Community television services currently have temporary access to a broadcasting channel (referred to as the ‘sixth channel’) for digital terrestrial transmission. At present, community television transmitter licences are due to expire at the end of this year.
Radiofrequency spectrum is a valuable public asset that requires careful and co-ordinated management to accommodate the various financial, policy and technological variables at play that influence its efficient use and allocation. The Government has given careful consideration to the continued access by community television to the sixth channel as part of its wider consideration of spectrum policies.
The Government considers that the best outcome for community television for the long-term is for the CTV sector to utilise the internet as its distribution platform. Transitioning the CTV sector to an online distribution platform will deliver wider audiences at less cost and on a wider range of devices then is possible with more linear broadcasting technology.
To allow for this transition, the Government will extend the CTV sector’s current licencing arrangements until 31 December 2015. The Government then intends to free up the sixth channel for other purposes. In the short term, this would include assisting commercial and national television broadcasters to test and migrate to new and more efficient broadcasting technologies. The Government’s current spectrum policy review will consider whether the sixth channel should be re-planned for alternative non-broadcasting uses.
Please note that the licencing arrangements and broadcasting platforms for the community radio sector will remain unchanged. The Government will continue to support the important role that community radio broadcasting plays in providing valuable services to interest groups not specifically served by commercial, subscription or national broadcasters and contributes to the overall diversity of the broadcasting sector. The Government will continue to provide support to the broader community broadcasting sector through the Community Broadcasting Foundation.
