NZ Digital TV via Satelitte

[gordon_s1942]

A NZ friend has told me that NZ is in the process of going satelitte to eventually replace the terrestial transmitters that are slated to close around 2010/13?
Apparently it will be FTA and is their version of Freeview.
The only sour note is Prime or 7 or whatever that commecial channel is, wants to be part of SKY and be a pay for view channel,greedy sods.

Now who could imagine Australia putting the '15 Digital Freeview' channels to cover ALL of Australia, FREE TO AIR ???

It would be unthinkable,totaly out of the ball park, shocking,un-Australian even !!!!

So why the BLOODY HELL CANT it be DONE ??

[Jason_dinAlt]

because of australias archaic state laws preventing reception in non licennced transmission zones, its all got to do with advertising revenue, ie they claim little bobs country hardware wont get revenue if the local town knows about bunnings at the big smoke, etc etc

all irrelevent these days that the public have so many media sources

theres also the old excuse youcant get a fair trial if your picture is shown on tv, so they ban it in that state, just look at last years underbelly debackle as an example

australia really needs to waken up and realise its in the 21st century

[gordon_s1942]

Not State law regarding transmissions but even so, State Court orders went out the window when the fellow charged in Victoria with suspicion of Arson had his mug in Facebook and of course out of state newspapers printed it for all to see.
But you absolutley correct that the laws are woefully lagging behind what is available on the media for all to see.

[Jason_dinAlt]

i didnt phrase it very well i agree, i didnt mean its a state law, its federal and restricts reception to areas. stupid in these days, and do they really believe that local small business will go down the tubes if the locals get advertising from elsewhere?

[gordon_s1942]

Jason, recently I rechecked the reception area maps for C7/Impaja and I am still shown in the 'Blank' part which means that I have to get a Stat Dec done to certify I have no reception.
Yet one area just a few Kilometres north of me that has a 5 channel translator thats been there longer than Aurora has existed, is shown as a licensed area to receive those channels.
As you so rightly said, Totaly stupid.