North-Central Victoria switchover area
Switchover period 1 January – 30 June 2011
juLY2010
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acma | 1
Contents (Continued)
Content
Executive summary
North-Central Victoria switchover area
Overview
Coverage evaluation
The ACMA’s CEP methodology
Digital channel plans
Implementation plans
Survey planning
Field survey measurement program
Conclusion
Appendix A
North-Central Victoria switchover area
Appendix B
Transmission sites in the North-Central Victoria switchover area
Appendix C
Licence areas overlapping the North-Central Victoria switchover area
Appendix D
Measurement locations in the North-Central Victoria switchover area
Appendix E
Urban centre/locality-specific results for the North-Central Victoria
switchover area
Executive summary
The Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) performed field survey measurements as part of its coverage evaluation program (CEP)across the North-Central Victoria switchover area in October and November 2009. Based on the available information and the evidence gathered through prediction modelling and survey measurements, all planneddigital services in the switchover areathathave been rolled outare, in general, achieving the same level of coverage and potential reception quality in digital mode as is provided by existing analog television services (same coverage policy objective)[1].
However, while the ACMA has determined that licensed broadcasters in the switchover area are generally meeting their coverage obligations, it is likely that a number of households in marginal or signal deficient areas will experience poor analog and digital reception. These localities are (with population in brackets) Barham (1,132), Koondrook (802), Lascelles (114), Manangatang (265), Mathoura (653), Pyalong (269), Turriff (140), Woomelang (195) and Wycheproof (815).
The ACMA has also identified other locations where analog and digital coverage inconsistency may cause some minor reception problems (see Appendix E for area-specific details).The ACMA predicts thata comparatively smallerpercentage of households may experience analog and digital reception difficulties in these locations.
There are a number of towns within the switchover area thatare not expected to receive the full suite of services licensed to the area. There are no national analog services available from the Hopetoun transmitter and correspondingly no planned digital national services. The Hopetoun-Beulah translator (which falls outside the market area but within the relevant licence area) only provides ABC analog services and correspondingly has only planned ABC digital services. The Cohuna self-help facility currently provides ABC analog services and has no planned digital services (commercial or national), while the self-help facility at the Balranald site provides analog SBS services but has no planned corresponding digital service.
A number of householdsin areas along the south eastern border of the switchover area are currently attempting to receive fortuitous reception(weak distant signals)from transmitters located in the adjacent Melbourne TV1 licence area. Melbourne TV1 licensed services are not planned or intended to serve these areas.The ACMA’s CEP does not focus on fortuitous reception where households are actively seeking to receive weak servicesthatare not planned for their area.
The ACMA has receivedimplementation plans (IP) for the majority of planned serviceslisted in the digital channel plans (DCPs) for this switchover area.The Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy has approved all expected IPs for ABC and SBS (national services). The ACMA continues to liaise with Prime and Southern Cross Media (SCM) in relation to outstanding IPs for services at Balranald and Hopetoun, while all other IPs for planned commercial services listed in the DCPs for this switchover area have been approved.
According to the ACMA’s records, all planned national services listed in the DCPs have been rolled out in the switchover area. Prime, SCM and WINhave DCP planned servicesyet to roll out at Balranald and Hopetoun.
In addition to the abovementioned service rollouts,there are a number of broadcaster-proposed services at Barham, Birchip, Charlton, Koondrook and Wycheproof thatare planned outside the DCP process and are as yet to roll out. Broadcasters are not legislatively obliged to submit IPs or rollout these services at any given point in time. However, the ACMA would expect the services to be rolled out in order for broadcasters to ensure thatan extension ofdigital terrestrial coverage is available to viewers in these locations.
Further to broadcaster-operated services planned within and outside the DCP process,there are two analog self-help facilities, one each at Balranald and Cohuna. On 11May 2010, the government announced that broadcasters will convert a substantial number of existing analog self-help retransmission facilities to digital, as well as establish a number of new ‘gap filler’ sites, which will provide terrestrial digital television coverage to a number ofareas.
North-Central Victoria switchoverarea
Overview
The North-Central Victoria switchover area is located within the Western Victoria TV1 and Regional Victoria TV1 licence areas and overlaps a significant area of the Victoria/New South Wales border (refer Appendix A). The switchover area borders the Melbourne TV1 licence area to the south, the south-west switchover area to the south and south-west, the Mildura Sunraysia switchover area to the north-west, and the Goulburn Valley and upper Murray switchover area to the east.The switchover area is bordered by and overlapped slightly in the west and northern areas by the Remote Central and Eastern Australia Remote TV1 and TV2 licence areas (refer Appendix C).
The switchover area covers approximately59,542 square kilometres and, according to Australian Bureau of Statistics 2006 Census data, has an estimated population of 289,567. For the purposes of the ACMA’s coverage assessments, a total of 126urban centres/localitieswere identified within the switchover area.[2]
The switchover area is served by two main transmitter sites—Bendigo (located at Mt Alexander)and Murray Valley (at Goschen). In addition, there are three broadcaster-owned and -operated translator sites, one hybrid site (a split of broadcaster-operated and self-help services), one analog site and one digital self-help retransmission site.Tables 1–3 outline all sites in the switchoverarea and provide a summary of services and switchover characteristics.
