Making Digital Broadcasting Accessible to All
A Consultation Document relative to:
A Policy and Strategy for Digital Broadcasting that meets General Interest Objectives
September 2007
Making Digital Broadcasting Accessible to All A Consultation Document relative to: A Policy and Strategy for Digital Broadcasting that meets General Interest Objectives
Executive Summary
In the Digital Broadcasting Policy that was published towards the end of February 20051, Government had reserved three frequencies (equivalent to three analogue channels) that could be allotted2, in a digital environment, to local broadcast content providers that met specific conditions. The policy highlighted the need for specific conditions applicable to broadcast content, termed General Interest Objectives (GIOs), to be established, as the fundamental criteria for such an allotment to take place.
The purpose behind the reservation of three frequencies for broadcasting that meets GIOs was to safeguard broadcasting having to do mainly with local content that meets defined quality standards. That objective remains the central focus of this proposed Policy and Strategy.
This Consultation Document addresses what are considered to be the general interests linked to broadcasting together with the related must-carry obligations incumbent on networks, and articulates how the two aspects, that is GIOs and must- carry obligations, come together from both a policy as well as an implementation standpoint.
This Document also proposes a revised broadcasting licence framework that takes into consideration the potential for the establishment of a fully commercialised broadcasting environment. The rationalisation exercise with respect to licence categories also seeks to address the current anomalies between broadcasting channels owned and run by multi-channel network operators, vis-à-vis the ‘traditional’ broadcasters.
Finally, this Document dwells on the implications of digital radio on the audio broadcasting sector. In this respect, it is premised that both current FM transmissions and digital radio transmissions can co-exist, at least in the foreseeable future. Thus no policy intervention, with a view to safeguarding the general interest, is considered as being required at this stage.
The proposed Policy and Implementation Strategy essentially supports four key objectives: