Digital TV date set
A SWITCHOVER date for analogue free-to-air tv has been set for Tamworth, Armidale and Inverell.
Digital-only TV will be the norm in the three regional areas and their surrounds from Tuesday, November 27.
So far, the switchover has been limited to regional areas of Victoria, Queensland and South Australia, with capital cities as yet unaffected.
Larger national cities such as Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide aren’t scheduled to be fully digitally integrated until New Year’s Eve, 2014.
Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy, said the switch-off will affect local transmissions of ABC, Prime7, NBN, Southern Cross Ten and SBS. Some towns in the region have already been subject to the switch off, but the November date will see the final end of analogue in the region.
According to a recent Digital Tracker survey – covering the period October to December,2011 – 84 per cent of households in the region had already converted at least their main TV set to digital, compared to the national average of 82 per cent.
In preparation for the analogue switch-off, broadcasters are establishing seven new transmission sites to improve areas of poor digital reception.
Households that need help to make the switch are advised to consult the Digital Ready website or telephone 1800 20 10 13.