Regional networks reject ‘blackspot’ plan
Regional TV networks turn down Conroy's plan to solve digital blackspot issues, concerned about local news, sport and revenue.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
Regional TV networks have rejected the Senator Conroy’s proposal to beam digital TV signals into black-spot areas via satellite because up to 600,000 people could lose local news and sports coverage.
Conroy proposed that Australia would be divided into three satellite coverage areas: one service for NSW, Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, another for Queensland and the Northern Territory and a third for Western Australia.
The plan would mean some viewers lose their local news at the expense of a single generic service. It would principally hit revenue for broadcasters because of fewer local ads. Even more alarmingly it could affect football codes with AFL potentially shuffled to late night slots as a NSW signal airs across interstate lines.
The Australian notes that the broadcasters will instead cost an alternative plan to use terrestrial digital TV transmitters estimated to cost about $15 million to boost digital signals in about 200 areas.
Source: The Australian
10 Responses
Nothing like leaving things till the last moment. How long have we had digital? When’s the cutoff? Good grief.
I think Conroy’s idea is good. Kuttsy’s is far better. As long as current satellite viewers get a better deal, then I’m all for it. It’s the terrestrial black-spot viewers who reside in terrestrial analog’s reach that will not be happy. However, the networks could share responsibility with state-based news. Prime does one state, WIN does the other etc.
I’m sure the viewers would rather miss out on localised news than miss out on TV altogether.
“even more alarmingly could affect football codes”
Thats priceless.
What’s this? Conroy failing at something? Who would have thought…
The idea isn’t bad, it is much better than the current arrangement.
If this comes to fruition, the broadcasters would be better off just cutting a deal with Sky News Australia and carrying their bulletin at 6:00 PM…
“The Australian notes that the broadcasters will instead cost an alternative plan to use terrestrial digital TV transmitters estimated to cost about $15 million to boost digital signals in about 200 areas.”
Have they costed satellite dish installations in all those areas, satellite capacity costs (especially if they were to provide a like service by also having HD and multichannels)?
The cheapest option is flash cutting analogue re-transmitters at analogue switchoff, no simulcasting, only a few million to upgrade the transmitters to be digital capable.
NSW is large enough for it’s own satellite service, so is Queensland.
Simply it should be:
NSW-only
QLD-only
Tas/Vic
WA
SA/NT
satellite digital markets.
I just wish they would boost the power level of my local transmitter. Its only 5 kilometres away, but I don’t get any signal from it at all, and instead have to rely on Newcastle which is over 50 kilometres away.
Who regulates the power levels of transmitters? Is there any way to file a request to have the power level boosted?
Surely helping the regionals to cover digital blackspots with their own broadcast rather than a satellite service would be the best solution anyway? And probably cheaper long term?
They may still need a satellite service though to cover Central Australia where the area is so large, standard transmission equipment would render providing a digital signal unviable.