The Broadcasting Planning Manual (BPM) replaces the ABA’s (ACMA's predecessor) Interim Australian Broadcasting Planning Handbook. The document brings together planning documents included in the former publication, as well as additional material, into a single reference source. Introduction of the manual is aimed at ensuring ACMA’s planning procedures and practices are adequately documented and readily available to broadcasters, planning consultants, transmission infrastructure providers and others involved in the broadcasting industry.
The Broadcasting Planning Manual's component sections:
- Technical Planning Guidelines
- Broadcast Planning Instructions
- Technical Planning Parameters and Methods for Terrestrial Broadcasting
- The ABA’s General Approach to Analog Planning
- The ABA’s General Approach to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning
- Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning Handbook
Technical Planning Guidelines
Under section 33 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992, ACMA is required to prepare technical guidelines for the planning of individual radio and television services using the broadcasting services bands. The Technical Planning Guidelines (TPGs) contain mandatory technical requirements to be met by commercial, community (including temporary community) and datacasting licensees using the broadcasting services bands, when planning and operating new transmission facilities or proposing changes to existing facilities.
Transmitter licences for National Broadcasting Services issued under sections 100 or 100B, or narrowcasting licences issued under section 100 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992, may also include a licence condition requiring compliance with specified guidelines or parts of the TPGs.
- Technical Planning Guidelines (July 2007)
Broadcast Planning Instructions
Broadcast Planning Instructions (BPIs) are self-contained instructions that deal with specific planning related issues that are not adequately addressed by ACMA’s reference planning publications. BPIs may be issued to clarify, or to reflect new or amended planning practices.
Broadcast Planning Instructions are issued in a standard format and numbered sequentially.
Technical Planning Parameters and Methods for Terrestrial Broadcasting
The Technical Planning Parameters and Methods for Terrestrial Broadcasting (TPPs) detail planning and measurement methods, parameter values and planning assumptions used by ACMA in planning of analog broadcasting services.
The TPPs are based on planning parameters and methods of measurement defined in Recommendations and Reports of the International Telecommunications Union (ITU), as well as planning practices developed in Australia, North America, Europe and Britain over many years.
The TPPs are intended for broadcasters, planning consultants and operators of broadcasting facilities involved in the detailed design of broadcasting transmitting facilities or in the preparation of planning submissions to ACMA.
The TPPs were first published by the Department of Transport and Communications in June 1992.
- Technical Planning Parameters and Methods for Terrestrial Broadcasting (figures not included)
- TPP Figures 1-19 (14.4 mb)
- TPP Figures 20-75 (12.9 mb)
The ABA’s General Approach to Analog Planning
The former ABA’s General Approach to Analog Planning provides an overview of the regulatory framework, policy objectives and planning process applicable to the planning of analog broadcasting services.
- General Approach to Analog Planning (September 2003)
The ABA’s General Approach to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning
The former ABA’s General Approach to Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning outlines the general principles and decision-making processes that the ABA has used in determining the Digital Channel Plans (DCPs) for digital terrestrial television broadcasting in Australia. The document is designed to be read in conjunction with the Digital Terrestrial Television Planning Handbook.
- General Approach to Digital Terrestrial TV Planning (April 2002)
Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning Handbook
The Digital Terrestrial Television Broadcasting Planning (DTTB) Handbook details the technical assumptions, planning methods and planning parameters used by ACMA in the development of Digital Channel Plans (DCPs) under the Commercial and National Television Conversion Schemes.
- DTTB Planning Handbook (March 2005)
