Tasmanian Digital Television

Tasmanian Digital Television (TDT, callsign TDT-11) is a digital television station in Tasmania, Australia, jointly operated by WIN Television and Southern Cross Broadcasting.

Introduction

In Australia, the major capital cities, and a majority of the regional areas, are served by three commercial broadcasters. However, the less populated areas (such as Tasmania, among others) are only granted two licenses. This is because the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA) has determined that there is not enough advertising revenue in the area to keep three companies afloat.

In 2002, WIN Television, who had a Nine Network affiliation in Tasmania, and Southern Cross Broadcasting, who held dual Seven and Ten Network affiliations, lodged a joint application under the Broadcasting Services Act to establish a third commercial broadcaster in Tasmania (the Act only allowed for existing operators to apply as a joint venture). The application, by TasTV Pty Ltd (not to be confused with the former name of WIN Television in Tasmania) was successful.

A unique aspect of this license is that TDT is the first digital-only broadcaster in Australia. It is expected that this decision was made as an experiment to see what result this sort of additional content would have on sales of digital set-top boxes and tuner cards in Tasmania.

TDT began broadcasting on VHF channel 11 from the Mount Wellington transmitter in Hobart in late December 2003, and on UHF to and north-east Tasmania (including Launceston) in August 2004.

Further expansion around the state will be aligned with the conversion of existing transmitters to digital. This is expected to include the Devonport area in mid-2005, and gradually expand to other areas, ending with Strathgordon in 2008.

As part of the joint venture, Southern Cross Broadcasting is responsible for handling playout (from their Canberra facility), and transmits this signal via satellite to WIN Television transmission facilities in Tasmania. WIN Television handle the business administration and advertising sales for TDT.

Programming

There was significant public speculation about what programming the new station would carry. One of two options was suggested; Southern Cross would drop one of its affiliations (either Seven or Ten) and TDT would pick it up; or TDT would also become a dual Seven and Ten affiliate, and carry the programs that Southern Cross didn't broadcast.

Southern Cross didn't want to disrupt its existing programming, so the agreement TDT signed with the Ten Network still allows Southern Cross to have 'first pick' of Ten programming. If both networks wish to broadcast a program, Southern Cross must broadcast it at the same time as TDT. If Southern Cross wishes to broadcast a Ten program at a different time, TDT will often show repeats or substitute programming instead.

From its initial broadcast in late December 2003, to late January 2004, TDT showed a direct feed of ATV-10 in Melbourne. Southern Cross has dropped the popular Ten Network show Rove Live in 2004.

It is expected that Southern Cross will not modify its programming until at least two years after TDT commences broadcasts in Hobart and Launceston; this would be mid-2006 at the earliest.