Interactive TV gets a chance, at last.

Aug 16, 2001 (BRW

ABIX via COMTEX) -- A number of factors are creating changes for the pay-TV industry in Australia. Australia is one of only a number of countries which still has an analogue pay-TV service rather than a digital service. A move to global industry trends is taking place as a result of the failure of the One.Tel telecommunications firm, a change in the board of Foxtel and a decision of the High Court of Australia. Foxtel is expected to move to replace its analogue set-top boxes with digital boxes. Foxtel will also move to integrate its broadband Internet access services, its pay-TV services and its interactive television services in the one package, assisting the profitability of the company. News Corporation and Publishing & Broadcasting are part-owners of the failed One.Tel company as well as being partners in the Foxtel venture.

FOXTEL: ONE.TEL LIMITED - ASX ONE: NEWS CORPORATION LIMITED - ASX NCP: PUBLISHING AND BROADCASTING LIMITED

       - ASX PBL: TELSTRA CORPORATION LIMITED - ASX       TLS: CABLE AND WIRELESS OPTUS LIMITED -       ASX CWO: 

HIGH COURT OF AUSTRALIA

By Adele Ferguson

All copyright subsisting under the Copyright Act 1968 (Commonwealth) resides in us. No part of the

copyright materials may be reproduced, re-used, re-transmitted, adapted, published, broadcast or

distributed for any commercial purposes whatsoever without our prior written permission.

  INDUSTRY KEYWORD: Communication Services                   Government Administration                    Motion Picture, Radio and                    Television Services  SUBJECT CODE:     PAY TELEVISION - AUSTRALIA                    BUSINESS FAILURES - AUSTRALIA                    TELECOMMUNICATIONS - LAW AND                    LEGISLATION - AUSTRALIA 

News Provided by COMTEX (http://www.comtexnews.com)