Julie Owens (Parramatta, Australian Labor Party) Share this | Hansard source

The Standing Committee on Communications, Information Technology and the Arts believes that the plight of community television in gaining access to digital spectrum is now dire; hence the bringing forward of this section of the report into options for digital broadcasting for community television ahead of the full report into community broadcasting, which will be delivered later this year.

The size and importance of the community television sector is currently greater than most people realise. There are currently four full-time community television licences—Sydney, Brisbane, Perth and Melbourne—with trial services in Adelaide, Lismore and Mount Gambier. Arguably the most successful is Channel 31 in Melbourne, which has 40 affiliated member groups representing a variety of communities, and has 1.3 million viewers tuning in every month. Community television also provides extensive training opportunities for people wishing to enter the television field. That factor is well recognised within the commercial television industry.

The single biggest issue facing the vibrant community media is the switch to digital. Community television does not have sufficient spectrum to simulcast. It is analog only. As people switch to digital in their homes, they effectively lose easy access to the community television channel. If they know their way around the equipment they can do a special set-up that will allow them to switch back and forwards between digital and analog, but we all know that that does not happen and the reality is that for the community television sector the gradual switch to digital is eroding its market. The idea that community television could have an instant switch from analog to digital on the switch-off date is clearly absurd, as it would mean that community television effectively goes down towards zero at switch-off and then must start again to build its market. The committee supports the community television sector’s view that, without the ability to simulcast in both analog and digital during this transition period, community television is unlikely to survive the switch-off.

I am pleased to say that there was unanimous committee support for the recommendations that, if adopted by government, will provide a pathway for community television to take its rightful place in the new digital landscape. We on this side of the House urge the government to adopt the recommendations and act quickly, and I am pleased to hear the chair, the member for Lindsay, say that the minister has indicated a willingness to support these recommendations. I would like to say—although I will not dwell on it too much at this time—that the government’s history of making commitments to community radio has far outstripped its record in acting on those commitments.

The knowledge that community television would have to switch from analog to digital has been around for at least as long as the Howard government. The Australian government announced a commitment to community television in 1998, guaranteeing the community television sector that it would have the access to the spectrum needed to broadcast one standard definition channel in digital. The minister assured community television that it would have access to digital spectrum by 2001. Then, in 2001, the minister announced the cancellation of the datacasting spectrum due to inadequate competition and effectively left the future of digital community television in limbo. In that year the government made an election commitment, just as it had in 1998, that it would provide access to spectrum for digital transmission.

Then in 2002 the Department of Communications, Information Technology and the Arts conducted a review of the regulatory arrangements for community television and how access to spectrum could be provided free of charge. It recommended that consideration should be given to providing an environment in which the sector would have greater regulatory certainty. The Community Broadcasting Association kept making submissions and time passed. Then, in 2004, another election year, the government, which still had not delivered on the 1998 commitment or the 2001 commitment, made the same election commitment again—that the coalition remained committed to the inclusion of community broadcasting in the digital environment.

Then there was the digital television review of 2004-05, a discussion paper in 2005 and then Ready, get set, go digital—a digital action plan for Australia in November 2006, which suggested that the sector explore options for simulcast arrangements on its own. Now it is 2007 and community television has just one shot left. The recommendations made by this committee are the only options that remain for community television. If they are not given through a ‘must carry provision’ on licence A there is really no future for community television beyond the switch-off date.

I thank my colleagues on the other side of the House for clearly providing such incredible support for the future of community television. The recommendations that we have made go further than the government has in the past. (Time expired)

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