Digital TV boost for Western Australia

Around 80 per cent of West Australians will have access to all digital television channels by mid-2012 as broadcasters install more transmitters in regional and remote areas, communications minister Stephen Conroy says.

Conroy said the federal government had provided $34 million over four years for commercial free-to-air broadcasters in remote and regional WA, regional South Australia and central Australia to deliver digital television.

He said the funding would help regional commercial stations install 51 transmitters so they could broadcast all digital television channels throughout regional and remote areas.

"The new transmitters will mean that by-mid 2012, 80 per cent of West Australians will have access to the full suite of digital television services — many for the very first time," Conroy said in a statement on Wednesday.

"The government welcomes the cooperation and assistance of regional commercial broadcasters in making the full benefits of digital TV available to their customers."

Four new sites in Western Australia were running, with eight more to be completed by the end of 2011, Conroy said.

Another 39 transmitters were set to be installed across the state by mid-2012, in advance of the digital TV switchover in two years.

Senator Conroy said the introduction of new equipment by the commercial broadcasters, along with the government's new Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service, would allow viewers in remote areas and licence black spots to access all free-to-air digital television services.

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