The Minister for Communications, Information Technology and the Arts, Senator Helen Coonan has announced that the Federal Budget has allocated $10.5 million for community and national radio broadcasters in the pre-election giveaway bonanza.
The funding will help community broadcasters establish digital radio infrastructure. The national broadcasters ABC and SBS will also receive funding which will be determined by a competitive tender process.
Coonan said the funding will improve the quality of radio services and enable the delivery of a range of new services.
“It will enable recording and playback as well as streamed text and will also provide news and weather updates, sound broadcasts, playlist information and even still pictures.”
Coonan said national broadcasters play a vital role in driving consumer take-up of digital technology across both television and radio, through access to new digital-only services.
“This funding will allow our national and community radio stations to broadcast innovative new content in digital mode. Through digital radio, broadcasters will be able to offer listeners a superior service.
“The funding will enable the ABC and SBS to provide the full range of their existing analogue radio services. But there will also be new digital services, such as ABC DIG radio and DIG jazz and some of SBS’ existing digital radio services which are currently only provided online will also become available,” Senator Coonan said.
“Radio is the only mainstream broadcast service that is analogue only and faces increasing competition from new digital platforms such as the Internet and mobile phones.
“Examples of digital radio implementation overseas indicate that the technology works most effectively as a supplement to existing radio services, rather than a replacement technology.
“The new Australian Government framework allows the ABC and SBS, together with community broadcasters to initiate digital radio services. This funding for national and community broadcasters will ensure that they are able to participate with commercial broadcasters in the commencement of digital radio services in the state capital cities on 1 January 2009.”
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) are also to receive a funding boost of $16.3 million over four years, bringing the total funding for ACMA to more than $360 million over four years.
“This additional funding will ensure that ACMA is adequately resourced to carry out its vital role as the regulator in the increasingly complex and converged communications environment,” said Coonan.
A key component of the additional funding will be for ACMA to improve the efficiency of its service delivery and internal processes through a comprehensive upgrade of its IT systems.
