Govt backs full DSO for Australia
November 10, 2010
The Australian Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, has revealed that the Government has partnered with regional commercial broadcasters to ensure all Australians can access the same number of TV channels as is available in capital cities, no matter where they live.
As part of its digital switchover programme, the Government will provide $34 million over four years to enable commercial television broadcasters in terrestrial licence areas in regional South Australia, remote and regional Western Australia, and remote and central Australia to deliver all digital TV channels to their audiences via terrestrial broadcast.
In combination with the newly established Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service for viewers in remote licence areas and reception blackspots, this measure will provide every Australian with the ability to access the full range of commercial free-to-air digital television services – including digital-only channels Go!, GEM, 7Two, 7Mate, ONE, and the soon-to-be-launched Eleven.
The funding will assist regional commercial broadcasters to install new transmitters in the relevant regional and remote licence areas, which will give them the capacity to transmit all new digital TV channels.