ABC
The Australian Broadcasting Corporation transmits its free-to-air television services, ABC1, ABC2, ABC3 and ABC News 24, as digital services (ABC2, ABC3 and ABC News 24 are only available in digital). ABC2 offers new and time-shifted ABC programs. ABC 3 broadcasts daily from 6am to 9pm and includes drama, adventure, music, news and current affairs programs targeted at viewers aged 6 to 15 years old. ABC News 24 delivers continuous and commercial-free coverage of major breaking stories in Australia and around the world.

SBS
The Special Broadcasting Service launched their digital channel SBS TWO on 1 June 2009. SBS TWO’s programs include world film and drama, documentaries, international news and sport. SBS TWO will also screen some shows from SBS ONE at different times.

Seven Network
Channel 7HD is a whole channel broadcast in High Definition. Seven Network launched free-to-air digital channel 7TWO in November 2009.

Nine Network
Channel Nine currently broadcasts digital to Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth, Darwin and the Gold Coast. Nine introduced GO! a digital-only channel in August 2009.

Network TEN
Network Ten launched their digital High Definition channel, ONE, in March 2009. The new channel broadcast a number of sports programs, including prime-time AFL matches. The new ONE channel is also available in Standard Definition.

Prime Television Network
Prime HD was launched early January 2008. The Prime Network includes Golden West Network (Western Australia). Its licensed viewing area covers the regional locations of Northern and Southern New South Wales, Victoria, the Gold Coast area of eastern Queensland and all of regional Western Australia. In the eastern states of Australia the broadcast signal is branded as PRIME. In Western Australia the broadcast signal is known as GWN.

Southern Cross Broadcasting
Southern Cross Broadcasting is one of Australia’s leading cross media companies. The group’s television services broadcast throughout the regional areas of New South Wales, Queensland, Victoria, Tasmania, South Australia and Northern Territory.

WIN Television Network
WIN Television is the world’s largest privately owned regional television network reaching more than 5.2 million viewers across Australia.

GWN
Golden West Network (GWN) is a subsidiary of Prime Television Limited. It covers the regional locations of Western Australia.

NBN Television
NBN’s market stretches from Central Coast in the south to the Gold Coast, Queensland in the north and west to Moree and Narrabri.

Imparja Television
Imparja Television offers satellite services to regional locations across Australia and currently reaches approximately 454,000 viewers

National Indigenous Television (NITV)
NITV is a 24 hour, 7 day a week service that reaches around 220,000 Australians through 150 terrestrial transmitters in the remote areas and free-to-air satellite from the Aurora satellite platform. It is also available on the basic tier of all subscription TV services. It began transmissions in July 2007.

Community TV broadcasters
The Australian Community Television Alliance (ACTA) is a not-for-profit industry association representing free-to-air community television channels licensed by the Australian Government under the Broadcasting Services Act 1992.

For information about community television broadcasters, please refer to the channel in your area. The community television channels currently operating are Adelaide (www.c31.com.au), Brisbane(www.31.com.au), Lismore (www.linctv.org.au), Melbourne (www.c31.org.au), Perth (www.wtvperth.com.au) and Sydney (www.tvs.org.au).

Subscription TV providers

Below are some of Australia’s subscription television providers.

AUSTAR (MyStar)
All the channels on AUSTAR channels are broadcast in digital. AUSTAR’s digital recorder MyStar provides subscribers with the free-to-air services available in their area.

FOXTEL
FOXTEL is available through satellite and cable broadcast in Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Canberra, Perth and regional Western Australia. FOXTEL retransmits the full suite of free-to-air channels via its cable service and most main channels via its satellite service.

SELECTV
SelecTV provides subscribers with over 30 SelecTV channels in different packages, including language specific packages. SelecTV’s new Combo box allows subscribers to receive the SD free-to-air digital TV channels together with the SelecTV channels in the one set top box.

TRANSACT
TransACT offers a selection of news, movies, sports and family entertainment, plus free-to-air channels with digital picture and sound.

Industry associations

Free TV Australia
Free TV Australia is an industry association representing the commercial television operators in Australia.

Freeview
Freeview is an initiative of the public broadcasters and the commercial networks. Freeview was formed to assist in the promotion of free-to-air digital television programming in Australia.

Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association
The Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association (ASTRA) is the peak industry body for subscription television.

Useful Links

Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy
DBCDE is the Commonwealth department responsible for setting policy and legislation regulating radio and television broadcasting and Internet services, including research, guidelines and reviews.

Australian Communications and Media Authority
ACMA is the statutory authority responsible for implementing and enforcing the rules about digital television.

CHOICE
CHOICE The Australian Consumers’ Association is a not-for-profit company and the largest consumer organisation in Australia. CHOICE magazine contains information on consumer products including TV sets, PVRs and digital tuners.

International

UK Government
The UK Government is responsible for the policy of digital switchover.

Digital UK
Digital UK is the not-for-profit company leading the UK’s switchover to digital television

Digital Television (USA)
Information on the switch to digital television in the USA