Editing Virtual channel (section)

===Australia===

Allocation of logical channel numbers is governed by guidelines set by the commercial broadcasters' association, Free TV Australia.<ref>{{Cite web |title=Free TV Australia |url=https://www.freetv.com.au/ |access-date=2024-05-12 |website=Free TV Australia |language=en-AU}}</ref><ref>Free TV Australia (July 2016). [https://www.freetv.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/OP-41-LCN-Descriptor-Issue-8-July-2016.pdf Free TV Australia Operational Practice OP-41: Logical Channel Descriptor] (Issue 8). {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200318203233/https://www.freetv.com.au/wp-content/uploads/2019/08/OP-41-LCN-Descriptor-Issue-8-July-2016.pdf|date=2020-03-18}}. Retrieved on 2020-01-05.</ref>

These are defined within the terrestrial broadcast stream using the NorDig descriptor format within the [[Digital Video Broadcasting|DVB]] Network Information Table.

LCNs in Australia may have one, two or three digits. Each network is allocated LCNs with a prefix - for instance, all metropolitan [[Nine Network]] services use LCNs beginning with the digit '9'. Generally, but not always, the single-digit LCN is allocated to the primary SD service ([[Network 10]]'s high definition-channel [[10 HD]] is the main exception). LCNs need not be contiguous, and a channel may be identified by more than one LCN. For instance, [[ABC Television (Australian TV network)|ABC Television]]'s primary [[ABC TV (Australian TV channel)|ABC TV]] service is allocated LCNs 2 and 21; the latter allows it to be easily accessed amongst other ABC services which lie in the 21–24 range.

Regional affiliates of the three metropolitan networks are provided with their own LCN prefix. For instance, channels owned by affiliates of the Nine Network (in this case [[NBN Television]]) are prefixed with the digit 8 rather than 9. This allows areas that are part of both a metropolitan market and a regional market, such as the [[Gold Coast, Queensland|Gold Coast]], [[Sunshine Coast, Queensland|Sunshine Coast]] and [[Central Coast (New South Wales)|Central Coast]], to receive all local commercial services. The ABC and [[Special Broadcasting Service|SBS]] use the same prefix in all areas.

Prefixes for remote-area services are intended to overlay this model. Services licensed for the Remote Central and Eastern Australia licence area ([[Imparja Television|Imparja]] and [[QQQ|Southern Cross Central]]) received metropolitan prefixes corresponding to their affiliation; those in Remote Western Australia ([[Golden West Network|GWN]] and [[WOW (TV station)|WIN WA]]) received "regional" prefixes.

Some LCNs are reserved:

* LCN 4 was originally intended for a free-to-air video program guide. Instead, the LCN 4 prefix has been largely unused, except in Sydney (where it was used by the [[Digital Forty Four]] trial datacasting service from 2004 to 2010). Since 2010, capital city community television stations (or "[[Channel 31 (Australia)|Channel 31]]" stations, after their typical analogue channel position) use LCN 44.
* LCN range 350-399 is intended to be allocated by receivers to channels which either duplicate a stronger signal's LCN, or are transmitted without an LCN. For instance, if two broadcasts of LCN 2 were found, one signal (generally the stronger) will be allocated to LCN 2, and the weaker should be allocated to, say, LCN 350.
* The LCN range 450-499 is intended for use by trial services by non-broadcasters.