Here is a list of pay TV services currently available or soon to be available around Australia.
International readers please note: Telephone numbers beginning with 1800 and 13 can only be dialed from within Australia and should not be prefixed with an area code. Numbers beginning with 13 cost no more than a local call from anywhere in Australia. Numbers beginning with 1800 are toll free (except that cellular phone carriers may charge for these calls).
| Name: | Austar |
| Availability: | Via satellite (digital):
Regional Queensland, Regional New South Wales, Regional
Victoria, Regional South Australia, Tasmania and Northern
Territory (to be made available gradually). Via MDS (analog): Wollongong, Hobart, Newcastle, Gold Coast, Cairns, Townsville, Bendigo, Ballarat and Mt. Isa, expanding to Towoomba, Sunshine Coast, and to other cities in above regions. Via cable: Darwin |
| No. Channels: | Basic: 16-17, total: 18,, more to come |
| Channels & cost: | Fox Sports, Fox Sports 2,
Showtime, Encore, TV1, Channel [V] Australia, The
Discovery Channel, Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite, Arena, BBC
World, CNBC Asia business News, CMT, thecomedychannel,
TV Shopping Network, TNT & Cartoon Network,
Lifestyle Channel, CNN International, National Geographic
Channel (expected October 1998) - $44.95 per month Other: World Movies - $6.95 per month |
| Other costs: | Installation & connection - $99 for MDS or $299 for satellite |
| Speculation: | Sky News Australia, Sky Channel, Sky Racing Channel |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | TV Shopping Network
only available via satellite, TNT & Cartoon Netwrok are transmitted as one channel CNN International only available in Gold Coast. Nightmoves not available until the signal is encrypted again |
| Enquiries: | Call 132 432 local call
fee Hobart (03) 6235 5000 Newcastle (02) 4968 6600 Wollongong (02) 4224 4444 Corporate Office (Sydney) (02) 9386 3000 |
| Fax: | Radio channels: |
| Postal Address: | (Townsville) PO Box 1222, Townsville Qld 4810 |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: | http://www.inotion.ix.net.au/austar/ |
| Name: | Foxtel |
| Availability: | Via satellite (digital):
Geelong, Regional Western Australia, Canberra, and parts
of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth not
available via cable. Via cable (analog and digital): parts of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide, Perth and the Gold Coast. |
| No. Channels: | Cable: Basic: 29. Total: 36,
expanding to over 150 Satellite: 17 |
| Channels & cost: | Foxtel Basic: Fox Sports,
Fox Sports 2, Showtime, Encore, TV1, Channel [V]
Australia, The Discovery channel, National Geographic
Channel, Lifestyle Channel, Nickelodeon/Nick At Nite,
Arena, Fox, UK TV, TNT, Cartoon Network, Sky News
Australia, CNN International, BBC World, CNBC Asia
Business News, CMT, Foxtel Weather, Bloomberg Information
TV, Event TV, 5 local free to air channels, Electronic
Program Guide - $42.95 per month, Entertainment Plus: Basic + fX, TV Shopping Network, Hallmark Entertainment Network, thecomedychannel, Fox Soap / Fox Talk / Fox Travel / Fox History - $52.90 per month, Other: World Movies - $6.95 per month ($4.95 with Basic + Entertainment Plus) Nightmoves - $19.95 per month ($14.95 with Basic + Entertainment Plus), Sky Channel (expected in the future) Satellite: Fox Sports, Showtime, Encore, TV1, Arena, Discovery, Channel [V] Australia, Nickelodeon / Nick At Nite, Fox Sports 2, Lifestyle Channel, TV Shopping Network, CNBC Asia Business News, thecomedychannel, BBC World, CMT, TNT & Cartoon Network - $49.95 per month |
| Other costs: | Connection + wall outlet -
free. Installation of set top decoder - $29.95. Additional decoder $9.95 per month. $1 per month if not paying by direct debit or direct credit card invoice. |
| Speculation: | NBC, World News Channel, one or more community access channels. |
| Other services: | Cable internet: $65 per
month + $35 per 100 MB + modem cost Up to 30 or 60 digital radio channels (available in the future) |
| Note: | |
| Enquiries: | Call 13 1999 local call fee |
| Fax: | (02) 395 7511 |
| Postal Address: | 5/182 George St. Sydney NSW
2000, or PO Box 86, Kingsgrove NSW 2208 |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: | http://www.foxtel.com.au |
| Name: | Neighbourhood Cable |
| Availability: | Via cable: Mildura |
| No. Channels: | |
| Channels & cost: | |
| Other costs: | |
| Speculation: | |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | |
| Enquiries: | Call (03) 5021 0511 |
| Fax: | (03) 5021 0096 |
| Postal Address: | 11 Byrne Ct., Mildura, Vic. 3500 |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |
| Name: | Northgate Ballarat |
| Availability: | Via cable: Ballarat, expanding to Geelong and Hobart in the future |
