A board meeting of TX Australia in Sydney on Wednesday failed to resolve the impasse over the proposed sale of Nine’s Willoughby studio and transmission tower site. The meeting discussed Nine’s plans and the demand by TXA for clear freehold title to the land under the Nine tower.

There is now a very strong suggestion that sale will not happen as presently envisaged by Nine, its owners PBL Media, and its owners, CVC and Consolidated Media Holdings. 

It’s believed the meeting approved a move by TXA to protect its legal rights in relation to the Willoughby Tower. That would prevent Nine from dealing in or disposing of the land at Willoughby.

Nine will remain on its Sydney and Melbourne sites while it searches for new locations. Finding one in Melbourne is going to be easier, with the Docklands precinct the tip. In Sydney, Nine is now talking to CFS property group which owns the Fox Studios site in Moore Park. But the deal, if it happens, won’t be decided by CFS, it will need the approval of the Centennial Park and Moore Park Trust, which controls the entire Moore Park area.

Which may not necessarily be plain sailing: a Moore Park trustee is Seven network boss, David Leckie.

But the big problem will be the attitude of Sydney Lord Mayor, Clover Moore, who is the local member as well, and residents, many of whom are long term locals and “green” like the Mayor.

CFS would be happy to have Nine given that Fox Studios is a dud financially. But the big increase in traffic, the building work and the 24-hour operation (plus the building of satellite dishes) would find resistance from locals.

Nine sources are now saying they are not confident of selling the Sydney land. The Melbourne property at Bendigo Street in Richmond will be sold for around $85 million to Melbourne developers and Charter Hall Group of Sydney.

Charter Hall is also the preferred buyer in Sydney and is now going to attempt to do a deal with Ten and Seven, which, along with Nine, own TXA which owns and operates the transmission towers for Nine in Sydney and Melbourne. But that will be difficult. There is no real option but to keep the towers where they are: the costs of moving them would be enormous, and potentially damaging to Nine’s ratings. The move by TXA prevents Nine from assigning the mast and the freehold land it sits on.

Willoughby Council wants the tower moved, but that would mean reception problems for millions of Sydney TV viewers: Nine would lose viewers and face financial problems.

There’s no room on the Seven/Ten mast of TXA nearby in Artarmon, nor is there any room on the Broadcast Australia mast with the ABC, SBS, radio, digital and analogue TV and a Digital radio trial. The mobile TV trial in Sydney last year was run off the BA mast. The Sydney community TV station, TVS also broadcasts from the BA mast at Gore Hill. The back-up transmitters for each of the networks have to be separated as well. To go from three to two masts for the six TV broadcasters, the various radio networks, would represent an over concentration of risk.

Another problem has emerged to complicate matters with Nine now acknowledging the fact that its tower is struck regularly by lightning. It’s suggested there could be around 100 strikes a year in a normal weather year (there were far fewer in 2005 and 2006 because of the drought)

Besides with the problems with the electromagnetic radiation coming of the antennas on the tower who would want to be around a tall structure that was regularly hit by lightning? It is properly earthed, but the noise and visuals would be pretty dramatic: great for property values.