[YOUR POSTAL ADDRESS] [TODAY’S DATE] Ms Julie Flynn, CEO Free TV Australia, First Floor, 44 Avenue Road, Mosman NSW 2088. contact@freetv.com.au Re: Australian Electronic Program Guide Dear Ms Flynn, I am writing to you to express my dissatisfaction with Free TV's current stance regarding delivery of an Electronic Program Guide (EPG) to the people of Australia. As an early adopter of Digital TV, I found the services offered from commercial broadcasters to be lacking with respect to the quality of content and the availability of additional benefits that DTV should have afforded from its inception. In recent times the situation has improved with regard to content choices, and this is a pleasing development. I was elated late last year to learn that commercial broadcasters were finally going to provide an openly-broadcast and free 7-day EPG, and that I would now be able to legally use my digital TV equipment to its full potential, as the manufacturer intended. This elation turned to irritation when I subsequently learned that Free TV and the commercial networks of Australia plan to cripple the supply of EPG data by limiting the devices with which the guide can legally be used, and/or by potentially encrypting that data. I find these moves both lacking in foresight and outright anti-competitive. The result of this action will be that, for the foreseeable future, the only devices capable of legally utilising the EPG will be those brought to market by the commercial networks themselves or by their partners. Digital TV in this country suffers from a slow adoption rate. It is expensive to participate and there is currently very little ‘value-add’ to justify this cost. It would now seem that you intend to further slow the adoption rate with the introduction of unnecessary and, frankly, ludicrous restrictions. EPG data is delivered free of charge for the vast majority of digital services world wide. Being able to see what is on and when is key to my ability to be able to watch TV. Commercial broadcasters need viewers, yet they continue to alienate people like myself. Instead of treating me as a valuable customer, it would seems that the commercial networks see me as some sort of subversive force that needs to be controlled! Most devices currently owned and on sale in Australia do not adhere to your “view” of how EPG should be viewed and used. Do you intend to reimburse people like myself that have a significant investment in technology that I will not be able to fully use? Or will you simply brand me a criminal for using this equipment? Do you intend to notify the Australian public that 98% of devices on the market today either will not work as designed, or can only be used illegally? It is not possible to turn off EPG reception in those devices that are designed to receive it. Is it your intention that everyone should just throw away their existing equipment and purchase ”authorised” – and in many cases less capable – equipment? The situation is untenable. An EPG is not a means by which you will control a captive market. Rather it is a means by which you can attract customers to the services offered by the organisations you represent. It is also a means by which others can develop services that enhance television viewing and encourage participation in and uptake of this new and potentially exciting broadcasting medium. As such I ask you to re-evaluate the decisions currently being made in regards to EPG data and ensure that: 1. The guide data is delivered FREE of charge. 2. The guide data is delivered in formats suitable for mainstream devices currently on the market (this includes those capable of receiving EIT data and those capable of downloading guide data via the Internet). 3. The guide data is accurate with respect to start and end times of broadcasts. 4. The guide data is updated in a timely fashion, at least every 24 hours, reflecting modifications to scheduled programming. 5. The guide has at a minimum 7 full days of information at all times. 6. The guide is delivered in a quality at least comparable to those available in printed media, with specific reference to case (not all capitals) and spelling. 7. That the naming of titles follows a specific convention from week to week and does not change frequently. 8. That the programming contained within the guide is appropriately categorised and adheres to the Commercial Television Industry Code of Practice. Anything less will further stunt DTV uptake in this country, ruin the enjoyment of digital television for those already participating and ultimately force people away from free-to-air TV, a result that I'm certain will have adverse impacts on the bodies or broadcasters that you represent. The contempt with which you appear to treat the Australian public is outrageous. Please address this issue and offer a service that embraces technology and provides an Australian DTV experience comparable to the rest of the developed world. I await your response in anticipation. Yours sincerely, [YOUR NAME]