Drake, Urbenville and Bolivia face a possible television blackout if council does not find a way to cover the costs needed to upgrade existing ‘black spot’ analogue services for digital transmissions before the scheduled end of analogue broadcasts from July 2012.

Tenterfield Shire Director of Corporate Services Jim Gossage said council was facing a six-figure bill to upgrade the three black spot services operating in the shire - an estimated $25,000 per channel per site.

“In 20-20 hindsight, we should have installed systems at Drake, Urbenville and Bolivia like those at Bonshaw and Mingoola (which are satellite feeds),” Mayor Toby Smith said.

Councillor Smith said the blackspot transmittor stations had been installed because they were less expensive and Federal Government funding had been available.

Council General Manager Don Ramsland said the problem was a “statewide situation, given the funding and the technology that was available at the time”.

Mr Gossage informed councillors at a recent meeting that Tenterfield had joined 23 other councils in similar circumstances that were seeking funding from the Federal Government.

The councils had approached the Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, seeking funding to cover the ongoing maintenance of existing blackspots and for the installation and delivery of digital services once analogue services end.

They had not yet received a reply.

A problem with Drake television transmission was also addressed at the meeting.

Mr Gossage told council one analogue transmitter at Drake was broken and council had initially been advised it would have to import a part from Italy at a cost of $17,000, but could now get the part for $2,000 elsewhere. He said council had located the part, but had not yet established a cost.

Drake resident and Drake Progress Association treasurer Margaret Smith said television transmission was an ongoing problem in the area, and it could be an issue addressed by the association in the future.

Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy Stephen Conroy said the government was “committed to ensuring that no viewers will lose access to television services in the process of switching to digital-only broadcasting”.

Tenterfield is in the Northern NSW switchover area, which is scheduled to change to digital-only broadcasting in the second half of 2012.