The Wire

The House of representatives standing committee on the Communications, information and the Arts report Community Television : Options for Digital Broadcasting recommends $6 million of funding to help community television stations make the switch to digital. As Australian television is currently in what’s known as a analogue-digital simulcast period, broadcasters need to provide both digital and analogue broadcasts to ensure all viewers have access to their channels. Australia’s seven community television stations currently broadcast only on analogue and survive without government funding. The CBAA’s General Manager Barry Melville and Peter Lane Channel 31 Melbourne’s chair of the board hope the Federal Government will implement the report’s recommendations.