| No. Channels: | Basic: 15 to 25. |
| Channels & cost: | channels unknown - $25.00 per month |
| Other costs: | |
| Speculation: | |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | |
| Enquiries: | Call (03) 5333 5354 |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | 24 Sturt St., Ballaat, Vic. 3350 |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: | http://www.northgate.com.au |
| Name: | Optus Vision |
| Availability: | Via cable (analog, digital
later): parts of Sydney, Melbourne and Brisbane,
expanding to Adelaide and Perth, and possibly other
areas. Via satellite (digital): Australia-wide in the future. |
| No. Channels: | Basic: 19, Total: 29, more to come |
| Channels & cost: | Gateway: Sky News Australia,
CNN International, Cartoon Network, CMT, Horizon Learning
Channel, WeatherVision, TNT, TV Shopping Network, Optus
Vision Education Channel, CNBC Asia Business News,
Showcase (sample of other channels), local free to air
channels - $9.95 per month First choice: Gateway + The Disney Channel - Australia, MTV Australia, Odyssey, Ovation - $19.95 per month Super Sport: First Choice + ESPN, Sports Australia, Sports Australia 2 - $29.95 per month Movie Magic: First Choice + Movie One, Movie Extra, Movie Greats - $29.95 per month Deluxe: First Choice + Super Sport + Movie Magic - $39.95 per month Super Deluxe: Deluxe + Sports AFL, World Movies - $49.95 per month Other: Sports AFL - $6 per month, World Movies - $6.95 per month Main Attraction - Pay per view NHK - $25 per month CCTV 4, TVB-J - $10 per month ART, LBC - $10 per month MEGA Channel Australia, Antenna - $10 per month RAI - $10 per month |
| Other costs: | Installation &
connection - $29.95 for one set top unit, $39.95 for
two Additional set top unit - $12 per month Non direct debit charge - $2 per month |
| Speculation: | World News Channel, World Movies, Playboy Channel, religious channel, Nature Study Channel, Sky Channel |
| Other services: | Local telephone service
(available in some areas) - $120 connection fee
(free if switching from Telstra) + $11.65 per month High speed (500 Kbit/s) internet access via cable modem (expected 1999) |
| Note: | Sports AFL only available
with Super Sport or Deluxe package, is included in Super
Deluxe package Other channels in the 'Other Channels' category can be added to any package |
| Enquiries: | Call 13 33 11 or 13 33 99 local call fee |
| Fax: | (02) 9900 3434 |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: | http://www.optusvision.com.au |
| Name: | Telstra LaserCast |
| Availability: | Via cable (analog): limited number of hotels in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns |
| No. Channels: | |
| Channels & cost: | CNNI, Television Oceania, Japanese Teletext Channel, NHK, The Cairns Channel |
| Other costs: | |
| Speculation: | |
| Other services: | Various business video services |
| Note: | Telstra LaserCast will be
phased out in Sydney within one year, and Melbourne and
Cairns within three years. The Cairns Channel is only available in Cairns. |
| Enquiries: | |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |
| Name: | New World TV |
| Availability: | Via MDS (analog): metro
areas of Sydney and Melbourne. Via satellite (digital): Australia-wide |
| Channels: | New World TV |
| Cost: | Installation + monthly cost |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | Also available as part of Galaxy package for additional cost |
| Enquiries: | Call 1800 818 038 toll free |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |
| Name: | Sky Channel |
| Availability: | Via satellite (analog):
Australia wide Via cable: available on Foxtel and Optus Vision from some time in 1997. |
| Channels: | Sky Channel |
| Cost: | |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | Only available in pubs, clubs and hotels |
| Enquiries: | Call (02) 9451 0888 or 1800 251 710 toll free outside Sydney |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |
| Name: | Television Oceania |
| Availability: | Via cable: available via Telstra LaserCast to approx 50 hotels in Sydney, Melbourne and Cairns |
| Channels: | Television Oceania, second teletext channel |
| Cost: | |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | Only available in pubs, clubs and hotels |
| Enquiries: | Call (02) 9451 0888 or 1800 251 710 toll free outside Sydney |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |
| Name: | TeleItalia TV |
| Availability: | Via MDS (analog): metro
areas of Sydney and Melbourne Via satellite (digital): Australia-wide. |
| Channels: | TeleItalia TV |
| Cost: | Installation + monthly cost |
| Other services: | |
| Note: | Also available as part of Galaxy package at additional cost |
| Enquiries: | Call 1800 028 343 toll free or (02) 9552 2044 |
| Fax: | |
| Postal Address: | |
| Internet e-mail: | |
| WWW: |