QUESTION:
How can FOXTEL show some but not all of the World Cricket Games???

ANSWER:
This is due to the Australian Anti-siphoning laws. The following is an article kindly supplied by David Bird which should assist this, and many other questions recently posed on news groups on this subject.

The anti-siphoning provisions, contained in section.115 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, empower the Minister for Communications, Information Economy and the Arts to list in a formal notice (known as the anti-siphoning list) events which should be available on free-to-air television for viewing by the general public. The aim of the anti- siphoning list is to prevent these events from being siphoned off by pay TV to the detriment of free-to-air viewers.

The anti-siphoning list is not a list of sporting events reserved solely for free-to-air television. It does not compel free-to-air broadcasters to acquire the rights to listed events and does not guarantee them exclusive rights to such events.

The anti-siphoning list covers the period up until 31 December 2004 and contains sporting events within 11 sports categories.

The right to broadcast listed events can only be acquired by pay TV licensees if broadcast rights are held by commercial television licensees (who have the right to televise the event to more than fifty per cent of the Australian population) or by a national television broadcaster (the Australian Broadcasting Corporation (ABC) or Special Broadcasting Services (SBS)). This requirement is set out in a licence condition on all pay TV licences (paragraphs 10(e) and (l), Schedule 2 of the Act).

On 30 September 1996 the Minister directed the ABA to report to him as necessary on the operation of the anti-siphoning list. The ABA is required to report if rights to events on the anti-siphoning list are not made available to free-to-air broadcasters; if the ABA considers that, over time, there has been a sustained reduction in the extent to which free-to-air broadcasters televise listed events; or if the ABA considers there are grounds for the Minister to add or remove an event from the anti-siphoning list.

The anti-siphoning provisions, as currently drafted, deal with the acquisition of rights to events included on the anti-siphoning list, not with the television coverage of those events. The capacity of free-to-air television to broadcast sporting events is limited, given the broad appeal of its programming schedule. The use of the rights acquired by a commercial or national television broadcaster and decisions on whether to broadcast live, delayed, highlights only or to a limited geographic area, are commercial decisions for the licensee to make.

The operation of the anti-siphoning provisions of the Broadcasting Services Act has been clarified by two recent decisions of the Federal Court. These are the decisions of Lockhart J in the matter of Nine Network Australia Pty Ltd v Australian Broadcasting Authority and Foxtel Cable Television Pty Ltd and the decision of the Full Federal Court in the same matter.

The events in question consisted of the three test matches and seven one day matches between the Australian cricket team and the South African cricket team held in South Africa in February and March 1997. These were all events on the Minister's list.

On 9 April 1998 the Minister announced that the Government will reform the pay TV anti-siphoning regime to provide better coverage of major sporting events. The proposed amendments will cover situations when free- to-air broadcasters do not intend to televise all of a listed event such as a cricket match, and when they do not intend to televise one or more matches in a series they are otherwise covering.

As a result of the litigations mentioned above and the proposed amendments to the anti-siphoning regime announced by the Minister (see Minister's news release), the ABA will revise the anti-siphoning guidelines.

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ANTI-SIPHONING LIST

The anti-siphoning list covers the period up until 31 December 2004 and contains sporting events within 11 sports categories. These can be summarised as:

1. Horse racing
each running of the Melbourne Cup.

2. Australian football league
each match in the Australian Football League Premiership competition. each match in the Finals Series of the Australian Football League Premiership competition.
each Australian Football League State of Origin match.

3. Rugby league
each match in the National Rugby League Premiership competition.
each match in the National Rugby League Premiership Finals competition.
each match in the Rugby League State of Origin Series.
each international rugby league match involving the senior Australian representative team whether played in Australia or overseas.

4. Rugby union
each international rugby union 'test' match involving the senior Australian representative team whether played in Australia or overseas.
each match in the Rugby World Cup tournament.
each match in the Hong Kong Sevens tournament for the years 2000 - 2004.

5. Cricket
each 'test' cricket match involving the senior Australian representative team whether played in Australia or overseas.
each one day cricket match (including World Series Cricket matches) involving the senior Australian representative team whether played in Australia or overseas.
each World Cup one day cricket match.

6. Soccer
each finals match in the Ericsson Cup competition organised by the National Soccer League.
the English Football Association Cup Final.
each match in the Federation of International Football Associations World Cup tournament.

7. Tennis
each match in the Australian Open.
each match in Wimbledon.
each match in the French Open.
each match in the United States Open.
each match in the Australian Men’s Hardcourt Championships held in Adelaide.
each match in the Australian Women’s Hardcourt Championships held in Brisbane.
each match in the adidas International Tennis Tournament (formerly the Peters International tennis tournament).
each match in each tie in the Davis Cup tennis tournament when an Australian representative team is involved.

8. Netball
each international netball match involving the senior Australian representative team whether played in Australia or overseas.

9. Basketball
each match in the Australian National Basketball League playoffs.

10. Golf
each round of the Australian Masters.
each round of the Australian Open.
each round of the United States Masters.
each round of the United States Open.
each round of the United States Professional Golf Association Championship.
each round of the British Open.

11. Motor sports
each race in the Federation Internationale de l’Automobile Formula 1 World Championship (Grand Prix).
each race in the International Federation of Motorcycling World 500cc Motorcycle Championship.
each race in the Australian Touring Car Championship.
each Bathurst 1000 race.
each race in the Australian IndyCar Grand Prix

QUESTION:
Will the change over to terrestrial analogue to digital television in January 2001 have an effect on the Australian Pay Television industry?

ANSWER:
The change over from analogue to digital television is not likely to greatly effect the Pay Television industry in the short term. What the effect will be long term is difficult to judge, as the proposed digital system is still in being developed. Recently the ABA (Australian Broadcasting Authority) issued a major release on the proposed change-over. I have prepared a page here that contains information from the ABA. It also indicates the likely digital channel allocations to existing FTA television networks and many country affiliates. Plus information on making submissions to the ABA.

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QUESTION:
Who controls the content provided in Australian Pay TV channels. There is very little Australian content?

ANSWER:
The AUSTRALIAN BROADCASTING AUTHORITY is the regulatory authority, but at present they can do little more than slap the Pay TV companies on the wrist if the Australian content is not transmitted This content is supposed to be equal to 10% of the total value of Pay TV expenditure on drama. The ABA have no enforcement powers at present, although this may change soon. The ABA reticently issued a release on the Australian drama content during the past year on Pay TV channels. See NEWS.

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QUESTION:
What are the installer pin numbers of the satellite receiver/decoders used by Australian Pay Television providers.

ANSWER:
Galaxy Pace DGT 400 - Pin: 4252 or 2878 ----- Extensive information on the PACE DGT 400 receiver can be found on the PACE page.
UEC 642 and UEC 660 - Pin: 9949 ---- Extensive information on the UEC receiver will be available shortly .
SMS AUSTAR - Pin: 2878 ---------------- Extensive information on the SMS receiver will be available shortly .

Information on how to re-set the default channel line-up of individual services can be found
on these pages:- AUSTAR : AURORA : FOXTEL

If you have any corrections or additions please contact us - your feedback  

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