Australia's federal government will spend $6.7 million on an advertising campaign to educate consumers about digital TV and encourage people to make the switch from analogue systems on or before the 2013 deadline. The campaign will launch next Sunday on free-to-air TV and radio.

Speaking at a two-day 'Get ready for digital TV' conference at the Sydney Hilton Hotel, Andy Townend, executive director of the digital switchover taskforce, said the government-funded ad campaign created by BMF aims to raise awareness about digital TV and the importance of looking at labels when buying television equipment. It will complement the campaigns that have been developed by the TV networks and Freeview, which all focus on the benefits of the new digital channels.

The switchover means that viewers will no longer be able to watch even free-to-air channels without a set-top box or a digital tuner in their TV. In his opening remarks, senator Stephen Conroy, minister for broadband, communications and the digital economy, urged the industry and consumers to get behind the "biggest national format change since the swap to decimal currency".

"For most people, getting ready for digital will be a simple and inexpensive task, but it is important that all Australians are well informed to make the switch," he said. "From this week a campaign will begin to help Australia get ready for digital. There is no reason for people to wait to experience the benefits."

Rural Australia will lead the country in the phase-out of analogue TV broadcasting, and thus rural retailers will be first to benefit from the government's million-dollar advertising and promotional campaign.

Conroy explained that Mildura, a rural Victorian town on the banks of the Murray River with 30,000 people, already has the nation's highest take-up of digital TV at 70 per cent of households. This makes it an ideal launch pad for the phase-out of analogue TV broadcasting, which begins on 1 January 2010 and ends on 31 December 2013.

''From this coming Sunday, television and radio advertising, as well as point of sale material and hardware labels will start appearing nationally,'' said Conroy. ''TV and radio ads will help explain to people about digital television and what they need to do to be ready. These ads are a very important element of the government's efforts to keep the public informed,'' he added.

The information campaign also works as a great opportunity for retailers to encourage consumers to invest in the technology. ''A digital-ready labelling scheme will be integral to our awareness campaign. Labels have been developed in consultation with industry and will clearly indicate which products are digital-ready and those that are not,'' Conroy said.

After Mildura, Broken Hill will start the digital TV phase-in on 31 July 2010, with rural South Australia to follow. Rural Victoria and rural Qld will begin the digital TV phase-in on 1 January 2011, with rural NSW not starting the phase-in until 1 January 2012.

The nation's capital cities will not begin the phase in until 1 January 2013, but by then it is expected that most areas would be digital TV-ready anyway.