News
Television Reception in Goyder |
Thursday, 7 January 2010
For residents on the west coast of Yorke Peninsula and the Copper Coast the quality of television reception has been an ongoing issue for many years.
Member for Goyder Steven Griffiths MP said it is hoped following the Federal Government’s announcement last week that a digital satellite broadcasting service will be implemented to provide digital television to viewers in regional blackspot areas will benefit residents who currently receive poor television reception within the Goyder electorate.
“Television reception is an issue that is often raised with me and in areas of signal deficiency the switchover to a digital television service is a concern for many people, Mr Griffiths said.
Households not able to receive digital television as part of Australia’s ongoing switchover to digital-only television will be served by the new satellite service. The service will be in place before analog services are switched off in each regional broadcast license area.
“This development is at least a positive step because despite writing several times last year to Senator Stephen Conroy, Federal Minister for Communications, a commitment from the Federal Government was not given to implement infrastructure to rectify the problem of poor television reception within the electorate, Mr Griffiths said.
The final cost of the digital satellite broadcasting service will be determined following negotiations between broadcasters and satellite service providers. The Federal Government is committing $40 million per year over the four-year forward estimates to build and operate the service, for the potential benefit of up to 247,000 households across Australia.
“I am pleased by this latest announcement, however I have written to Senator Conroy once again to ensure the initiative will provide residents on the west coast of Yorke Peninsula and the Copper Coast with quality television reception within their broadcast license area, stated Mr Griffiths.
Senator Conroy has stated that the Government is currently working with free-to-air broadcasters through the digital switchover period and a list of sites to be upgraded to digital will be made public in the first half of 2010.
To access the new satellite service, some households may need to install a satellite dish if a high definition set-top-box is not adequate to access the full suite of digital channels. A Federal Government subsidy will be available to eligible households.