschool character, and best friend Jacinta Nampijinpa Price. Yamba is a honeyant, a “yerrampe” in the indigenous Central Arrernte language. With the bold red, black and yellow colours of the Aboriginal Flag, Yamba has captured the hearts and imaginations of indigenous and non-indigenous children throughout Australia.
Yamba’s Playtime was the very first indigenous themed television show in Australian Classification history to receive a P Classification (Preschool) in early 2009. Produced by Imparja Television in Alice Springs, the show has been in production since
02 October 1995. It has been a Deadly Award Finalist for Television Show of the Year in 2011 and 2012 and for Education in 2013.
Since 2010, Yamba’s Playtime has not only been broadcast on Imparja Television but also nationally on the Nine Network. On 01 January 2013, Yamba’s Playtime was the first P Classification program to be broadcast on Nine’s digital channel GO! with Series 2. This series was also the first indigenous themed preschool television show to be aired on GO! From August 2013, Yamba’s Playtime has also been broadcast on NITV.
Using the same principles as Yamba’s Playtime, Yamba’s Roadshow, a healthy living campaign covering 15 messages, has been a very educational and entertaining vehicle for children particularly in the Northern Territory and Queensland since early 2011. The healthy living musical component of the Roadshow draws large crowds in remote towns and communities as well as capital cities such as Adelaide and Canberra. Up until February 2014, the show has been performed to over 6500 children and their carers. The Roadshow has also been a Deadly Awards finalist several times for Outstanding Achievement in Health.
Imparja Today
Imparja Television is Australia's last truly independent television station. Founded in Alice Springs, Northern Territory, Imparja has grown to be one of the great success stories of indigenous enterprise.
Imparja Television plays a central role in the region it broadcasts, in particular, the Northern Territory and Queensland, where the majority of the viewers reside.
Imparja purchases its programming from the Nine Network enabling a lively and varied programming schedule, with wide public appeal. It brings the best of the city's shows and sports to remote Australia.
Imparja broadcasts five stations from its Alice Springs location, Imparja North (SD), Imparja South (SD), Go! North (SD), Go! South (SD) and Gem (HD). Imparja’s analogue service was turned off in 2013 and all services are now broadcast in digital via one of our 28 re-transmission sites. In addition we provide these digital services via the VAST satellite platform covering our license area and Eastern Australian terrestrial transmission black spots.
Over 60 people are employed full-time with Imparja with most based at their head of operations in Alice Springs and several sales representatives based in Townsville, Toowoomba and Darwin. Our talented commercial production unit produces high quality advertisements for the businesses of central and remote Australia to enable them to promote their services and products.
Imparja is looking forward to a positive future with growth and opportunities. It remains a blueprint for Aboriginal self-determination and fully supports the reconciliation process.
Imparja’s brand new purpose built digital facility, in Alice Springs, which was completed in
May 2008. The new facility was specifically designed for digital technology
May 2008. The new facility was specifically designed for digital technology
Imparja Television receives funding from the Indigenous Broadcast Program under the Department of Prime Minister and Cabinet to assist with Yamba’s Playtime and Yamba the Honey Ant’s healthy living program and the satellite transmission of 14 indigenous radio services and Indigenous Community Television.
