018/06
23 March 2006
Digital television regulatory framework review reports
The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan, today tabled a series of reports on reviews into the digital television regulatory framework.
The reviews, which were required by legislation, fed into the formulation of last week’s discussion paper on reform options for Australia's media industry.
“The reviews of the digital television regulatory framework raised a number of issues and the discussion paper, Meeting the Digital Challenge: Reforming Australia's media in the digital age, outlines potential policy responses,” Senator Coonan said.
Following consideration of submissions to the discussion paper, the Government will finalise its policy on media reform and develop a Digital Action Plan, to energetically drive take-up of digital television in the lead-up to analogue switch-over.
The series of statutory reviews undertaken over the last two years are related to a range of issues including:
- the restrictions on additional programming provided by free-to-air broadcasters, including multichannelling and whether the prohibition on free-to-air broadcasters offering other types of services, such as pay TV channels, should be modified;
- matters relating to the end of the moratorium on the issue of new commercial television broadcasting licences, which concludes on 31 December 2006;
- the efficient allocation of spectrum for digital television;
- legislative provisions relating to under-served markets; and
- high definition digital TV requirements.
A review of the duration of the analogue-digital simulcast period was conducted in late 2005.
Submissions to this review will also contribute to the Digital Action Plan. The report for this review has not yet been finalised.
The review reports are available at: www.dcita.gov.au/media_broadcasting/policy_and_legislation/digital_broadcasting_policy_reviews