RECEPTION black holes across the Central Highlands have left scores of residents without access to local television stations, and is forcing many to fork out hundreds of dollars for expensive antennas or satellite reception.Located in Ballan, half-way between Mt Cole and Mt Dandenong, the Fidler family used to have access to both metropolitan and country television stations before their analogue reception ended as part of the systematic shutdown last year.Now, because they live in a digital reception black hole, they are without local channels such as WIN, Prime and Southern Cross. They were also forced to spend more than $300 getting a new antenna.“It just frustrates me that the government said that no one would be worse off in terms of reception, but we are,” Gabrielle Fidler said.“Now I don’t know when the sales are on or even when the Begonia Festival is.“We get channels that tell me what’s going on in Chadstone, but not locally.”On top of that, Mrs Fidler said the satellite reception was temperamental, and often cut out.“Sometimes it freezes at sunrise and sunset, and when there is hot weather,” she said.Local antenna technician and past president of the Antenna Technicians Association of Victoria, Frank Schaefer, said that a section of Ballan formed one of a number of reception black holes in the region — including Mt Mercer, Yendon, Lal Lal and Mt Egerton.He said in Ballarat, Esmond and Lofven streets behind Black Hill were also trouble spots where terrestrial reception was impossible.“In a lot of the areas that were able to receive regional analogue reception, digital does not get in there as well,” Mr Schaefer said.“If the signal is more marginal, or there is not a suitable strength, then we elect to receive Melbourne stations instead.”Mr Schaefer said the Viewer Access Satellite Television service was a good alternative, but estimated it to cost between $700 and $800 to set up. “VAST has only been around for just over 12 months and they are still perfecting it in terms of providing more locally based information,” he said. “But it’s a good option if you cannot get any terrestrial service, rather than having no television at all.”The digital switchover adviser for Minister for Broadband, Communications and the Digital Economy, Stephen Conroy, said that both the minister’s office and the digital switchover task force were not aware of any problems in the Ballan area regarding the signal from Ballarat.However, she said they would be in touch with the Fidler family and Mr Schaefer early this week.Follow @TalkBallarat