Senator Conroy, the Minister for Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy, has announced that as part of a pathway to digitisation, unassigned spectrum previously known as Channel A would be allocated to community television in each metropolitan market until analogue switch off in 2013.
This will allow Community TV stations C31 in Melbourne, TVS in Sydney, QCTV in Brisbane and Channel 31 in Adelaide to simulcast their service until the switch to digital only broadcasts in early 2013. A new community licensee in Perth will commence digital only broadcasts in early 2010.
The government has allocated funding support, totalling $2.6 million, to enable the community sector to meet the costs of commencing digital simulcasts.
For further information: http://www.minister.dbcde.gov.au/media/media_releases/2009/100