London – IMPALA, the International MHEG Promotion Alliance, announced Freeview Australia’s selection of MHEG-5 as the interactive TV middleware for the suite of free-to-air DTT channels that operate under the brand. Receiver specifications including the MHEG profile for Australia have now been released by Freeview Australia and are available under NDA. Using a phased launch and first appearing in 2009, Freeview is the brand name for the collection of Australia’s free-to-view digital television networks. Freeview Australia is not one channel or service, rather a suite of channels and represents ‘Australians’ right to watch quality television, for free’. Freeview Australia is owned by ABC, SBS, Seven, Nine, Ten, Prime, Southern Cross and WIN. It is similar to the Freeview operations in the UK and New Zealand with Freeview-endorsed product conforming to published standards on sale through retail chains. The launch of Freeview phase two in 2010 will see the deployment of an MHEG-5-based platform EPG that will provide listings information on all Freeview channels regardless of the channel being watched. The platform EPG will also allow channel and Freeview branding onscreen.