Addendum to South West Victoria Switchover Area Report July 2010

Addendum to South West Victoria switchover area report—July 2010

Switchover date

Implementation Plans

Digital rollout

Gap fillers

Additional measurements

Urban centre/locality specific results for the South West Victoria digital television switchover area

Coverage evaluation matrix

Addendum to South West Victoria switchover area report—July 2010

The South West Victoria switchover area report—July 2010 was presented to the Department of Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy in July 2010. The conclusions reached in this report reflected the readiness at that point of time for the switch-off of analog services as well as identifying areas with potential digital signal deficiencies. The Australian Communications and Media Authority (the ACMA) performed field survey measurements as part of its Coverage Evaluation Program (CEP) across the South West Victoria switchover area in September to October 2009, and again in October to November 2010. The second set of measurements targeted a broader range of localised reception related issues in areas that had previously been assessed using prediction modelling alone.

This document presents further analysis of the South West Victoria switchover area and provides updated information in relation to the submission and approval of Implementation Plans (IPs), the rollout of digital services, and details of the installation of new gap filler facilities. It should be read in conjunction with the South West Victoria switchover area report—July 2010.

Assessment of the data presented in this addendum confirms the ongoing readiness of the South West Victoria switchover area for conversion to digital mode, consistent with the conclusion presented in the South West Victoria switchover area report—July 2010.

Switchover date

The South West Victoria switchover area is contained within the regional licence areas and the regional coverage areas of Eastern Victoria TV1, Regional Victoria TV1, and Western Victoria TV1. On 10 September 2010, the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy determined that the simulcast period for these areas would run up to and include 5 May 2011, after which analog transmissions in these regions must cease.

Implementation Plans

Since the original report for the South West Victoria switchover area was submitted, Prime has submitted IPs for approval for services at Casterton and Halls Gap. The ACMA is continuing to liaise with Southern Cross Media (SCM) in relation to outstanding IPs for services at Casterton and Halls Gap.

Digital rollout

Since completion of the original report, Prime and SCM have subsequently rolled out services in Casterton and Halls Gap. WIN has also rolled out services in Halls Gap. According to the ACMA’s records, all planned commercial and national services listed in the DCPs have been rolled out in the South West Victoria switchover area.

In addition to the abovementioned service rollouts, Prime, WIN and SCM have rolled out additional services at Cobden and Colac, and WIN has rolled out services in Casterton. These services are all planned outside the DCP process.

Gap fillers

On 11 May 2010, the Australian Government announced that a substantial number of existing analog self-help retransmission facilities/services will be converted to digital. It was also announced that a number of new digital ‘gap filler’ sites will be implemented to provide terrestrial television coverage to nominated areas. The conversion of self-help facilities and the installation of gap filler sites is largely a decision for broadcasters and incumbent licensees.

Since the original report, broadcasters have installed four new gap filler sites at Ballarat East, Terang, Timboon and Warracknabeal. Additionally, the Waubra Wind Farm Community Fund Inc installed two new gap filler sites at Learmonth (Vic.) and Waubra which are now operational, to extend and/or improve terrestrial digital television coverage to these areas. The existing self-help hybrid facilities at Apollo Bay and Lorne are currently on the broadcaster’s candidate list for conversion to digital. Presently, broadcasters are considering the installation of gap filler sites at Mt Crowley and Tanybryn, which would primarily serve as In Band Links (IBL), however would also extend and/or improve digital television coverage to this area.

The tables below outline all sites in the switchover area and provide a summary of services and switchover characteristics/solutions. A/D indicates analog or digital transmission, letters designate service call sign and numbers designate radiofrequency channel.

Additional measurements

Advice in the South West Victoria switchover area report was based on prediction modelling and subsequent measurement data from field survey measurements taken across the area in September and October 2009. As per the ACMA’s coverage evaluation methodology and reporting framework at that time, the area report provided a broad coverage assessment focusing on signal strength at the edges of planned signal coverage and areas that were predicted to be close to the threshold of analog and digital coverage.

In response to government policy developments and shifting reporting requirements (including access and subsidy arrangements for the Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service), the ACMA performed a second set of field survey measurements across the switchover area in October and November 2010. This second set of measurements targeted an increased number of population centres and enabled the ACMA to identify a broader range of localised reception related issues in areas that had previously been assessed using prediction modelling alone.

The second set of measurements confirmed that that Bannockburn, Batesford, Blackwood, Dales Creek, Gellibrand, Greendale, Inverleigh, Lethbridge, Noorat, Port Campbell, Teesdale and Wye River are likely to experience widespread reception and/or coverage issues. Following the second round of survey measurements, it was identified that the township of Halls Gap may also potentially experience widespread coverage and/or reception issues.

The area report observed that households in a number of areas are attempting to receive fortuitous television signals from transmission sites in the adjacent Melbourne TV1 licence area. Through operational observations made during the second round of measurements, the ACMA identified that households around the population centres of Lal Lal, Teesdale, Wye River and Yendon are also attempting to receive fortuitous services. 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 services which are not planned for their area.

The following table provides an overview of townships where additional measurements were taken and provides relevant transmitter information and general coverage advice for these areas. A coverage evaluation matrix on the last page of the addendum provides definitions of common terms used in the table and more broadly throughout this document.

Urban centre/locality specific results for the SouthWest Victoria digital television switchover area

Urban centres/localities in the following tables have been assessed based on a combination of coverage prediction modelling, field survey measurements and engineering analysis.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides coverage ranging from good to variable adequate.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides fortuitous coverage ranging from poor to no coverage.

• While coverage from the Ballarat transmitter is generally good, some areas have variable adequate coverage which may cause reception difficulties.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.
• The Yendon/Lal Lal analog re-transmission facility does not provide digital services. This site is not currently on broadcaster candidate list for digital conversion.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides coverage ranging from very good to variable adequate.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides no fortuitous coverage.

• While coverage from the Ballarat transmitter is generally good, some areas have variable adequate coverage which may cause reception difficulties.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.
• The Yendon/Lal Lal analog re-transmission facility does not provide digital services. This site is not currently on broadcaster candidate list for digital conversion.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provided fortuitous coverage, ranging from good to variable moderate.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no signal coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides fortuitous coverage, ranging from variable adequate to no coverage.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• The Blackwood analog re-transmission facility does not provide digital services. This site currently is not included in broadcasters’ candidate list for conversion to digital.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides fortuitous coverage, ranging from variable adequate to no coverage.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides fortuitous coverage, ranging from variable adequate to poor.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Halls Gap transmitter provides coverage ranging from good to no coverage.
• The Ballarat transmitter provides coverage ranging from poor to no coverage.

• While coverage from the Halls Gap translator is generally good, a patchy area has no coverage due to local terrain related issue and a patchy area has variable adequate coverage which may cause reception difficulties.
• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides no fortuitous coverage.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may relay on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides coverage ranging from variable adequate to no coverage.
• The Melbourne transmitter provides no fortuitous coverage.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.
• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• The Port Campbell analog re-transmission site does not provide digital services. This site is not currently on broadcaster candidate list for digital conversion.
• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides coverage ranging from variable adequate to no coverage.

• The Melbourne transmitter provides fortuitous coverage ranging from variable adequate to no coverage.

• The Ballarat transmitter provides no reliable coverage in this area.

• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.

• Some viewers may rely on fortuitous coverage from the Melbourne transmitter.
• The Wye River analog re-transmitter does not provide digital services. This site is not currently on broadcasters’ candidate list for digital conversion.

Coverage evaluation matrix

The coverage evaluation matrix provides definitions of common terms used in current assessments of signal quality.