Digital terrestrial television in Australia

Digital terrestrial television in Australia commenced on 1 January 2001, in the country's five most populous cities, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth using DVB-T standards. It is anticipated that between 2010 and 2012 (now 31 December 2013), it will replace Analogue PAL transmissions. Although approximately 96% of the population has access to at least one digital service,^[1] in March 2007, only 28% of Australia's 7.8 million households had adopted free-to-air digital television.^[2] Digital services are available in most areas, however parts of Western Australia, and Central Australia have yet to begin transmissions.^[3]

The new means of broadcast has brought with it a number of enhancements, primarily higher-quality picture and sound, but also datacast and multi-view services such as video program guides, high definition, and now-and-next program information. There are a number of additional channels, datacasting, as well as high definition services, available to digital terrestrial television viewers in Australia. Digital-only content is subject to availability and differs greatly in various television markets.

History

Planning

Planning for digital terrestrial television in Australia can be traced back to 1993, when a group of specialists was drawn from the then-Australian Broadcasting Authority, Department of Transport and Communications, in addition to broadcasters and manufacturers. The ABA Specialist Group was intended to bring together studies taking place in a number of Australian forums and investigate potential options and policies relating to digital television.^[4]

In 1995 the group released a report, Digital Terrestrial Broadcasting in Australia, containing the preliminary conclusions of the group. It found that premature regulation of the new platform may stifle the market-driven development of the service, that it should be based upon existing standards, and should not restrict the ability of broadcasters to tailor local content.^[4] It was too early at the time to make decisions relating to what standard should be used, when transmissions should commence, and whether analogue television should be phased out.

The final report, of the same name, was released in 1997.^[5] It recommended that Australia should adopt a single system following detailed trials of potential systems, that it should be implemented with high definition capabilities from the outset, that each licensed commercial or public service should have access to a full 7 MHz channel for its services, and that the eventual termination of analogue PAL services should be driven by market factors and subject to regular review.^[6] The year 2000 was highlighted as a potential target date for the commencement of permanent digital terrestrial broadcasting.^[6]

Response

The Australian Broadcasting Authority's response, titled Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting, recommended that the Australian Government support the early introduction of digital broadcasting as a free-to-air service with the loan of a 7 MHz channel for each broadcaster, in order to enable high-definition television from the outset.^[6] The Federation of Australian Commercial Television Stations supported this, as well as freedom for its members to launch multi-channel services. At the same time, the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association, questioned the commercial viability of HDTV, were opposed to the idea of multi-channeling, and argued for a competitive system that would allow the entry of new players.

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation stated that it wished to run up to four multichannels at different times of the day or alternatively offer an HDTV service. It claimed that up to $100 million would be needed to prepare for these services, half of which would need to be government-funded.^[6] Other interested parties, such as internet service provider OzEmail argued for the provision of spectrum for interactive services, while Telstra, shareholder in the subscription television provider Foxtel, supported ASTRA's argument for a competitive bidding process for digital spectrum.^[6]

Legislation

On 24 March 1998, Minister for Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts, Senator Richard Alston, announced the government's decisions for the introduction of digital television. The plan allowed commercial and public broadcasters 7 MHz of spectrum free of charge for 8 years to simulcast services in both digital and analogue, after which it was to be returned to the Commonwealth.^[6] Digital terrestrial television was to commence on 1 January 2001 in metropolitan areas, with expansion to regional areas to have been completed by the start of 2004.^[6]

Following this, commercial broadcasters would be required to provide minimum levels of high definition content, will be required to pay fees if they chose to provide datacast services, and would be prohibited from using their spectrum for multichanneling of subscription services. In addition, the prohibition on new free-to-air broadcasters would be extended until December, 2008.^[6]

Amendments were subsequently made to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 and the Radiocommunications Act 1992, which set out ownership and programming conditions for broadcasting licenses (administered by the ABA) and regulated the usage of spectrum, respectively.^[6]

On 18 June 1998, the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Selection Panel announced the choice of the European DVB-T system for digital terrestrial television.^[7] The panel was a group of representatives from the country's public, commercial and regional broadcasters, the Department of Communications, the Information Economy and the Arts, as well as the Australian Broadcasting Authority.

