D-Day for Mildura
Analogue switch-off makes its first mark in Australia, as Mildura residents shift to Digital TV today.
- Published by David Knox
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- Filed under News
That’s D for Digital….
At 9am today the Sunraysia region on the Victoria / NSW border switches from analogue to digital television.
More than 90% of the community are believed to have shifted to digital equipment.
The Age reports retailers were busy at the weekend. While some were buying new digital TVs, many others were purchasing significantly cheaper set-top boxes.
The region’s federal MP, the Nationals’ John Forrest, said Mildura was ready for the switch-over, though earlier this month he unsuccessfully pushed the government to delay the change by a fortnight.
Mayor Glenn Milne says an intensive local media campaign has been running for at least six months to educate ratepayers about the change to hit screens today.
Head of the Taskforce, Andy Townend said, “Inevitably there (is) a small fraction of people who aren’t prepared on the date.
“We are prepared for that and we will be active. . . in Mildura for another month to help the people who have missed the boat.”
Parts of regional South Australia and Broken Hill are the next on the list and will have digital-only television in December. The rollout will continue through to the end of 2013.
The analogue signal will be cut at a ceremony at 9am today aboard the paddle steamer PB Mundoo.
Source: The Age, SKY News, ABC, The Australian
9 Responses
I don’t like the sound of this. Does this mean my telly won’t work ?
@John Citizen: Mr Conroy is apparently talking via mobile phone (possibly with a headset) to the engineers back at the station(s) to instruct them to switch off the analogue transmitters. Apparently he spoke to each station in turn which explains why they all went off air in sequence.
WIN News had a video story on their website that showed the engineer back at the station in Mildura pressing the button to turn of analogue when he got the instruction from Conroy.
@Jellyman – search youtube for Mildura digital, there’s a news item that shows it.
There was no historic moment on air – just normal programming straight to the snow report.
The ‘historic moment’ was on the news – where Conroy is at the lecturn and pressing his ear piece screaming “Switch it Off”… bahhh… I don’t like that bloke.
Have they got Youtube Videos of the Historic Moment?
Regional SA is the next to switch to Digital TV on Dec 15, but I have not watched analogue tv here for at least a year, so I will not miss it when it goes in December.
Well that was a whole lot of nothing – ABC, Win, Prime, SBS – all of in that order, 1 by 1.
The ABC is now running a loop advising viewers that they need to upgrade to digital.
If they keep delaying it there will always be people not changing and getting the Digital STB, I think by now people should know but there will be those who return home this evening, put on the news only to see snow, sorry they have been warned IMO.
Will the morning shows cover it today?
They transmit their signal from a paddle steamer? Only in Mildura.