Kevin Rudd (Griffith, Australian Labor Party, Prime Minister) Share this | Hansard source

I thank the member for Mallee very much for his question because this is a legitimate question raised by those in regional Australia. I am very much aware of the trial which is underway in his part of Australia. Let me answer his question as best I can concerning, firstly, access to general transmission and, secondly, the question of local television news—I think they were the elements of the question.

Firstly, people in regional Australia will get local news. The satellite service will have a dedicated local news channel and they will be able to get their news by what is described as a red button technology. Secondly, I am advised that some people in signal black spots will need a dish for satellite television and we have announced that we will subsidise this at a cost of $400 per household. This means that everyone would be able to get digital TV and all those news channels, including everyone in regional Australia based on the advice that the government has received.

Could I go on to say that in early January this year the government reached an important agreement with Australia’s commercial broadcasters to deliver on the full range of digital television channels to all Australians no matter where they live. The solution being implemented by the government is aimed at ensuring that viewers in black spots around Australia will have access to the same number of television channels as are currently available in the capital cities.

Furthermore, I am advised that under this agreement the commercial broadcasters will upgrade a substantial number of existing analog self-help transmission sites to digital. For areas where retransmission sites are not upgraded or which rely on the existing analog satellite service the government will fully fund a new satellite service. The service will include all free-to-air digital television services including the original three commercial and two national channels as well as new digital services such as ABC2, ABC3, SBS TWO, GO!, 7TWO and ONE HD. Furthermore, the government will provide capital and operational funds to broadcast via satellite all of the local news segments from all of the licensed areas and submarkets around Australia.

Furthermore, Mr Speaker, in response to the honourable member’s question I am advised that viewers would be able to access their local news via this channel as soon as it is available from broadcasters, and they would be able to select their local news on the dedicated news channel via the red button technology I referred to before, which is similar to the system that is already used on Sky News. I thank the member for his question.

See this speech in context