Launch

When digital television launched on 1 January 2001, the majority of households did not know of or were unable to buy a set top box in order to receive the signal.^[8] Digital Broadcasting Australia was established in late 2000 to help make the transition to digital television as seamless for consumers as possible. It includes representatives from free-to-air broadcasters, manufacturers, suppliers, and retailers and was intended to provide information about commencement dates, coverage, and the functionality and availability of equipment.^[9]

Controversy

Digital TV has been blamed for the shut down of small analogue television stations due to lack of money to upgrade to digital. This so far has caused Perth's Access 31 current state of temporary, possibly permanent, shut down. It is currently stated that for them to have stayed open $750,000 (AUD) would have to be raised plus enough money to keep the channel open until expected government funding help is available in 2009. This was half the problem until it was thought that it was saved by a generous business person named Gary Baverstock^[10] and Lotterywest. Now for them to re-open as such it is thought it may cost millions of which now a local Chinese businessman Ma Xi Bo is trying to raise^[10].

Content

Additional channels

The Australian Broadcasting Corporation launched in August, 2001 the ABC Kids Channel and Fly TV. The two multichannels, available only through digital means, showed a range of programming targeted at younger and teenage viewers.^[11] Similarly, the Special Broadcasting Service launched the SBS World News Channel in 2002, a digital-only service offering a number of foreign-language news programmes seen in its morning WorldWatch timeslot.

Funding issues meant that in May, 2003 the Australian Broadcasting Corporation closed ABC Kids and Fly TV.^[12] In the same year, Tasmanian Digital Television became the first digital-only commercial station to be launched in the country, under Section 38A of the Broadcasting Services Act. The new station was a joint venture between existing commercial networks Southern Cross Broadcasting and WIN Television.^[13] Tasmanian Digital Television, affiliated to Network Ten, was initially available only in Hobart, before expanding to Launceston and, by early 2009,^[14] the remainder of the state. The introduction of this fifth channel resulted in significantly higher digital television takeup in Tasmania than other parts of the country.^[15]

ABC2, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's second attempt at a digital-only channel launched on 7 March 2005.^[16] The service showed a range of repeated news, current affairs, children's and educational programs originally shown on ABC1 as well as a number of original programs launched later on, such as Australia Wide, Short and Curly and Late Night Legends.

Mildura Digital Television, a joint venture digital-only Network Ten affiliate similar to Tasmanian Digital Television commenced in January, 2006. The station is owned by WIN Television and Prime Television.^[17] A similar channel in Darwin Has been launched on 28 April 2008, by Southern Cross Broadcasting and PBL Media in early 2008.^[18] In addition to Darwin Digital Television, the Australian Communications and Media Authority set a designated time for a third digital-only commercial television service in remote and regional Western Australia, on 24 August 2007. Both the WIN Corporation and Prime Television Limited, owner of the Golden West Network, will have until 21 November 2007 to apply for a sole or jointly owned licence.^[19]

During September 2007, the three commercial networks announced the introduction of high-definition only channels later that year, becoming the first new commercial television channels to launch in metropolitan areas of Australia since 1988. The Seven Network's Seven HD was the first to launch on 15 October and became available through Prime Television on 29 October. This was followed by the launch of Ten HD on 16 December. The majority of the programming on the high-definition channels is simulcast from the parent channel.

On 23 September the Howard government announced plans, if re-elected after the 2007 Australian federal election, to launch ABC3 - a digital-only children's television service, to be run by the ABC alongside existing multichannel ABC2. The proposal has since received support from both major parties - Kevin Rudd's Labor opposition, to become the government in the election, offered support the new channel soon after its initial proposal.^[20]

Beginning in 2009, commercial broadcasters will be able to transmit an alternate standard definition channel. Currently, the only new channel planned is a sports-dedicated channel from Channel Ten called ONE, expected to launch in the second quarter of 2009.^[21]

Channel A and B

In 2006, the Australian Communications and Media Authority announced that it would allocate additional, digital-only datacasting licenses to promote the uptake of digital terrestrial television.^[22][23] The first of the two, named Channel A, expected to be allocated in August-September, 2007,^[23] is intended to be available for free-to-air, datacasting, and community television to be received on a standard terrestrial television receiver. Channel B, to be allocated in October-November, 2007^[23] was intended for other uses, such as mobile television.^[22]

A discussion paper inviting comments on the potential use of these channels was released in March, 2006. The invitation ended on 5 February 2007, and submissions were received from a wide range of interest groups including the Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association, FreeTV Australia, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation, the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, as well as National Indigenous Television and Fairfax Media, amongst others.^[24]

Community television stations, and the Community Broadcasting Association of Australia, have lobbied for the mandatory inclusion of community television stations on the new Channel A service at no cost,^[25] a proposal recommended earlier this year by a Government Standing Committee report on digital community television.

