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Fourth network could be worth $1B

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Our Communications Minister Senator Conroy sure has a lot on his plate at the moment.

The Rudd Government is said to be mulling its options for a fourth free to air network, and the Pay TV industry is badgering him to overhaul the anti-siphoning laws for broadcast sports.

Conroy estimates a spectrum freed up by the switch to digital television could be worth up to $1 billion for the Commonwealth. The shift to digital television by 2013 will free up scarce spectrum that could be used for “new and improved communications services, potentially including wireless internet, mobile telephony and broadcasting”.

“In terms of the spectrum and what we could do with it, we’ve said all along that we are prepared to consider any of the options, including a fourth free-to-air network for the use of the spectrum when we switch it off,” Senator Conroy told the ABN Amro Communications Conference in Sydney yesterday.

Meanwhile, Conroy has flagged that a review of the anti-siphoning list, which gives Seven, Nine and Ten exclusive rights to more than 1300 sporting events, by late next year would be “intrinsically linked” to a decision about sports multi-channelling on free-to-air.

Foxtel CEO Kim Williams, who wants to change the current ground rules said, “All that subscription television seeks is that great Australian dream, the level playing field. No special favours for them, no special favours for us.”

“Policy makers need to be less dewy-eyed next time the representatives of the commercial networks troop down to Canberra, wrapped in the Aussie flag as is their practice, seeking yet more protections and advantages from the Australian taxpayer,” the pay TV boss said.

Source: The Australian, Sydney Morning Herald

2 Responses

  1. perhaps the government can use some of the **$1BILLION** it expects from the sale of ex-analogue spectrum to fund the conversion of community TV to digital.

    So far the government (both previous and current) have offered nothing but vague promises that community TV will get a ticket on the digital train while they’ve been happy to let ABC, SBS and the commercial sector all have concession fares (eg. free digital spectrum, and other discounts) to hop on.. !

  2. I’d be fine with there being no anti-siphoning legislation if there was genuine competition and a level playing field in the Pay TV market. All the non-Foxtel aligned Pay TV companies don’t stand a chance while Foxtel are able to have a practical monopoly on channels.

    Foxtel’s power in the Pay TV market makes it unfair for consumers for it to be on a level playing field with FTA channels.

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