JESSE NEILL

A LOCAL high-school student and TV presenter has been nominated in five different categories for the 2019 Antenna Awards best month.
17-year-old Ethan White is in year 11 at Xavier College and during his spare time hosts his own travel show ‘Off the Couch with Ethan,’ which airs on Channel 44 Adelaide.
The Gawler South local has been nominated for a number of awards including Youth Personality of the Year, Best Outdoor and Recreational Program, Best Youth Program, Personality of the Year, and Program of the Year.
The nominations have come as a surprise for Ethan and he said he feels “honoured and privileged” to even be considered for these awards.
“It’s pretty amazing to be recognised for your efforts by family members and friends in your community,” he said.
“But then to be recognised as a nominee on a national scale is just phenomenal.
“I can’t help but say thank you to all the people that have helped me and ‘Off the Couch with Ethan’ get to this stage — it’s an awesome feeling.”
Ethan started the show last year, however he has been interested in film-making from a young age.
He’s always loved camping with his family and thought he’d combine his passions into a package he could share with others.
When he found out about Channel 44 Adelaide he immediately got in contact with them and they loved the idea.
“My passion is travelling and film-making and I’m trying to encourage others to do the same,” Ethan said.
“I want to quite literally get young people off the couch and into the great outdoors, seeing this great country we have rather than sitting at home playing games and staying inside.
“That’s really the big focus of my show and I can definitely see myself continuing this in this industry in the future.”
Community television station Channel 31 in Melbourne has organised the 2019 Antenna Awards.
The Antenna Awards are celebrating 25 years of community TV in Australia this year and the awards night will take place in Melbourne on Saturday October 5.
The ceremony will be held at the Deakin Edge in Federation Square and will be broadcast live on Channel 44 Adelaide from 7:30pm.