PRESS RELEASE
ASTRA today rejected a bid by free-to-air television networks to overturn laws which allow the retransmission of their signals to subscription television viewers.
Under existing arrangements, households with subscription television can watch free-to-air signals via their set top box without the inconvenience of changing inputs or remote controls.
Free-to-air television networks are reportedly seeking to overturn the current law to enable them to charge for the service, even though they benefit commercially by broadcasting to a larger audience and, in many cases, also receive payments as the underlying owners of copyright in programs.
“By giving them convenient access to larger audiences, the current arrangements already serve the commercial interests of free-to-air broadcasters,” Australian Subscription Television and Radio Association CEO, Andrew Maiden, said today.
“An additional payment for retransmission may lead to some households paying to receive what their neighbour gets free – it would see free-to-air networks double dipping into the pockets of the viewing public.
“Any call for regulatory changes to a long settled arrangement would fly in the face of the new government’s deregulatory agenda,” Mr Maiden said.
Mr Maiden said the Copyright Tribunal had already noted the current arrangements are convenient to consumers.