A digital agenda

This article discusses progress with the introduction of digital TV and radio in Australia and the implications for Australian public service broadcasters. It argues that digital technologies provide powerful tools for the ABC and the SBS to apply to their existing activities. However, realising this potential will be expensive. It also brings with it some threats to the independence of the organisations. The article concludes by suggesting that, even if Australia's public service broadcasters did not already exist, many of their central characteristics would be invaluable features in some organisations with a central role in the emerging media and communication landscape. These characteristics include their particular institutional structures, their size, their primary emphasis on 'content', and the comprehensiveness or inclusiveness of their mandates.