Conroy's Christmas TV crusade: may it be digitally merry

Alex Zaharov-Reutt
Friday, 12 December 2008 11:00

Opinion and Analysis

The Ministerial ad campaign for the benefits of filtered digital TV continued, with Senator Conroy noting that: “Whether you're enjoying the Boxing Day Test cricket, New Year's Eve celebrations or the latest movie, the benefits of digital will be obvious.”

Of course, the Minister didn’t note that a dodgy digital signal would mean stutter-y and drop-out prone digital TV pictures, unlike analogue TV pictures which simply get fuzzier with a bad signal.

On the plus side (leaving aside the minus side of the freedom killing nature of censorship and Internet filtering), Senator Conroy also reminded TV viewers that “2009 will see the introduction of new digital channels by the free-to-air broadcasters.”

Years after new digital channels were on offer to UK TV viewers, Australia is finally going to get a few new channels, too.

The Minister’s statement notes that: “The vast majority of Australian viewers will have access to more channels that ever before in 2009,” and while the Minister makes no mention of it, it means more opportunities to zone out in front of ever more channels of nothing worth watching – in digital quality!

But look, I’m being a bit harsh for comedic effect. Australia is a sports loving, sports mad country, so the news that Network Ten’s already announced “new sports channel” is on the way will have armchair umpires and couch sports potatoes overjoyed at all the new sporting action.

As the Minister notes, ABC2 is well established already, too.

With all the new channels soon to come, Senator Conroy puts in another plug for families to spend, spend, spend, saying “it makes sense to enjoy a digital TV Christmas this year, and be prepared for the new channels.”

Executive Director of the Digital Television Taskforce, Mr Andy Townend, said “a set-top-box would make an ideal gift for parents and relatives.”

Townsend added: “If you have parents or relatives who are perhaps unsure of the technology, you can buy them a set-top box, hook it up for them and introduce them to the benefits of digital TV.”

So, if you thought that the freedom of the Internet was the issue of the day, and most important to political, economic and other freedoms, don’t worry: a digital TV awaits, and just like Pepsi Max, it’s ok – there’s no sugar!