Really neat motel sign in the desert!

[dr.ido]

Hotel signs boasting the number of channels they had were actually common in rural areas around here up until the early 90s. Back then there were 5 channels in capital cities (3 commercial, 2 goverment) and there was no cable TV. In many rural areas there was only 1 commercial channel (which typically showed a mix of programs from the 3 commercial channels with some local content and reruns the other networks didn't bother showing) and 1 of the goverment stations. The second goverment station came later, a local affiliates of all 3 commerical stations later still. Some hotels close enough to a capital city installed high gain antennas on tall towers with an inline amplifer to receive city channels with varying amounts of success. So hotel signs would often proudly announce 4 channels, 5 channels, or Melbourne TV.

I spent about a year in a crappy little town 400kms out of Melbourne just before the 3 commercial affiliates came online. In order to escape the awfulness of Southern Cross TV I had 6ft VHF yagi on the tallest tower I find with an inline amplifier that got me watchable, but snowy reception of Melbourne channels.

Of course now all channels are available everywhere via satellite if not via local affiliates and Pay TV offers even more channels via satellie, so Melbourne TV isn't anything to brag about anymore.