Fairfax Digital Media Central West has given Parke's Federal Election candidates the opportunity to answer the questions our readers posed to them via our social media sites.
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In the lead up to the election we will run a question each day, with the responses we received from candidates.
Each candidate was contacted via phone and email. Their responses are below.
Will you lobby for the roll out of digital radio across regional Australia? If so, how?
* Mark Coulton (The Nationals)
Digital radio will be rolled out across regional Australia but the rollout will be different to the rollout of digital television. There will not be a “switchover” date as current services will be able to run concurrently with the digital service. We have seen regional trials of digital radio; however a date for the rollout is still to be set. The Department of Broadband, Communication and the Digital Economy is still conducting a review of digital transmission technologies suitable for regional licence areas.
I believe in regional radio services, which often serve to keep the community connected. However, there are other communications concerns which need to be addressed, such as broadband rollout and mobile phone coverage.
* Matt Parmeter (The Greens)
We support continued levels of funding now in place, to ensure that community access to free-to-air digital is affordable. An extra $1.4 million per year will support the sector’s involvement in trials as digital radio services grow and extend, for both metropolitan and regional areas.
We support a thorough planning process and the inclusion of the community broadcasting sector as digital services extend.
* Neil Gorman (Palmer United Party)
I certainly would lobby for the roll out of digital radio. I have been a presenter for the last 12 years on 2CHR in the Hunter so digital radio is an issue dear to my heart and only the cities seem to be benefitting at the moment.
If as I suspect 10-15 members of the Palmer United Party hold the balance of power in the new parliament (hopefully including the member for Parkes) it would be fairly simple to pressure the new government on the subject of digital radio.
* Michelle Ryan (Christian Democratic Party)
I would work with the government to provide incentives for radio companies to expand and upgrade their infrastructure to cover regional Australia.
* Brendan Byron (Labor)
While I’m no expert on radio technology, I’m well aware there’s interest in a digital roll-out.
The good news is that a roll-out is becoming more likely in the near future - the broadcast frequency used for digital radio, VHF Band III, is the same range as analog television. During this year, analog TV is being shut off across the country, and in 2014, it will be possible to reuse that bandwidth on digital radio instead.
However, it’s still challenging to broadcast digitally across an area as big as the Central West. The Australian Communications and Media Authority is currently trialing digital radio in regional areas (Darwin and Canberra) along with Commercial Radio Australia. Decisions on the future of digital radio depend on the outcomes of this trial. All I can promise is that a Rudd Government will keep collaborating with the radio industry on the issue.