Australia – Remote and regional parts of Western Australia will have a new commercial television service within 12 months, following a decision by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to allocate new commercial television broadcasting licences for those parts of the state with only two existing licensees. The new commercial television broadcasting licences will provide services in digital mode only.ACMA has also determined 30 June 2009 as the date on which existing commercial broadcasters will begin rolling out digital simulcasts of their services in remote and regional Western Australia. “ACMA’s decision means that digital television is coming to all of Western Australia and that Western Australian audiences outside of Perth will have access to a third commercial service – provided that they make the switch to digital,” said Chris Chapman, chairman of ACMA. “This decision follows consultations with the existing commercial television broadcasters in regional and remote Western Australia. This is an important step in the government’s digital television switchover timetable, which requires that analog TV throughout Australia is switched off by the end of 2013. It is hoped that the provision of a third, digital-only service will be a strong incentive for digital uptake amongst audiences in regional and remote Western Australian audiences,” said Chapman.