Helen Coonan (NSW, Liberal Party, Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts) Share this | Hansard source

I commend Senator Webber for waffling on about however long was required for Labor to get their act in order on this second reading amendment, which seems to have been largely the same as the one in the House of Representatives! Anyway, let us be charitable about this. The Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Radio) Bill 2007 and the Radio Licence Fees Amendment Bill 2007 provide the Australian radio industry with a unique and important opportunity to commence digital radio services. These bills provide for the introduction of digital radio services using the digital audio broadcasting or DAB standard initially commencing in the state capital city markets by 1 January 2009.

Digital radio has the potential to provide a range of new and innovative services to listeners and thereby enhance the quality and diversity of radio services currently enjoyed by millions of Australians every day. Yet I note that the opposition is calling on the government to delay the introduction of the new technology, citing a lack of consultation with industry and suggesting that regional radio listeners have not been included in this process—I will deal with both of those issues a little later. In fact the Australian radio industry has been working closely with government for three years in the development of the policy that is implemented through this legislation. Numerous opportunities have been extended to major stakeholders to contribute to the development of the policy framework, and their valuable contributions and how important this is to the radio industry have been embraced and welcomed by the government.

The Senate committee’s recent report on the provisions of the bills noted that submissions to the inquiry were very supportive of the bill’s intent and the majority of its provisions. Indeed, I think it is fair to say that the interest of these stakeholders in commencing digital radio has been a key factor in bringing this legislation forward. The Australian radio industry, which has to implement this legislation and use this technology, has lobbied strongly for the introduction of digital radio to enable it to respond to the opportunities and challenges of an emerging digital media landscape. It astounds me that the opposition and others do not see the relevance of getting started in digital radio. If you wait until the technology all aligns, you will never start. Technology continues to develop, and the legislation is flexible enough to allow reassessment—and there is a legislative review in 2011, which I will get to.

There are opportunities and challenges presented by this legislation and the adoption of digital radio. These opportunities will simply pass the industry by if we have troglodytes looking at this sort of legislation who do not understand that technology evolves and changes and that you cannot nail it to the floor until it all lines up and then start. It does not work like that with technology because it will be obsolete by the time everybody agrees on it in a Senate committee.

This government is very supportive of the intention of introducing digital radio. It is the last significant broadcasting platform to remain analog only, and digitisation is a key strategic priority for radio—they do not want to be left behind; they want to get on with it. The legislation provides the radio industry with an opportunity to go digital in a manner which incorporates the lessons learned from digital radio implementation overseas. We know from our inquiries and the extensive research that has been undertaken, for instance, that digital radio is generally preferred as a supplementary technology to analog radio rather than as a replacement—different to television. Analog radio shutdown may well be a long-term prospect but only a long-term prospect at best, and the dual operation of analog and digital is a reality for all countries that have commenced digital radio.

In recognition of this, the legislation provides for a progressive transition to digital radio without seeking to mandate both an unrealistic and costly conversion from analog. The first digital radio broadcast is to occur in the state capital city markets on or before 1 January 2009 using the DAB standard. The use of DAB as the primary platform for digital radio in Australia has the strong support of the Australian radio industry, including the ABC. It is widely recognised that DAB is the most developed terrestrial digital radio platform already introduced in a range of countries—and, importantly, for a small to medium country like Australia, there are a range of reasonably priced DAB consumer receivers available on the international market.

Contrary to the suggestions of the opposition, listeners outside the state capitals have not been and will not be overlooked. The legislation will enable the commencement of DAB radio services in regional markets, depending on the interest of relevant broadcasters in providing services. From my conversations as I travel around Australia and talk to broadcasters in rural and regional Australia, there is strong interest, and we aim to ensure that they will be able to access this new technology. However, I am pleased to note that the commercial radio industry has expressed considerable interest in providing DAB services in markets such as Newcastle, Wollongong, Geelong, Hobart, Darwin and the Gold Coast, and it is reasonable to expect that listeners in these markets will be provided with DAB radio services in these areas sometime after 2009. While DAB is the clear choice for the implementation of digital radio in Australia’s larger metropolitan and regional markets, it is acknowledged that the platform—