We could be enjoying free high-definition TV content as early as next year, said ICT Minister Helen Coonan in an address today to the Country Press Association on the proposed media reforms.
Senator Coonan said the proposed “relaxation” of the current media ownership and licensing laws introduced in the 80s by the Hawke Labor Government will be balanced by the “emergence of new services and potential new entrants.”
“The Government will allocate two new licences to operate innovative new digital services as part of the media reform package. From next year, commercial broadcasters will be able to set up a digital only, high definition multi-channel and from the end of 2008 can supplement that with a standard definition multi-channel.
“We have also lifted the genre restrictions on the two national broadcasters – SBS and the ABC – so they can show a broader range of content on their digital multi-channels.
“So, all of this means that over the next few years Australians could be enjoying up to eight new digital channels in-home, up to 30 channels of new content delivered to a mobile device such as a phone and there could be upwards of 10 new digital only multi-channels from the free-to-air broadcasters. This will put us in line with the rest of the developed world as we head towards digital switchover in 2010-2012,” the Senator said.
The Senator also said that a number of safeguards will also be put into place under the new reforms, to protect media diversity, particularly in vulnerable regional areas.
“The effect of these diversity safeguards is that in around 81 per cent of regional markets there can be very little or no merger activity unless new players first enter the market.
“In addition, existing rules to ensure a person may control only one commercial television licence or two commercial radio licences in any licence area, and that a person may not control commercial television licences reaching an audience of more than 75 per cent of the Australian population, will remain.
“And, of course, mergers will be subject to approval from the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission,” she said.
Senator Coonan said the main driver for the media reform package has been consumers and the exponential growth in new media.
“It defies logic to confine traditional media in Australia by restricting where and how they can operate to a defined licence area when new media -such as the Internet – can operate largely unregulated and unfettered,” she said.
