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Some Freeview satellite TV watchers are getting an unexpected bonus - a free view of Australian programmes.
Many are happily watching SCTV, delivered by Southern Cross Broadcasting to the Northern Territories and Darwin, which carries Australian Channel 7 programmes.
Until they were affected by the American writers strike, that included the latest series of Heroes, several episodes ahead of New Zealand, and Bionic Woman, not showing here yet.
Other channels that technically savvy Freeview users have managed to tune in to include Imparja Television, which purchases programming from the Nine and Ten Networks.
Quite why the channels, available in NZ for three months, are able to be seen here remains a mystery.
Freeview, TVNZ and TV3 all seemed unaware of the channels. "To my knowledge they're not on [Optus] D1," said Freeview general manager Steve Browning, referring to the satellite that beams out Freeview channels.
Satellite experts suspect the reason is because of problems with the Optus D1, which was supposed to have its transponders set to different "polarities" to distinguish between Australia and New Zealand.
How long the channels will remain available is unknown.
