EXPLANATORY PAPER
Issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority
Variations to National and Commercial Digital Channel Plans for Northern New South Wales
This explanatory paper accompanies variations to various digital channel plans (DCPs) for Northern NSW and Brisbane.
The ACMA hasvaried the:
National Digital Channel Plan for New South Wales: Part 4 – North Coast New South Wales
Commercial Digital Channel Plan for New South Wales: Part 4 – North Coast New South Wales
National Digital Channel Plan for New South Wales: Part 5 – Inland New South Wales
CommercialDigital Channel Plan for New South Wales: Part 5 – Inland New South Wales
Commercial Digital Channel Plan for Queensland: Part 1 – Brisbane, Gold Coast and Sunshine Coast.
The variations update the technical specifications and allot digital channels to facilitate restack in two relevant local market areas that will become digital-only local market areas (DOLMAs)within the Northern NSW TV1 licence area from 27 November 2012 and 28 May 2013 respectively.
Detailed technical information can be found in accompanying DCP variations and the engineering report for Northern NSW, which may be found on theACMA website.
Background
Schedule 4 to the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA) sets out arrangements for the conversion, over time, of the transmission of commercial and national television broadcasting services from analog mode to digital mode. Under these arrangements, the ACMA is required to formulate and maintain two schemes for conversion – a commercial television conversion scheme and a national television conversion scheme.
The Commercial Television Conversion Scheme 1999 (the CTCS) was formulated in March 1999 and commenced on 9 June 1999. The National Television Conversion Scheme 1999 (the NTCS) was formulated in December1999 and commenced on 2February 2000.The CTCS and the NTCScan be found on the Comlaw website.
Digital Channel Plans (DCPs) are digital television planning instruments created by the ACMA. Their primary purpose is to convert analog television services to digital television services. DCPs in regional licence areas are prepared under section 9 of the NTCS and section 9 of the CTCS, having regard to the policy objectives set out in subclauses 19(3) and 6(3), respectively, of Schedule 4 to the BSA.
Under both the NTCS and the CTCS, the ACMA has made DCPs that allot channels to broadcasters for the transmission of television broadcasting services in digital mode during the simulcast period for a licence area.DCPsset out which channels are to be allotted to each area, the allotment of channels to each broadcaster and the technical specifications of those channels.
National and commercial DCPs for main station sites were determined for North Coast NSW in November 2001 and for Inland NSW in March 2002. The Northern NSW TV1 licence area is spread across several DCPs. These include national and commercial DCPs for North Coast NSW, Inland NSW and Brisbane, all of which may be found on the ACMA website.
Subsequent variations to the DCPs have been made since,bythe former Australian Broadcasting Authority and the ACMA, to add repeater sites.
In May 2011, the BSA was amended by the Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Dividend and Other Measures)Act 2011 (the Digital Dividend Act), which introduced new provisions for the ACMA’s planning powers for television broadcasting services. The changes were introduced ”...to enable the ACMA to undertake efficient planning and restack of the radiofrequency spectrum used to deliver television services needed to achieve the digital dividend.”[1]
Television licence area plans (TLAPs) will come into force after the end of simulcast and will serve as the primary instrument for the planning and restack of digital television channels. Once they come into force, TLAPs will replace the existing licence area plans (LAPs) and DCPs.
The ACMA is empowered to make TLAPs under Part 3 of the BSA. TLAPs are prepared under subsection 26(1B) of the BSA, guided by restack planning principles decided by the ACMA in May 2011. When a TLAP comes into effect in any given area it will replace both the LAP and the DCPs for that area.
Discussion
Northern NSW comprises the Northern NSW TV1 licence area. The end of simulcast in this licence area has been determined as 3 December 2013.[2]
Digital switchover dates are set for each television licence area and signify the end of the simulcast period during which television services are broadcastin both analog and digital modes simultaneously. These are the dates by which all analog television transmissions must end. If a licence area is not switching over as a whole, the end of the simulcast period for that licence area must be set as the latest date on which the last part of the licence area will switch over.
