Remote area TV users urged to register promptly for Commonwealth subsidy

15/12/97

Regional Development Minister Hendy Cowan has urged people using remote area television services to register promptly to receive a Federal Government subsidy for equipment they need to buy in order to receive digital satellite television services from next year.

Mr Cowan said both the ABC and GWN were converting their radio and television services from analogue to digital. Ultimately, this would give remote viewers access to more radio and television programs and services.

However, viewers who owned satellite equipment for direct-to-home reception would need to replace their analogue decoders with digital decoders to receive the new signals.

GWN was expected to cease analogue transmissions on January 31 and the ABC converts to digital in May 1998.

Mr Cowan said the State Government had written to all affected viewers explaining their options and enclosing registration forms to claim a $750 subsidy to offset the $1,000-$1,400 cost of a new decoder.

About 3,300 households are affected by the changeover.

A subsidy of $2,500 for each replacement commercial decoder is also available for local governments or Aboriginal communities which have to upgrade retransmission sites to digital technology.

Mr Cowan said the registration forms must be completed and returned to qualify for the subsidy. It was particularly important that owners provided the serial number of their present analogue decoder.

The registration form should be sent in even if people had not yet decided which make and model of digital decoder they would be buying.

Mr Cowan said there would be many benefits for remote viewers under the new digital satellite system. In particular, there would be greater program choice with SBS becoming available as well as GWN and ABC television. There would also be additional ABC radio services including Triple - J radio.

Media contact: Nicole Trigwell (08) 9481 2044