SBS Awards BA 37 New Digital TV Services

18 August 2004

Macquarie Communications Infrastructure Group (MCG) is pleased to announce that the Special Broadcasting Service (SBS) has awarded Broadcast Australia (BA) 37 additional digital television transmission services and downlink services where applicable.

The key impacts for BA of these SBS contracts will be:

• once fully operational, approximately $4.2m in additional revenue per annum will be generated for BA for a period of 15 years from commissioning (total value over the contract period is $63m); and
• the contracts enhance BA's long term revenue profile and reinforce BA's relationship with SBS as the major supplier of digital television transmission services.

Mr Scott Davies, CEO of MCG, said “BA continues to successfully develop its business as a quality supplier of digital television transmission services. The SBS decision to contract BA to provide these services for a further 37 regional sites is further proof of this and the developing partnership between the organisations," said Mr Davies.

Prior to this package, SBS has contracted BA to provide digital television transmission services for 78 sites nationally.

BA understands that, after the current award, a further 120 sites remain to be contracted and will be the subject of a future allocation process to be determined by SBS.

For further information please contact:

David Beck
Associate Director
Tel: (612) 8232 4411
Email: david.beck@macquarie.com

Suzanne Mercer
Public Affairs Manager
Tel: (612) 8232 8525
Mobile: (614) 1394 6706
Email: suzanne.mercer@macquarie.com