TVS Sydney has been off the air since Dec 20th

[JPP]

We are still getting EPG data for a now non-existent TV Channel. From reading the article here
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Television_Sydney
it is very unlikely they will come back on FTA - they are not even sure that they will come back as a streaming service.

[Dave at IceTV]

That would be my fault. Last week I noticed our guide for TVS ran out on Monday and mentioned it to our guide team who then filled in the missing days. I wasn't aware anything had happened to TVS until yesterday when I was rescanning the channels and couldn't pickup TVS.

All Australian Community Digital TV Channels (TVS in Sydney, C31 in Melbourne and Geelong, 31 in Brisbane, 44 in Adelaide and WTV in Perth) were due to shut down on the 31st December 2015 due to government funding cutbacks...

Turnbull kills community TV to give commercial channels more bandwidth
Turnbull confirms licensing for stations will end in 2015

... but in September 2015, Malcolm Turnball, ex-communications minister, gave community television stations an extension until 31st of December 2016.

Community TV Extended To 2016

I don't put much trust in the content of wiki pages.

- The wiki page for TVS Sydney (that you linked to) just says "ceased transmission on December 20" with no reference or proof.

- The wiki page for C31 in Melbourne and Geelong mentions the Dec 31 2015 shutdown and extension until Dec 31 2016.

- The wiki pages for 31 in Brisbane, 44 in Adelaide and WTV in Perth don't mention anything...

The only information that I could find online about TVS' fate was here:
http://mumbrella.com.au/community-tv-station-tvs-goes-off-air-but-aims-to-relaunch-with-video-on-demand-service-336417

[simoncasey]

All Australian Community Digital TV Channels (TVS in Sydney, C31 in Melbourne and Geelong, 31 in Brisbane, 44 in Adelaide and WTV in Perth) were due to shut down on the 31st December 2015 due to government funding cutbacks...

It wasn't actually due to funding cutbacks, as those channels receive no government funding. It was to provide the bandwidth for other purposes (eg new channel, more bandwidth for the current channels, etc)

[IanL-S]

I think they (the government) wanted to sell the spectrum for use by mobile phones - big bucks. There is an ongoing dispute about the need to reserve some of the spectrum for exclusive use by emergency services and possibly railway control.

Ian

[JPP]

Another source, Crikey.com.au, that I didn't mention in my OP, lists some of the onerous conditions the government placed on them to be allowed to continue broadcasting on FTA. It would appear that TV Sydney were not prepared to accept these.

http://www.crikey.com.au/2015/08/20/community-tv-earns-brief-reprieve-but-is-it-too-little-too-late/?wpmp_switcher=mobile