Table 1 Broadcaster-owned and -operated sitesArea served / Switchover solution / ABC / SBS / Net. 7
(Prime) / Net. 9
(WIN) / Net. 10
(SCM)
Bendigo
(Main transmitter) / Broadcaster-converted—DCP planned, IP required, same coverage obligation / A:ABEV1
D:ABEV48 / A:SBS29
D:SBS28 / A:AMV32
D:AMV31 / A:VTV35
D:VTV54 / A:BCV8
D:BCV51
Murray Valley
(Main transmitter) / Broadcaster-converted—DCP planned, IP required, same coverage obligation / A:ABSV2
D:ABSV58 / A:SBS44
D:SBS59 / A:AMV47
D:AMV62 / A:VTV50
D:VTV60 / A:BCV10
D:BCV65
Hopetoun (Vic.) / Broadcaster-converted—DCP planned, IP required, same coverage obligation, not all services in analog or digital / A:AMV62
D:AMV28 / A:VTV65
D:VTV36 / A:BCV32
D:BCV33
Hopetoun-Beulah / Broadcaster-converted—DCP planned, IP required, same coverage obligation, not all services in analog or digital / A:ABSV56
D:ABSV34
Seymour / Broadcaster-converted—DCP planned, IP required, same coverage obligation / A:ABGV55
D:ABGV53 / A:SBS67
D:SBS66 / A:AMV61
D:AMV60 / A:VTV58
D:VTV57 / A:GLV64
D:GLV63
Note: A/D indicates analog or digital transmission; letters designate service call sign; numbers designate radiofrequency channel. The call sign is in bold text if the service has not yet rolled out.
Table 2 Hybrid site
Area served / Switchover solution / ABC / SBS / Net. 7
(Prime) / Net. 9
(WIN) / Net. 10
(SCM)
Balranald / Broadcaster-converted (ABC and commercials)—DCP planned, IP required same coverage requirement.
Part government-funded retransmission conversion of SBS—not DCP planned, no IP required, no same coverage objective. / A:ABN39
D:ABN4 / A:SBS45 / A:AMV61
D:AMV37 / A:VTV64
D:VTV56 / A:BCV42
D:BCV41
Table 3 Self-help retransmission sites
Area served / Switchover / ABC / SBS / Net. 7 / Net. 9 / Net. 10
Cohuna / Community-funded analog—not planned in DCP, no IPs, no same coverage requirement.
Not on broadcaster candidate list for conversion. / A:ABV68
Broadford
(digital retransmission.) / Government-funded, community-licensed digital retransmission—on-air—not planned in DCP, no IPs, no same coverage requirement / D:ABEV68 / D:SBS67 / D:AMV61 / D:VTV58 / D:BCV64
Coverage evaluation
The ACMA’s CEP methodology
Figure 1Methodology for the ACMA’s CEPFigure 1 outlines the multi-layered methodology for the ACMA’sCEP. This program seeks to assess whether the same coverage objective has been met by relevant broadcasters in a particular switchover area.
The CEP also seeks to determine the boundaries of digital terrestrial coverage, identify areas of marginal or inconsistent digital terrestrial coverage, and verify the planning technical specifications and assumptions provided by broadcasters in their implementation plans. In addition, the program provides essential feedback on the accuracy of the ACMA’s initial desktop propagation modelling.
Digital channel plans
To facilitate the introduction of digital television, the ACMA developed national and commercial DCPsin line with the Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning Handbookand its obligations under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (BSA). DCPs determine which channels are to be allotted to each area, the assignment of channels to each broadcaster in that area and the technical characteristics of those channels.
DCPs are developed to givebroadcasters the maximum envelope in which to plan their digital transmission coverage for an area, in order to achieve the same coverage policy objective.
Both national and commercial DCPs for the North-Central Victoriaswitchover area were completed inDecember 2001, andvaried in July and August 2004 to facilitate the addition of technical specifications for various repeater sites throughout the switchover area.
Implementation plans
In accordance with the national and commercial television conversion schemes prepared by the ACMA under Schedule 4 to the BSA, commercial and national television broadcasters are required to prepare IPs relating to the conversion over time of the transmission of their services from analog to digital mode. IPs are a commitment by individual broadcasters to provide a television service in digital mode from specified sites, to cover defined areas by specified dates. This is done to achieve the same coverage in standard definition television digital mode as that service provides in analog mode. This objective is to be achieved as soon as is practicable after the simulcast period begins.
The ACMA has receivedIPs for the majority of planned services listed in the DCPs for this switchover area. The minister has approved all expected IPs for ABC and SBS (national services), while the ACMA is currently assessing IPs for WIN services at Balranald and Hopetoun. The ACMA is continuing to liaise with Prime and Southern Cross Media (SCM) about outstanding IPs for services at Balranald and Hopetoun, while all other IPs for planned commercial services listed in the DCPs for this switchover area have been approved.
