Calls to extend Mildura’s switch to digital
As a June 30th deadline looms closer, there are fears not everyone in the Sunraysia area will have made the shift from analogue to digital.
- Published by David Knox
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”If you take the footy off my constituents, it’s going to be World War III,” says John Forrest, the federal member for Mallee.
On June 30th analogue TV will be turned off in the Sunraysia region, including Mildura, the first area in Australia to shift entirely to digital.
So far some 79% of households have already made the switch.
But Forrest fears up to 5000 people could be left without television and is calling on the government to extend the deadline.
”We’re running out of time, and I’d like the government to consider deferral of the June 30 date until they can be confident,” he says.
But the Digital Switchover Taskforce is confident the Mildura switch-off will go smoothly, insisting a digital upgrade to a transmission facility in Ouyen and another one in Underbool, are on track.
Source: The Age
26 Responses
Sorry Bazza, but receiving an FTA television signal isn’t a human right. I really want to play some games on a PlayStation3 console, but I can’t afford it yet. Maybe the Federal Government should buy me one?
@Bob
If people didn’t change the we’d still have an analogue cell phone net work, time to move with the times, analogue TV needs to be switched off to free up the airwaves.
@Tony Scott – yet they are spending $40 million plus to fix the isolation mess they created, a few 100k on STB would be nothing and could go to local retailers.
Yes some people are lazy and just won’t budge until they get snow come July 1st when they turn on to see Sunrise. But there are people who just can’t afford it.
“If they keep putting off the switchover date, then what motivation will those people have to switch?”
Exactly! The switchover date has been known for a long time, there’s really no excuse. There’s still four months left anyway. Turn it off and those too lazy to get a STB in past few years will be at their local electrical store quick smart!
If people seriously cannot afford a $29 set top box, then they’ll have much bigger problems than this. But most people are just too lazy to make the switch, and they’ll be forced to buy a set top box at the last minute or the morning after. If they keep putting off the switchover date, then what motivation will those people have to switch? It doesn’t make any sense at all to get people to switch by postponing the date, it’s a reason not to switch. Where’s the logic in that?
The deadline shouldn’t be changed everyone has been aware of this for a long time,years in fact.If you hav’nt switched over by the deadline,get ready to do something else
@Cameron
You seem to forget that many people are on a fixed income. Any outlay whatsoever may be outside their budget. Or don’t pensioners really matter to you?
You also forget that *many* people who can receive analogue transmissions cannot receive digital. So far I know of quite a few personal friend who fall into this category, yet only about half of them are able to get any kind of alternative, such as satellite. Even with a subsidy, they’re still out of pocket by a large sum.
I agree digital is better, for the main part. It does succumb to bad weather however, the summer storms and heavy rain around Qld have seen it blacked out many times.
In any event, the government really should have taken those who will be “left behind” into consideration, as they clearly haven’t. I guess if you live in a nice suburb of Canberra and earn a couple of hundred thousand a year, none of the above is an issue?
people shouldn’t have to change
to Craig….
the governmnet should STB for those who can’t afford them????!?!
are you f***ing serious??????
so people now suddonly can’t afford $30 for a stb….
but could quite easily afford a few hundred dollars for the tv in the first place!
and lets not forget about the electricity to run the damn thing!
everyone wants something for nothing!
seriously….
if you can’t manage to save $30 in the next 4 months I think you’d have more problems then worry about if you can watch tv
Don’t delay the analogue switch-off, there has been more than enough warning. I say bring it forward for all areas and that everything becomes digital by the end of next year 2011, and don’t wait around for 2013.
Why extend the switch when most (79%) have already switched in Mildura. Digital is far better than analog with more channels and yet Mildura has the full suite of freeview channels. Why watch footy in crammy old analog when you can watch it in glorious HD. Digital is the only way to watch ABC 2 & 3, Go, 7two, One and Ten. The only ones without digital should be those in blackspots who will get the satellite system this year. Digital receivers are much cheaper now so it should not be too expensive to get one.
Regional SA and Broken Hill should get the new channels terrestrially soon to increase digital take up to ensure the switch over is smoother.
I don’t think the cost of a STB is the issue, it may be the location from the transmittor and how easy (or hard) it is to get reception.
It’s a good chance though for any government department or do gooder rich person to donate some cash for 5000 x $30 = $150k STB’s and have only the reception issued sorted out.
@John – “We can not stop putting off the digital switch”
Can you tell that to the Regional WA TV companies (GWN & WIN). Still yet to see a digital plan from them.
I’ve heard through the grapevine GWN is hoping to start the middle of next year. But ever since I moved regional in WA, that’s the same response I’ve heard “Next year it will start”.
I’ll believe it when I see it!
I am from Mildura, and we are idiots! People still here don’t get the idea of set top boxes.
5000 people. $20 a box (at cost) – why that’s only $100,000 the Govt would have to spend to get them all sorted. Loose change compared to the millions they waste everyday.
Then again, how long have they known it was coming for? Switch the analogue off, get on with the change over 0 it is already 5 years too late. Watch those who have not bought a box yet panic come July 1.
I agree time to make the switch-off some of these people will never actually go digital until they actually switch-off the analogue.
If you can’t organize a four month savings regime of $12 per month between now and June 30 to buy a set-top box, I’d dare to suggest your professed love for sport on tv is disingenuous.
some people just will not make the change…so turn off analogue Now and let them stare at a blank TV…they’ve had more than enough time…they will cry we are struggling to afford one…but they will still buy the grog/smokes/fast food …turn off analogue now…just do it
IMO the government should step in a pay for STB for those who can’t afford them, as long as the don’t by cheap ones that burst into flames LOL but seriously there are people who can’t afford $50 on a STB and these people should be helped, including installing for those who just can’t do it them selves.
We can not stop putting off the digital switch – we are so far behind the US and by the time the whole country has switched over it’ll be 2013! There is enough advertising running advising people of the switch over including spots giving examples of what people need to do. If America can do it – with a major switch off, surely Australia can do it!
Omg these people are idiots! Go out and buy a god damn set top box for $50! They have had 10 years to buy one.
Oh…. Why don’t we just simulcast analog and digital forever, just so those who can not be bothered switching can still get TV? I think the government should have just set a fixed date for the whole nation and just force everyone to upgrade. Better still, instead of those stimulus packages Rudd handed out the other year, maybe the government would have been wiser to hand out set top boxes. It irks me to think we need to keep something going to keep the minority happy…
Maybe instead of flying out the Opposition Member for Broadband and TV for interview next wee, they could use that money to buy some et top boxes for people.
It’s been in the paper for months, on TV for months – everyone knows about it. People still have 4 months to get their box sorted. More than enough time.
Wish he spent half as much time something serious up here like jobs or getting the passenger rail line sorted rather than worrying about what people are watching on TV.
5000 people?
Tell them to go buy a box for $29.
Why must the government spoon feed everything to everyone these days?
Seriously, too bloody bad. If we don’t start this damn rollout and stick to the timetables, we’ll still have analogue in 2030.
It will be like the old NBN situation. They had to leave the VHF band “3” back in the 90s to accommodate new media in Newcastle, but they threaten to create a legal stink and 20 years later…….