On the same day it released its public discussion paper on Australia’s digital future, the federal government has acknowledged what it says is the “pressures brought about by the advent of digital technologies” in the terms of reference for its independent media inquiry announced today by Minister Conroy.

Ericsson has told a who's who of spectrum specialists from the telecoms and broadcasting industries at the ACMA's Radcomms 2011 conference that digital TV broadcasts, which in the US take up 300MHz of spectrum, could be delivered over LTE networks using Multimedia Broadcast/Multicast Service (MBMS) technology in just 28 percent of this spectrum.

A five year agreement between the government-owned Australian Broadcasting Corporation and telco supplier Ericsson will see free-to-air digital TV made available Australia-wide, including rural communities. The agreement will involve the ABC using Ericsson's satellite video compression technology to expand the reach of digital TV.

The Gillard Government will conduct a top-to-bottom review of the media sector in the context of "converged communication" if re-elected, including a look at regulations for media ownership, free to air television, local content, and anti-siphoning provisions across the full range of digital platforms.

It has been suggested that a wavelength of light on NBN's proposed FTTH network could be dedicated as an 'RF channel' and used to carry all the broadcast TV services presently delivered over the airwaves. Broadcast Australia says this is not a good idea.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority is looking at redeploying spectrum in the 2.5GHz band currently used by TV stations for outside broadcasters for new applications, including wireless broadband and geo-location services.

Just over sixty years ago, the first color newsreel was introduced in the United States, which was followed up by pay television, mobile color television units, and coast-to-coast color telecasts—all on January 1st, New Year’s Day.

An international version of the BBC's iPlayer TV catchup service could be on the cards. Just don't expect access to the UK iPlayer from overseas, and do expect to open your wallet.

Free to air broadcasters are concerned that delivery of video over the Internet via the NBN threatens their industry, but, according to Alcatel-Lucent, the NBN could have video capabilities beyond Internet TV and the broadcasters need to understand and embrace this potential.

NASA announced on September 11, 2009, that its Lunar Crater Observation and Sensing Satellite (LCROSS) mission is being dedicated to the memory of legendary newscaster Walter Cronkite.