The Northern NSW TV1 licence area has three switchover dates.
The southern-most part of the licence area, which overlaps with the Sydney TV1 licence area, will be the last part of the Northern NSW licence area to switch over to digital-only broadcasting and will switchover on 3 December 2013 at the same time as the Sydney TV1 licence area.[3]
Other parts of the Northern NSW TV1 licence area will switch over earlier. The Minister determined a DOLMA for the northern-most part of the licence area, which overlaps with the Brisbane TV1 licence area, and this will switch over on 28 May 2013 with the Brisbane TV1 licence area. A DOLMA has also been determined for the remainder of the licence area which does not overlap with the Sydney TV1 licence area. This area will switch to digital-only broadcasting on 27 November 2012.[4]
A TLAP for the Northern NSW TV1 licence area is also being prepared to allot digital channels in preparation for the restacking of television services necessary to clear the digital dividend. However, TLAPs must not come into force until after the switchover date for the licence area (i.e. on 4 December 2013 for Northern NSW). The current LAP and DCPs for the Northern NSW TV1 licence area will remain in force until then.
To enable restacking of digital services in those areas that are to switchover prior to the TLAP coming into effect, the ACMA has made variations to the relevant national and commercial DCPs for those parts of the Northern NSW TV1 licence area. These variations allot digital channels with special conditions defining the restack timing within the DOLMAs. The identification of blocks and assignment of channels in the DCP variations is aligned with the channel allotments in the TLAP.
In the May 2012 budget, the Government committed $143.2 million for the timely restack and release of the digital dividend with minimal disruption for viewers.[5] In the same media release, the Government stated its expectation that restack will be completed by 31 December 2014. The Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy (DBCDE) subsequently engaged Broadcast Australia (BA) to assist with the development of an indicative nationwide restack implementation timetable in consultation with the broadcasting industry.[6] BA was also contracted to deliver a detailed site-by-site restack timetable.
The BA/DBCDE report, available from the DBCDE website, includes an indicative timetable that is the best current estimate of when restack would occur in each licence area. To maximise flexibility for the development of the detailed timetable to be released in November, the ACMA has planned timing windows to conclude on 31December 2014, which is consistent with the Government’s expectation for the completion of restack.
For Northern NSW, the timing windows for restack implementation will commence with the commencement of the DCP variations and conclude on 31 December 2014.
Submissions for consultation on revised draft variations to the Northern NSW TV1 licence area DCPs closed on 7 November 2012. Three submissions concerning technical matters were received and can be found on the ACMA website. These submissions have been considered and, where appropriate, the ACMA has made minor technical corrections and updates to the variations to the DCPs.
Detailed technical information and considerations are contained in the variations to the DCPs for Northern NSW, Brisbane and the associated documents. These may be found on the ACMA website.
acma | 1[1]Broadcasting Legislation Amendment (Digital Dividend and Other Measures) Bill 2011, Explanatory Memorandum.
[2]Broadcasting Services (Simulcast Period for Northern New South Wales TV1) Determination (No. 1) 2012.
[3]Broadcasting Services (Simulcast Period for Metropolitan Licence Areas) Determination (No. 1) 2009 (Amendment No. 1 of 2012).
[4]Broadcasting Services (Digital-Only Local Market Areas for Northern New South Wales TV1) Determination (No. 1) 2012 and Broadcasting Services (Digital-Only Local Market Areas for Northern New South Wales TV1) Determination (No. 1) 2012 (Amendment No. 1 of 2012).
[5] Senator the Hon Stephen Conroy, Digital dividend auction timing released, Media Release, 19 June 2012.
[6] Broadcast Australia Group Entities: Broadcast Australia Pty Limited (ABN 99 086 048 562); Broadcasting Australia No. 1 Pty Limited (ABN 88 126 949 031); The Bridge Networks Pty Limited (ABN 18 108 646 340); Hostworks Pty Limited (ABN 88 087 307 695); and Airwave Solutions (Australia) Pty Limited (ACN 133 800129).