Douglas Shire Council has reviewed its operation of the South Mossman TV tower which currently transmits free to air channels to residents in Shannonvale and Cassowary, and also to some sections of Mossman.
A survey was mailed to 137 households to find out how many still relied upon the service and 72 completed surveys were received, a response rate of 51%.
Most households – 62 of the 72 – watch Free to Air channels broadcast from the South Mossman Tower with 37 relying solely on this signal. Just nine respondents access Foxtel or Smart TV, primarily because they were in a location where they could not get a signal.
The survey results [available here] were discussed at a Council workshop and given strong demand for the service in the community, it was determined the current level of service would be continued.
The current level of service includes regular maintenance of all equipment in the tower and repairs done promptly when required.
There may be a requirement in four to five years for equipment to be upgraded, and depending on the cost, there may be a need to revisit demand for the service.