Media International Australia

It is often impossible to pinpoint precise moments when major decisions are made in matters of the head or heart or policy — the decision emerges over time. It was otherwise in the case of aussat. I can pinpoint the precise moment when I decided to seek Cabinet support for an Australian domestic satellite program.

The introduction of satellite communications into the Australian scene, with the responsibility for ownership and operation of the system vested in a new organisation separate from the existing telecommunications carrier, ushers in an era of change. The changes fall into three specific areas: modified institutional arrangements; new technology; and changes in the broadcasting scene.

The political problems surrounding the provision of a commercial television service to viewers in remote areas first surfaced publicly in the 1984 Australian Broadcasting Tribunal (ABT) Inquiry into Satellite Program Services (SPS). The Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) had already worked out its Homestead and Community Broadcasting Satellite Service (HACBSS) scheme for bringing ABC TV to remote areas via the satellite, but there remained considerable uncertainty as to the provision of commercial television to remote areas. The Minister for Communications asked the Tribunal to examine this issue in the course of its Inquiry.

The Australian Satellite Users Association (AUSSAT, later SATUsers)¹ was formed in 1981 by a number of concerned individuals who believed that planning for a domestic satellite communications system was proceeding with scant regard for the interests of minor, non-profit, users. While much had been said about the potential benefits of the proposed system for the isolated and disadvantaged, there was every indication that its technical specifications, tariff schedules and operating conventions would be heavily influenced by the demands of television networks and by Telecom Australia's determination to protect existing terrestrial markets.

The Queensland Government is pioneering innovative applications of satellite technology for the management of government functions within the state, quickly recognising the potential of the satellite and moving to secure its use. A contract was signed for transponder 11 on aussat 1 which makes it available for operational use in late 1985. The government has for many years involved itself in coordinating the use of telecommunications in support of the management of the state: the satellite now provides the way to new horizons.

The three-year research project into the implications of television and new electronic media's introduction to remote Aboriginal communities sponsored by the Australian institute of Aboriginal Studies (AIAS) is nearing completion. By the end of 1985, the final project report will have been published But crucial questions regarding satellite-based television licensing, policy implementation and access in the outback are under review.

In the Northern Territory, residents, business and especially Government were quick to recognise the potential of satellites to overcome the refractory communications difficulties experienced in many areas.

The concept of a commercial television service for the remote areas of Australia is something that has been under consideration since the Federal Government of the day first proposed that Australia establish its own domestic satellite system. From the time that the go-ahead for the satellite was given several years ago, remote area television has been one of the most hotly debated issues within the broadcasting industry. The reason for this was that there was a clear division within the industry as to how commercial television should be provided to the remote areas.

The radio operators with the most to gain from using the satellite are those that must cover large geographical areas in a point to multipoint distribution. In regions with developed terrestrial links this is achievable now, but costly.

With the launch of the domestic satellite system in the last quarter of 1985, the monopoly enjoyed by Telecom Australia in the supply of long haul telecommunications carriage ended. It ended in a gentle way since the alternative carrier, aussat Pry Ltd is 75% owned by me Commonwealth and 25% owned by Telecom.

Satellite technology is an ideal tool for media corporations seeking to expand into new national, regional and international markets. It presents an opportunity to distribute news and information to any number of locations, regardless of distance or traditional geographic barriers and boundaries. This allows media corporations to achieve economies of scale in every area — production, distribution and publishing or broadcasting — white providing the chance to maximise audiences or circulation, along with revenue derived from advertising and syndication.

In later 1984 President Reagan announced that the US Government had given permission in principle for US private communications satellite companies to provide a limited range of international services. The companies have not been given permission to go ahead as yet: the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) has to give its approval and the companies have to obtain governmental approval in other countries.

Technology transfer has been the subject of debate for some time. The controversy continues and, as might be expected with anything that brings or even suggests change, debate is bound to occur. The process — often surrounded by scepticism, ignorance and self-interest — results in many aspects of new developments being lost.

Satellite communications technology has undergone dramatic changes over the past 20 years. The future promises to be even more dramatic — perhaps bordering on the very realms of science fiction. Imagine, for instance, clusters of giant space platforms orbiting high above the earth, each powering tens and even hundreds of communications and scientific payloads. These platforms could be interconnected across space by a sophisticated communications network of high capacity laser links.

emsat Pty Ltd is an organisation formed by a Melbourne-based company, Educational Media Australia Ply Ltd, in response to the opportunities offered by the new aussat domestic communications system. Its main interest in aussat is as a means of providing better delivery of film and media services and greater access by teachers to the wide range of film library material currently available.