The government’s Digital Radio Study Group is holding its consultative forum today (Friday 26 September) at Darling Harbour in Sydney.
The Forum is now expected to be a little more lively than first thought, after the announcement about analog spectrum planning made today (see other story).
The Forum will “hear stakeholders’ views on the issues affecting any future implementation of digital radio in Australia”.
The Study Group comprises representatives of the Department of Communications Information Technology and the Arts (DCITA), the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA), and the Australian Communications Authority (ACA) and was formed on 6 May this year to assess and progress Digital Radio in Australia.
The Study Group will release information at the Forum about recent developments in digital radio technologies and the various approaches taken overseas in implementing those technologies.
The theme for the Forum is
“What are the key issues the Government should consider in relation to the possible introduction of digital radio in Australia?”
Representatives of the Group will set the scene by outlining the findings to date. They will be followed by speakers representing a variety of stakeholder perspectives, including:
Richard Butler from Worldspace;
Joan Warner from Commercial Radio Australia;
Des DeCean from Austereo;
Deb Richards from Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association and;
Clive Morton, Broadcast Australia.
Malcolm Long, the Director of the Australian Film Television and Radio School and an ABA member, will convene the forum.
The Study Group is mandated to inquire into:
* The implementation of the alternative digital radio technologies, including Eureka 147, IBOC, Digital Radio Mondiale and digital satellite and hybrid satellite/ terrestrial services, in overseas markets.
* The relative merits of the alternative technologies in terms of the range and types of services that can be delivered, the particular advantages and disadvantages of each technology in the Australian environment, and any implications for spectrum planning, clearing or efficiency in the Australian context.
* The implications of the alternative technologies with respect to technical standards or regulatory considerations.
The Group will report to the Minister by 28 November 2003.
More information about the Consultative Forum, including registration details, can be found on the ABA website. For Media accreditation contact Donald Robertson.