Without access to radio frequency spectrum your mobile wouldn't work, your TV screen would be black and your radio silent, trains wouldn't run safely, satellites couldn't communicate, nor could aeroplanes, police and ambulance radios ... it's a long list. Let's face it, we live in a wireless world.

Spectrum, or radiofrequency, is finite. We can use what we have more efficiently, but it's not like wireline systems where you can lay more cable. Spectrum management, now and in the future, is a vital responsibility of government. As technological change means more and more of our communications are managed or conducted wirelessly, spectrum is in ever greater demand and we must allocate this scarce public resource efficiently.

At present, community television (CTV) transmitter licences are due to expire at the end of 2014. The government will extend their licences to December 31, 2015. Following this 16-month transition, the government believes that the best long-term outcome for community television is that it uses the internet as its distribution platform.

Currently there are five community television services in Sydney, Adelaide, Brisbane, Melbourne and Perth. Apart from Geelong, because of its proximity to Melbourne, Australians outside these metropolitan capital cities have never been able to access CTV. The internet is a natural fit for CTV's "open access" function - as well as extending the reach and access of content the internet will allow CTV to work with more communities producing local content and special interest programming.

OzTam official ratings data shows that CTV has very small audiences. Over the last five years with an average annual daily audience in prime time (6pm to midnight) for all stations of about 6000 viewers. To put this in perspective the total viewing market is about15 million viewers.