Industry consideration of proposed Coverage Management System
Decision
On Thursday 23 July 2009, the ACMA decided not to implement the proposed Coverage Management System (CMS) as a planning tool for digital radio at this time.
In making its decision, the ACMA considered:
- All submissions made regarding the proposed CMS in November 2008.
- Results of the CMS trial in Geelong, supplied by Commercial Radio Australia (CRA).
- Views put forward at an industry meeting in April 2009.
- Further submissions made to the ACMA as late as 6 July 2009.
Submissions received
Submissions to the discussion paper regarding a proposed CMS closed on 11 November 2008.
The ACMA received 15 submissions to the discussion paper, as listed below.
Organisation/Person
- Austereo (61 kb)
- Australian Broadcasting Corporation (136 kb)
- Australian Radio Network (68 kb)
- Broadcast Australia (394 kb)
- Broadcast Management Solutions (182 kb)
- Commercial Radio Australia (79 kb)
- Community Broadcasting Association of Australia (118 kb)
- DMG Radio Australia (75 kb)
- Grant Broadcasters (45 kb)
- The Hot Tomato Broadcasting Co (88 kb)
- Macquarie Southern Cross Media (1 mb)
- Rebel Media (216 kb)
- Special Broadcasting Services (39 kb)
- W & L Phillips (78 kb)
- West Coast Radio (436 kb)
Discussion paper
The ACMA invited comments from the radio broadcasting industry on a draft policy framework for a proposed CMS, as well as comments on the concept of a CMS more generally.
Commercial Radio Australia (CRA) proposed the development of a CMS to address concerns regarding high levels of signal overspill into adjacent population centres when planning new digital radio services.
As part of its consideration process, the ACMA has developed a draft policy framework which, if it had been adopted, would have been used to consider the proposed CMS. The discussion paper briefly outlined a CMS proposal in general terms, sets out the draft policy framework and called for a response from industry to these issues.
Alongside the release of this discussion paper, the ACMA issued a trial licence in Geelong to test the technical feasibility of the proposal.
The discussion paper is available in PDF (80 kb) or Word (128 kb) formats.
Enquiries about the proposed CMS can be addressed to the ACMA as follows:
The Manager
Operational Policy for Allocations and Licensing Section
Sydney Central Office
Level 15, Tower 1 Darling Park
201 Sussex Street, Sydney
Mail: PO Box Q500, Queen Victoria Building NSW 1230
Tel: (02) 9334 7700 or 1800 226 667
Email: OPAL@acma.gov.au
