FED: Selling digital TVs a challenge, says Alston

AAP General News (Australia)
08-19-1999
FED: Selling digital TVs a challenge, says Alston

Federal Communications Minister RICHARD ALSTON says digital television will be available to
ordinary Australians within two years but the challenge will be to make consumers buy it.

Digital television and datacasting is on track to be introduced on January 1, 2001, with
analogue services to be phased out by 2008.

But Senator ALSTON says a consumer education campaign is needed to push people into buying
new television sets or converting old ones by the deadline.

He says the industry must give ordinary Australians a compelling reason to go out and spend
several thousand dollars on a new TV set or several hundred dollars on a new set-top box.

ALSTON says it's vital the new receivers are cheap and convenient if there is to be
breakthrough in take-up of the new technology.

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KEYWORD: DIGITAL (SYDNEY)

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