Conroy unveils $160m TV blackspots plan

James Riley
Wednesday, 06 January 2010 07:05

IT Policy - Government Tech Policy

The Rudd Government will spend $160 million over four years to provide satellite-based digital television services to people in regional blackspot areas, Communications Minister Stephen Conroy said.

Senator Conroy said $40 million a year had been committed to the program through the forward estimates process, enabling the initiative to benefit up to 247,000 households across Australia that had until now received only limited services.

The plan would dramatically improve the choice and quality of television services for regional Australia as the switchover to digital services got closer, he said.

"For the first time all free-to-air digital television services, including the original three commercial and two national channels, as well as new digital services such as ABC2, ABC3, SBS TWO, GO, 7TWO and ONE HD, will be available to all Australians, no matter where they live."

"The satellite service will provide regional viewers with access to the local news currently broadcast in their TV licence area via a dedicated local news channel."

Under an agreement reached with television broadcasters, broadcasters would upgrade more than 100 existing regional analog 'self-help' transmission facilities to operate in digital, while the Government will fully fund and build a new digital satellite broadcasting service for regional viewers.
 
The measures are part of Australia's ongoing switchover to digital-only television and will be in place before analog services are switched off in each regional broadcast license area.

Opposition communications spokesman Tony Smith welcomed the initiative, but cautioned rural Australians about getting excited about the services, saying it might be "yet more Labor pie in the sky."