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Digital TV blow

Wednesday May 19, 2010

Cobar has been dealt a blow in the switchover to digital television with television stations announcing they have elected not to upgrade local facilities.
Cobar Shire Council recently received information from the federal government about self help television transmission sites, such as those which operate across the Cobar Shire.
According to the information from Senator Stephen Conroy, the federal minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, the government has an agreement with television broadcasters to ensure country areas receive the same number of digital services available in metropolitan areas.
Senator Conroy told council the government agreement included an undertaking from broadcasters that a number of self help sites would be upgraded, however Cobar, Euabalong and Nymagee were not on the list of candidates for upgrades.
According to the letter from Senator Conroy, there are still a number of options available for local residents.
The government has a scheme in place to pay each household $400 towards the cost of upgrading to a new satellite service to receive digital television.
Households where one or more residents receive the maximum rate of age pension, disability support pension, carer payment or department of Veteran’s Affairs Service Pension would be eligible to receive the full cost of switching to a satellite service.
Senator Conroy also explained an option for the local community to pay for the cost of upgrading television services to digital.
In his letter he said the government would not pay for community upgrades, however last week’s federal budget did provide $375.4million over the next 12 years “to assist broadcasters provide digital television to those unable to receive a terrestrial digital transmission, including satellite conversion subsidies for eligible households in self help analog transmission sites which are not converted to digital by broadcasters”.
Councillors at last week’s works committee meeting expressed their disappointment at the decision of the broadcasters not to upgrade the local equipment.


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