“Eight in 10 households in the regional South Australia and Broken Hill switch-over region were watching digital TV channels in the third quarter of 2010,” says Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Senator Stephen Conroy.

“This is an increase of 30 percentage points since early 2009 in the number of households receiving digital TV in the Riverland, Mount Gambier and South-East, Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill regions.”

Regional South Australia and Broken Hill will become Australia’s second digital-only TV region when their analogue TV signals are switched off for good on 15 December 2010. Mildura/Sunraysia was the first region to switch on 30 June 2010.

The introduction of the new digital-only Channel Nine service by Southern Cross Media for the Spencer Gulf and Broken Hill areas at the end of October provided further impetus for local households to make the switch to digital TV.

The take-up of digital TV across Australia, including regional South Australia and Broken Hill, regional and remote Western Australia, and remote and central Australia, will also be boosted by the Government’s announcement that it has partnered with regional commercial broadcasters to provide the same number of TV channels as is available in capital cities.

According to the Digital Tracker Summary Report for Quarter 3, July to September 2010, 75% of Australian households are now watching digital TV channels.

“This represents a 28% increase since early 2009 in the number of Australian households enjoying the better picture and sound quality and extra channels offered by free-to-air digital TV,” Senator Conroy says.

“Households in regional Australia are leading the way in the conversion to digital television.”

With conversion rates of 87% and 86% respectively, Darwin and Tasmania lead the country, even though the switch-over to digital-only TV in those areas does not occur in those regions until 2013.

“The availability of digital-only channels in these areas provides viewers with greater programming choice and this has driven the strong demand for digital TV,” Senator Conroy says.

“The fact that all Australians will be able to access the same number of digital TV channels whether they live in the capital cities, or regional or remote parts of Australia, will be a significant outcome from the digital switch-over program.”

77% of households throughout regional Queensland are ready for digital TV ahead of their switchover in the second half of 2011.

Southern NSW switches over in the first half of 2012, with 79% of households already converted, while 76% of households in Northern NSW are ready for the switch-over in the second half of 2012.

Regional Victoria switches to digital only TV on 5 May 2011 with 79% of households already converted to digital TV.

The conversion rates for the capital cities in the third quarter of 2010 were: Brisbane 76%, Perth 76%; Adelaide 80%, Melbourne 74% and Sydney 68%.

Digital Switchover Taskforce executive director Andy Townend, said the roll-out of new digital TV services in regional areas, the Digital Ready information campaign and government assistance programs were encouraging all Australians to make the switch to digital TV.

“Through the Household Assistance Scheme we have helped more than 10,000 eligible households in Mildura/Sunraysia, regional South Australia and Broken Hill convert to digital TV.”

The Household Assistance Scheme was launched in regional Victoria this week.

“The Satellite Subsidy Scheme which has been rolled-out in two locations in regional South Australia has helped more than 200 households make the switch to digital TV from the Government-funded Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST) service,” Andy says.

The Satellite Subsidy Scheme will commence in regional Victoria on Monday 15 November, and eligible households will receive a letter inviting them to opt in.

The Digital Tracker Summary Report for Quarter 3, July to September 2010, is available from the Digital Ready website at www.digitalready.gov.au