The Australian Government has implemented a satellite service to provide viewers with access to digital TV. This new Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service provides viewers living in regional and remote areas of Australia access to the same number of free-to-air digital television channels available to people in the cities.

Most Australians receive their television services from the network of broadcaster-owned transmission towers. They will continue to do so after the switch to digital. However, for those who live outside the coverage of their local terrestrial television services, this new satellite television service will ensure that they can enjoy the benefits of digital television just as other Australians. Satellite is the most effective way of providing a service to all those viewers who live outside the coverage of the terrestrial network.

For the first time, all free-to-air digital television services, including the original three commercial and two national channels, and the new digital services such as ABC2, ABC3, SBS TWO, GO!, GEM, 7TWO, 7MATE, ONE HD and the new channel ELEVEN, are available to all Australians, no matter where they live.  Furthermore, a VAST viewer is able to view regional news channels so that news and weather applicable to their area can be watched.

The VAST service provides regional viewers with access to the local news currently broadcast in their TV license area through a dedicated local news channel. It also provides viewers with access to the ABC’s new 24-hour news high definition multi-channel, which has now been launched.

Local news and content on the satellite service, and how to access it.
Because the satellite service covers the whole of Australia, special arrangements have been put into place to ensure local news and information are provided to viewers. All regional commercial broadcasters will contribute the local news content from each market they operate in to the new satellite service.

The VAST service provides viewers in regional and remote Australia with access to the local news services, currently broadcast by the commercial broadcasters in their relevant terrestrial licence areas.

The news content is grouped into a dedicated local news service, which will be part of the satellite service. Satellite viewers will use their remote controls to select the news service on which their local news content is broadcast. News services available through the satellite service will not be shown at the same time as those shown terrestrially, but will be available as soon as possible after production of live-to-air bulletins are complete on terrestrial services. Details about the timing and presentation are still being determined by the commercial broadcasters.

The ABC and SBS news services will be provided by the ABC and SBS on the satellite, not as part of the news channel. ABC services will be state-based, and SBS’s nightly national news bulletins will be broadcast at 6.30 pm and 9.30 pm.

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