No. 1 Story
ACCC clears Optus to scrap HFC network and use NBN instead
The ACCC has cleared, provisionally, the proposed deal between Optus and NBN Co under which Optus is to be paid around $800m to shut down its HFC network and transfer customers onto the NBN. read moreCommunity television fires broadside at government
Peter Dinham
Thursday, 14 May 2009 09:00
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The community television sector is up in arms at being left out of funding allocations by the federal government in Tuesday’s budget and says it has a desperate need for just $3 million to go digital.Calling on the Government to immediately find $3 million so that existing capital city community television channels can go digital before the end of the year, the alliance claimed much of the $140 million allocated in the budget for the Digital Switchover Taskforce, to encourage people to go digital, would be be wasted if the four million viewers of community television “vote with their remotes and refuse to switchover while their favourite channel is still analogue-only.”
Despite Government assurances that Community TV will not be left behind as Australian households are urged to switch to digital television reception the 2009 Federal Budget did not contain an expected announcement on funding for desperately needed simulcasting arrangements.
ACTA says that, for around $3 million a year the Government could solve the problem, and alliance secretary, Laurie Patton, maintained that “for this relatively modest sum of money the government can provide a long term future for the thousands of not-for-profit community groups and individuals across Australia that create programs for community television.”
Patton hit out at the government’s treatment of the community TV sector compared to the way other networks were treated.
“The ABC, SBS and the regional television networks are all receiving financial support from the government for their simulcasts so it is only fair that the community stations are also provided for,” Patton added.
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