Free TV Australia is calling for dependable and free access to news and sport for Australians living in regional and rural communities.
As TV and streaming evolve rapidly, the industry body revealed that 78% of respondents in a recent survey from those communities said that Free TV broadcast services are crucial, particularly those living in places without a strong or patchy internet connection.
Free TV Australia chief executive Bridget Fair said it was critical to ensure broadcasting policy supports access to news and sport for all Australians.
She said: “Events at home and abroad over recent years have underlined how important it is for regional and rural communities to be well served with reliable local commercial TV services.”
“We are living through an age of great innovation in the delivery of TV services, especially through the new streaming platforms. Clarity from government is essential to ensure the people of regional and rural Australia continue to be able to access their free-to-air TV services far into the future,” she added.
The research, by C|T Group for Free TV, found that 81% of regional and rural voters value Free TV, and that 64% would be concerned if free-to-air television was only available over the internet.
It also found 67% of voters agreed that free sport is in the public interest.
Free TV Australia noted that regional communities also face a range of uncertainties from commercial television networks such as unfair spectrum taxes that over-exceed other countries around the world.
Fair said: “The government introduced a $40 million broadcasting spectrum tax in 2017 that disproportionately affects regional broadcasters.”
“Instead of meeting their commitment to review the level of the tax, the Government has only offered a two-year band-aid extension of the regional support payment. These payments must be made permanent, and the level of the tax brought back into line with international best practice. The current uncertainty is untenable.”
Access to the internet and patchy services, in addition to rising cost of living pressures disproportionately affect people in regional and rural areas. The Australian Competition and Consumer Commission (ACCC) noted in a study last year that the NBN’s service in regional Australia achieved only 44.8% of advertised speeds compared to metro areas which achieved 84.9% of advertised speeds.
Fair said: “Equal access to news and sport for all Australians is something we can all say we support, but that needs to be backed up by government action. The needs of people in regional and rural Australia must be addressed in our broadcasting legislation – we cannot keep kicking the can down the road.”
She added: “This is about access to the news and sport services that people deserve, and about guaranteeing a sustainable future for the commercial broadcasters that work tirelessly to serve their local communities.
“TV delivers moments of national unity like no other medium, and the legislative framework for broadcasting should reflect Australian values by offering fair and equitable access to Free TV services for everyone.”
Free TV Australia’s ‘Free. For Everyone.‘ campaign is also calling for urgent review of the sports anti-siphoning list, and new regulations to force TV manufacturers ensure that Australian media services are easy to find on smart TVs that are controlled by global operating systems.