Cable TV for Australia

Press, 30 July 1980, Page 15

Cable TV for Australia

NZPA Sydney Cable and pay television is on the way' in Australia, offering viewers a far greater range of choice in programmes. Cable television, which involves the installation of a television cable to individual households, will allow viewers to plug into an extensive range of community and specialinterest programmes. Subscriber television, or pay television can be provide either by cable or scrambled' television signals which are then decoded in the subscriber’s television set. In America, the home of cable television, viewers pay anything from $l5 to $3O a month to link their sets to the services, according to reports.

The services are many and varied. Erotic movies, gaj- dating, feature films, 24-hour sport, educational programmes, consumer advice, and documentaries are some on offer. The move towards cable television and pay television in Australia has been announced by the Post and Telecommunications Minister (Mr Tony Staley).

He told a broadcasting conference in Canberra that the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal would have to hold an inquiry into how and when cable television would be introduced, but he also made it clear that there was no doubt the Government would seek the new service.

“The Government has now agreed that as part of its general policy objectives in broadcasting there should be support for in* creased diversity of choice which would result from cable and subscription

television services,” he said.

Mr Staley said Australia was on the threshold of a revolution in broadcasting technology.-

"This revolution has the potential to bring a multitude of entertainment, educational, information, and special-purpose services to the Australian community,” he said. Mr Staley was referring to the fact that cable television in Australia was likely to the transmitted via fibre optics, a newtechnology product based on strands of glass no thicker than a human hair.

These super-fine threads have the capability of carrying thousands of messages in seconds. The cost of introducing the services is expected to be high. It has been estimated it would cost from $2OO million to $3OO million and seven years work to wire up fully either Sydney or Melbourne. The inquiry into the introduction of cable television is expected to be long and technically involved, and estimates are that the first programmes will not be seen on the new services for at least two years,.

The tribunal inquiry will study social, economic, technical. and related issues associated with the introduction of cable television and will also look at the effect on existing broadcasting and television services, including any effect on the commercial viability of existing stations. No date has been set for the hearing, but the Government announcement means there is certain to be keen competition from existing media groups and new companies to gain access to the new medium.