As previously mentioned, there are a number of broadcaster-proposed services at Barham, Birchip, Charlton, Koondrook and Wycheproof thatare planned outside the DCP process and are as yet to roll out. There is no obligation for broadcasters to submit IPs to the ACMA for these services.
Survey planning
As part of its methodology for assessing same coverage and potential reception quality, the ACMA undertakes desktop coverage modelling of a switchover area. This takes into account terrain, complaints to the ACMA from viewers within the area and, where possible, technical specifications of transmission facilities as outlined in implementation plans provided by broadcasters.
At the time of writing this report, a total of 13complaints and three ministerial responses were initiated by households in the North-Central Victoria switchover area. The issues are mostly reception-related. In addition, a total of 76‘Out of Area Direct to Home’ satellite applications were approved within the switchover area.
The findings of the desktop modelling processinform the ACMA field survey measurement program. The North-Central Victoriaswitchover area planning report providedguidance to the ACMA’s field staff on where field measurements within the switchover market should be conducted. This includes predicted or potential reception-deficient areas and other information relevant to transmission facilities in the area.
Field survey measurement program
The ACMA’s field survey measurement program enables it to acquire technical and signal data associated with analog and digital TV coverage and reception quality within a switchover area. The program is part of the ACMA’s widerCEP (see Figure 1).The program seeks to verify the information provided by broadcasters in their implementation plans and the assumptions made as part of the ACMA’s initial desktop propagation modelling.
The ACMA’s CEP performed field survey measurementsat 90locations throughout the North-Central Victoria switchover area in October and November 2009 (see Appendix D).
The measurement results have been analysed and compared against the most appropriate coverage prediction models for the area.Field survey results align closely with predicted coverage findings and provide the ACMA with a high level of confidence in its CEP methodologies. Based on these results, the ACMA concludes that the same level of coverage and potential reception quality is, in general, being achieved in this switchover area (see Appendix E for breakdown of locality-specific results). That said, the ACMA is yet to receive a number of IPs, as outlined above, and there are also a number of services yet to be rolled out (including a number of planned services outside the DCP process). The ACMA is in ongoing discussions with broadcasters onthese issues and will continue to monitor IP and rollout progress across the switchover area.
Conclusion
The majority of services in the North-Central Victoria switchover area that are required under the national and commercial television conversion schemes have been rolled out. The ACMA is confident that those digital services currently broadcasting in the areaare in general achieving the same coverage policy objective.
The ACMA found that there are some householdsin marginal digital and analog coverage areas that are likely receive poor television coverage.These localities are (with population in brackets) Barham (1,132), Koondrook (802), Lascelles (114), Manangatang (265), Mathoura (653), Pyalong (269), Turriff (140), Woomelang (195) and Wycheproof (815).
The ACMA has also identified some locations where analog and digital coverage inconsistency may cause some minor reception problems (see Appendix E for area-specific details). The ACMA predicts that a comparatively smaller percentage of households may experience analog and digital reception difficulties in these locations.
A local transmitter has been built in Wycheproof and one is proposed for Koondrook. If rolled out, these are expected to provide adequate digital coverage to these two townships. Services from thesefacilitiesare not planned in the DCPs and ultimate rollout is a commercial decision for the broadcaster.
While signal-deficient analog television or marginal area reception results in poor quality picture and sound thatgradually degrades and becomes increasingly ‘snowy’ and/or ‘noisy’, it is still possible, depending on the viewer’s expectations, to watch the broadcast. In contrast, signal-deficient digital television or marginal area reception causes a digital broadcast to freeze, pixilate or totally drop out, rendering the broadcast unwatchable. A proportion of digital coverage issues thatmight occur in the switchover area are likely to be generated by households in marginal reception areas experiencing this issue with digital television.
There are indications that some viewers in the North-Central Victoria switchover area, particularly along the south-west border of the switchover area, have antennas directed toward services in the Melbourne TV1 licence area. This indicates that viewers are attempting to watch programming content thatmay not be available from services in the Western Victoria TV1 and Regional Victoria TV1 licence areas. In these circumstances, the reception ofMelbourne-based services is considered fortuitous; these services are not planned for viewers in the North-Central Victoria Switchover area.
While the ACMA’s CEP does not specifically concentrate on assessing the reliability of fortuitous unplanned services, the ACMA would warn that viewers attempting to receive such fortuitous reception are likely to experience reception difficulty and signal unreliability with analog and/or digital services at some point into the future.
Appendix A
North-Central Victoriaswitchover area
acma | 1Appendix B
Transmission sites in the North-Central Victoriaswitchover area
acma | 1Appendix C
Licence areasoverlapping the North-Central Victoriaswitchoverarea
Appendix D
Measurement locations in theNorth-Central Victoriaswitchover area
Appendix E
Urban centre/locality-specific results for the North-Central Victoriaswitchoverarea
Urban centres/localities in Table 4 have been assessed based on a combination of the coverage prediction modelling, field survey measurements and engineering analysis.
Table 4 Urban centre/locality assessments based on a combination of the coverage prediction modelling, field survey measurements and engineering analysisUrban centre/
locality / Pop. / Assessment / Comments
Urban centres/localities where no coverage/reception issues have been identified