John Fairfax Holdings Limited
ACN 008 663 161

SYDNEY, February 26, 1999 – John Fairfax Holdings, in a major submission on digital television issues, is advocating an HDTV format that will allow use of a "world standard" digital video broadcasting (DVB) set top box.

Fairfax is arguing for adoption of MPEG 2 main profile @ main level (MP@ML) as the transmission standard for both standard definition (SDTV) and high definition (HDTV) television. Fairfax submits that MP@ML can provide all the quality required by HDTV while ensuring set top box compatibility with existing cable and pay TV services.

Mr Nigel Dews, General Manager, Business Development and Online Services, said:

"How fast Australians switch to digital TV will depend on whether they find the services it offers worth paying the price of the set top box they will need to buy access to it. Part of ensuring that there is rapid take-up is keeping the price low. Proposals to complicate the boxes that can be used in Australia will raise the cost of set top boxes for all Australians while benefiting the very few that can afford the expensive screens and sound systems required to appreciate differences in quality. Our proposals also mean the HDTV signal broadcast will soak up less spectrum, creating more space for other enhanced programming and datacasting to be offered."

Fairfax said that the Government should avoid unnecessary complexity and reasonable prices in set top boxes and adopt a standard that ensures Australians can use the same set top box as is used in major markets around the world and in satellite and cable TV services in Australia.

"This will keep down the costs of switching to digital TV for Australian households, and allow more people to access and benefit from the services that broadcasters and datacasters, like Fairfax, plan to provide," Mr Dews said.

February 26, 1999

-- ENDS --

ATTACHMENT: Fairfax submission

Further Information:
Nigel Dews (02) 9282 2268

Note:
John Fairfax [ASX:FXJ] is Australia’s leading publishing group. Its mastheads include The Sydney Morning Herald, The Australian Financial Review, The Age, The Sun-Herald, and BRW. In addition, the Company publishes financial and consumer magazines, and provides online services. In 1998, the Company had revenues of over $1.1 billion. Fairfax is Australia’s leading content provider on the Internet, with more than 20 million page views per month, and 100,000 site visits per day.

Fairfax > Corporate Affairs & Media Releases > Announcements > HDTV