The Australian Communications and Media Authority is seeking public comment on its proposals to make available three multiplex transmitter licences for digital radio services in Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane and two multiplex licences for Adelaide, Hobart and Perth.

The multiplex licences will provide for the digital transmission of existing wide-coverage national, commercial and community radio services.

The proposals are contained in draft digital radio channel plans. The plans include the number and categories of multiplex transmitter licences proposed for issue as well as the transmission frequencies and associated technical data for the main transmission sites.

The Acting ACMA chair Lyn Maddock told radioinfo:

‘ACMA’s release of these plans is an important step toward the introduction of digital radio services in Australia, which are on track for a 1 January 2009 start,’

‘These digital radio channel plans will enable the radio industry and audio product manufacturers to start their planning for the introduction of digital radio with some degree of certainty.’

The government’s digital radio policy envisages existing commercial and wide-coverage community broadcasters having the opportunity to control the multiplex licences for their initial services, with subsequent licence allocations to be undertaken via a priced-based method.

Also released for comment is a variation to the Frequency Allotment Plan and a variation to the (television) digital channel plan for the North Coast of NSW. These draft instruments respectively identify the number of radiofrequencies that will be required for digital radio and move a planned but unused digital television channel to a different frequency to prevent interference with digital radio.