ST IVES film maker Royce Smeal is confident the federal Government will let him set up a network of eight ethnic television stations around Australia.

"It hasn't got much choice really. I'm the best man for the job," Mr Smeal said. He is chairman and managing director of the Crows Nest-based enterprise Color-Video Productions. The company is the biggest of its type in Australia and makes about 60 per cent of the country's television commercials. Mr Smeal, who applied for a license14 months ago, will ink at least $10 million into the venture.Prime Minister, Mr Fraser, and the then Leader of the Opposition, Mr Whitlam, promised to issue eethnic television licenses during their election speeches. "It is against the law for the Government to give locenses to companies who already hold one." Mr Smeal said. "That rules out established stations and people like Murdoch, Packer and Fairfax.

Logical

"The only other application to date is from an Italian man. If they gave it to him, the Greeks and Turws would want to know why one of them didn't get it. "It has to go to an Australian independent company, and mine is the logical choice. "The two other companies of similar standing in Australia can't get it because one is owned by Channel 9 and the other by Channel 7." Mr Smeal, who controls a staff of 43, has a fulltime staff of five working

`It would aid export industry' - Smeal

IF Mr Smeal obtains his ethnic television license, it could fo a lot for the Australian export industry.

"I have been negotiating for shows from Europe and countries like Italy want to work on a reciprocal basis," he said. "Rome television, for example, wants 3000 words of news from Australia each day. "Every third person in Italy has a close relative in Australia." "Overseas people don't know a great deal about Australia and once they get to know us, it will help our exports. "Some don't even know the name of our Prime Minister. "We all know what a problem the European Economic Community has caused our exporters.