Datacasting

A number of broadcasters, primarily commercial networks, have provided a number of digital-only datacast or multivew services on separate channels - in particular during major sporting events. The Seven Network, for instance, provided two additional channels as part of its coverage of the 2003 Rugby World Cup - one providing alternate commentary, the other with statistics and game information.^[26] Seven also ran a similar service during its coverage ot the 2004 Summer Olympics showing news headlines, a medal tally, and event results.^[27] Similarly in 2005 for the Melbourne Cup, Australian Open, Australian Open Golf, and the One Day International series from the United Kingdom, the Seven Network provided a multi-view datacast service.^[28] As well as this, the Nine Network and NBN Television both provided a multi-view service with additional text information during Pompeii: The Last Day.

Digital Forty Four, a trial datacasting service, began in Sydney in 2003. The service included at launch an electronic program guide, ABC News, Sport and Weather datacast service, the Australian Christian Channel, shopping channel Expo and a number of federal parliament audio streams. The service, licensed by the Australian Communications and Media Authority for three years, is currently under review.^[29]

Two metropolitan networks provide video program guide datacast channels in addition to their standard and high definition channels. Seven Guide, Nine Guide, show the coming 24 hours' worth of programming in addition to, in some cases, news and weather headlines. During ABC2 and ABC HD's downtime, the ABC shows program information and weather, with music from ABC DiG radio.

High-definition

At a minimum, all digital television broadcasters in Australia provide a 576i standard definition service, in addition to high definition. The 576p50 format is also considered a HDTV format, as it has higher vertical resolution through the use of progressive scanning. When Australia started DVB-T in 2001 several networks broadcast high-definition in a 576p format as this could give better quality on 50 Hz scanning CRT TVs and was not as demanding on MPEG-2 bit-rate. Now that flat-screens are predominating and these have an interlace to progressive scan conversion there is little difference in picture quality. Also MPEG-2 encoders have improved so the more conventional 720p and 1080i formats are now used. Technically, the 1080i576p format is internationally defined as Enhanced-definition television and many DVD players can provide a 576p signal usually on HDMI outputs.

WIN Television in South Australia and Griffith are the only stations that broadcast in digital but do not provide a High Definition service. However this is due to two services, WIN Television and WIN Ten in SA or WIN Television and Prime in Griffith; using the same digital frequency.

All other commercial stations have 1080i high definition services, in most cases a high definition multichannel providing some differing programming from the main SD channel. ABC Television has a 720p high definition service, which mostly simulcasts ABC1's Sydney schedule. SBS Television currently broadcast a 576p enhanced definition simulcast of their main SBS channel, the only broadcaster to remain using the 576p format in Australia.

Quotas on high definition content - a minimum of 1040 hours per year - were imposed by the Australian government in July, 2003 on broadcasters in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth. The same requirement was extended in April, 2005 to stations in Darwin, regional New South Wales and regional Queensland, and in January, 2006 in Mildura.^[30] As of 13 July 2007 commercial television networks in Australia are permitted to provide multichannels, however only in high definition.^[31]

Channels

Not all channels are available in all areas, duplicate channels omitted.

Defunct Channels

LCN / Channel Name / Notes

• 11 - Ten Guide A Video Program Guide for Network Ten
• 21 - ABC Kids Ended June 30, 2003. Relaunched as ABC2 in 7 March, 2005
• 31 - SBS Essential Ended January 25, 2007
• 47 - Macquarie Digital Ended June 11 2007. Relaunched as Teachers TV in November 2008.Sydney Only
• 48 - TAB Channel Ended February, 2005 Sydney Only
• 77 - Seven Guide A Video Program Guide for Seven Network
• 99 - Nine Guide A Video Program Guide for Nine Network
• 401 - House of Representatives Sydney Only
• 402 - Senate Sydney Only
• 403 - House of Representatives Main Committee Sydney Only
• 404 - Committee Room 1 Sydney Only
• 405 - Committee Room 2 Sydney Only
• 406 - Committee Room 3 Sydney Only
• 407 - Committee Room 4 Sydney Only

Radio

SBS and ABC provide digital radio services as part of their DTV broadcast: SBS Radio: SBS Radio 1 and SBS Radio 2 ABC DiG: Dig Jazz and Dig Radio

Analogue Switchoff

In October 2008, the Digital Switchover Taskforce announced the formalized dates for analogue-switchoff, which will begin in 2010 in Mildura, with the final switchoff in 2013 in Sydney, Melbourne, Adelaide and remote areas switch.^[32]

Freeview

In November 2008, the Freeview (Australia) brand was launched with the service commencing in 2009. Freeview brings all free-to-air broadcasters (both metropolitan and regional) together in a consistent marketing push.

References

External links

• Digital Television For Dummies
• Digital Broadcasting Australia
• Australian Communications and Media Authority
• Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association
• Commercial Television Australia
• Community Broadcasting Association of Australia
• Australian Broadcasting Corporation
• Special Broadcasting Service