GTV (Global Tamil Vision) which is telecasting free-to-air from United Kingdom to Europe and Middle East through Eurobird 9A (9 degree East) satellite (11727, V, SR 27500 and fec 3/4) has recently stopped its satellite service on Optus D2 (152 degree East) for Tamil viewers in Australia & New Zealand. 

Instead the channel has become an IPTV channel. Even if the channel is telecasting from UK, the channel has a close link to Australia. When the first Tamil 24H Tamil TV-channel in Australia, Sigaram TV, ceased telecasting, a new Tamil TV-channel emerged as Tharisanam TV in Australia. When the popular TTN Tamil TV from France was forced to close down by French authorities in May 2007 on Eutelsat Hotbird due to pressure from the Sri Lankan government oppressing pro-Eelam Tamil media, Tharisanam TV was bought to Europe to serve the Eelam Tamil community here. Tharisanam TV also faced many problems from Sri Lankan government and later the channel moved completely from Australia to UK and changed the name to GTV (Global Tamil Vision).

But GTV still  serve the Tamil community in Australia and New Zealand, and it is currently the only TV-channel operated & available by Eelam Tamils in Australia. Indian channels like Raj TV, Sun TV, Jaya TV and Kalaignar TV and some other free-to-air channels are also available in Australia in TV-packages operated by Vision Asia and Indovision. 

The reason why GTV has stopped satellite telecast in Australia & New Zealand could be expensive satellite transmission costs and less subscribers. Earlier Sun TV in Australia operated Sun TV and KTV on satellite for Tamil viewers in Australia and New Zealand, but they did also later stop the transmission of KTV due to high satellite costs. 

- MEDIA ASIA