Comments on: Radio owners pay $7m to beef up digital stations http://mumbrella.com.au/radio-owners-pay-7m-to-beef-up-digital-stations-12957 Everything under Australia’s media, marketing & entertainment umbrella Fri, 25 May 2012 07:02:09 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Queenslander http://mumbrella.com.au/radio-owners-pay-7m-to-beef-up-digital-stations-12957#comment-22225 Queenslander Tue, 01 Dec 2009 04:57:22 +0000 http://mumbrella.com.au/?p=12957#comment-22225 With Austereo and ARN owning 2 stations each market already (and therefore 2 x 128kbps of digital capacity), how are the auction rules complied with: From: http://bayeastauctions.com.au/auctions_catalogues.php?auction=354 Section 3.6 of the Auction Rules states: (a) Pursuant to section 118NV of the Radiocommunications Act, Incumbent Digital Commercial Radio Broadcasters are not entitled to access to more than 2 x 128Kbps of Multiplex Capacity in the Designated BSA Radio Area (Capacity Cap). (b) The total amount of Excess Capacity Lots acquired by an Incumbent Digital Commercial Radio Broadcaster in the Designated BSA Radio Area during the Auction must not, when added to the total amount of Standard Access Entitlements held by that Incumbent Digital Commercial Radio Broadcaster in the Designated BSA Radio Area, exceed the Capacity Cap. Here is the actual law: http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/legis/cth/consol_act/ra1992218/s118nv.html Have I misinterpreted this or have some networks bid for more than what they're entitled to? When I looked at the documents last Thursday, it seemed clear to me that the only commercial stations/owners that would be bidding would be those that their licensee did not own a second station: Brisbane: 4TAB, Nova1069 Sydney: 2SM, 2UE, 2KY Melbourne: Sport 927 Adelaide: none - the six commercials have 3 owners Perth: 6IX, Nova937 Interesting to note Fairfax, owner of 2UE didn't secure more spectrum of its own. Fairfax already have a full allocation in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, half of that in Sydney. With Austereo and ARN owning 2 stations each market already (and therefore 2 x 128kbps of digital capacity), how are the auction rules complied with:

From:
http://bayeastauctions.com.au/.....uction=354

Section 3.6 of the Auction Rules states:

(a) Pursuant to section 118NV of the Radiocommunications Act, Incumbent Digital
Commercial Radio Broadcasters are not entitled to access to more than 2 x
128Kbps of Multiplex Capacity in the Designated BSA Radio Area (Capacity Cap).

(b) The total amount of Excess Capacity Lots acquired by an Incumbent Digital
Commercial Radio Broadcaster in the Designated BSA Radio Area during the
Auction must not, when added to the total amount of Standard Access
Entitlements held by that Incumbent Digital Commercial Radio Broadcaster in the
Designated BSA Radio Area, exceed the Capacity Cap.

Here is the actual law:
http://www.austlii.edu.au/au/l.....118nv.html

Have I misinterpreted this or have some networks bid for more than what they’re entitled to?

When I looked at the documents last Thursday, it seemed clear to me that the only commercial stations/owners that would be bidding would be those that their licensee did not own a second station:

Brisbane: 4TAB, Nova1069
Sydney: 2SM, 2UE, 2KY
Melbourne: Sport 927
Adelaide: none – the six commercials have 3 owners
Perth: 6IX, Nova937

Interesting to note Fairfax, owner of 2UE didn’t secure more spectrum of its own. Fairfax already have a full allocation in Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth, half of that in Sydney.

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