4QR, as it should be.
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So⌠with ABC Classic FM to be re-branded as ABC Classic soon, is this a sign theyâre preparing to dump it from FM in the capital cities (except Darwin of course) and swap local radio over to FM from AM?
Iâm sure thatâs the plan. But not immediately. They will probably want to bed down the new branding before doing anything. Maybe theyâre thinking 2020?
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Or possibly itâs preparation for a DAB+ future where frequencies and band designations are meaningless?
The removal of band designation could also be an indication that theyâre planning to offer more content as podcasts etc and theyâre establishing a brand that works well across multiple platforms.
Admittedly weâre a long way from a time when DAB+ is the dominant platform for radio broadcasting but slowly but surelyâŚ
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Yup & the ABC could be doing more to promote DAB+.
Hereâs an example where I make my case.
At around 11.55pm AEST on the Phillip Clarke Nightlife program where the overnight transmitter maintenance outages are provided & alternative frequencies & services are provided as replacements for the outages. Phillip consistently fails to mention (eg in the case of say Melbourne or Sydney AM transmitter outages) the use of the word DAB+ or âdigital radioâ as alternative mediums to listen to ABC Local Radio. Instead he provides words such as âstreamingâ or internet or vague term âon digitalâ. I know Tony Delroy frequently mentioned DAB radio when he last hosted the program. That time placement is the perfect time to promote DAB+ or âDigital Broadcast Radioâ when local AM/FM transmitters go off air for maintenance in the capital cities. My blame doesnât rest with Phillip, but more so the ABC promotion people & relevant staff who write his scripts for the program.
Report card: Could do better 
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Was also discussed a few days ago
But I think as others have said itâs probably more to cover the âClassicâ brand across different platforms. âFMâ branding is largely redundant now.
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Perhaps, but itâll make it much easier if they do decide to ditch Classic on FM. I think thatâs just the convenient spin theyâve put on it re the âdifferent platformsâ. Thatâs exactly what the press releases will say if they axe it on FM, theyâll say âitâs still available on other platformsâ 
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Iâm sure thatâs the plan too, but possibly earlier in 2019
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I agree DAB+ will eventually get there to become the dominant platform along with online. I think ABC Local will move to FM in the capitals though as an interim step while DAB+ and podcasts continue to develop.
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Whilst I have no doubt switching frequencies is an advantage in Metro areas, the signal strength of 50kW means that AM stations like 3LO have a very large range (far beyond ABCFM). This means that although the ABC has set up local stations in regional locations (eg Ballarat, Gippsland), there are still plenty that want to listen to 3LO. Its a shame that the Ballarat and Waragul ratings for instance do not include 3LO so the magnitude can be better understood (there is a large âotherâ in each ratings). In response, expect an âABC is sydney centricâ outrage.
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I canât imagine it would be a âmoveâ to FM - but rather a simulcast between AM and FM - at least for quite a while to come.
Though with moves like switching off domestic shortwave they seem less interested in maintaining duplicated coverage.
I can barely receive ABC Radio Ballarat or Bendigo - certainly not as well as the associated commercial stations - but I can always get either ABC Sydney or Adelaide on AM. This might not be hugely important 99.9% of the time, but there being an ABC station you can get even if all of the ones in your area are knocked out by a natural disaster or fault is I think part of the ABCâs role - they donât get that on FM.
Thereâs a whole bunch of signs on highways in Victoria telling you to tune to 774am in an emergency - I wouldnât expect all of those are in the range of the Classic FM transmission.
Either way I hope this is planned out with a view to maintaining coverage - with extra FM infill stations and/or increased power.
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ABC Melbourne for example would greatly benefit from a FM simulcast, the AM works well for outer Melbourne and emergency services, but for the CBD and inner suburbs, a FM simulcast would be listenable, especially in the car in the CBD.
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You still have the silly situation of ABC Upper Hunter being on both AM and FM in the main parts of the Upper Hunter (Scone through to Singleton along the New England Highway) - 1044 AM and 105.7FM are the exact same.
Just do away with 1044 and have all 3 ABC local radio services on FM.
You could also get rid of Hot Country, tell Bill to jam his 2HD FM translator up his big fat arse and move 2NM and Power FM around on the FM band to clear AM in the Upper Hunter but thatâs for another thread.
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I think itâs a legacy dating back to WW2 when i suppose there was a fear of transmitters being struck and ensuring back up coverage. Also as you say a backup incase of a natural disaster, although whether having back up coverage is part of their charter i donât know
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Firstly, let me make it clear that Iâm not entirely against the idea of having ABC Local Radio on FM in the major metropolitan markets since that service is of more mainstream appeal (certainly if the ratings are anything to go by) than Classic FM!
But if the ABC were to decide that an FM broadcast of Local Radio on FM in major metropolitan markets is the way to go, they probably should still keep the AM broadcast on-air for emergency & coverage reasons. To use Sydney as an example, Prestons (AM) & Gore Hill (FM) are in different ends of the metropolitan area so thereâs inevitably going to be some coverage differences. Minor in the grand scheme of things when it comes to covering the primary listening area, maybe. But differences nonetheless!
If the ABC were to completely axe their AM broadcasts of Local Radio in metropolitan areas, I would not be overly surprised if there was some backlash from listeners who neither have streaming as a viable option nor great reception of the FM/DAB+ services.
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I suppose the question is what are the ABC trying to achieve here - do they want to overcome FM signal issues in the CBD, or do they think that thereâs enough of a mass of FM only devices that they need local radio on FM.
If the former - there are likely frequencies they could identify that could provide a service of similar strength and coverage of Joy 94.9 - covering the inner city and quite a lot of the suburbs, rather than the whole of Melbourne.
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Itâs hard to see how retaining an ABC AM service could be considered an essential service for emergency situations. How is the AM service any more reliable or accessible than FM? Who has an AM only radio? In some cases the FM service would be more reliable. In all recent Brisbane flood emergencies that I can recall it has always been the AM transmitter that has been in danger of going off air - including backup. The FM service on 105.7 on the Darling Downs was used 2 floods ago to provide an FM version of the AM signal in that emergency and in the most recent flood, listeners were advised to standby in case 612 AM went off the air to tune to Classic FM frequency of 106.1. In addition, many areas, already only receive ABC radio via FM including in cyclone-prone areas e.g. Darwin; it doesnât seem as if emergency AM transmission was a priority in those cases.
There are other reasons against a band change but I donât think emergencies can be used as an excuse against FM.
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The main argument is for redundant and rural area coverage - high powered AM can reach a much larger range than the ABCâs FM network - itâs not as essential for the areas within the main coverage area, but for those places outside or on the fringes.
For example - if thereâs a bushfire that knocks out the mobile network and local radio repeaters in a small town, the ABC station from your nearest capital city is likely to still be receivable, while you may not be in the range of one of the other FM transmissions.
That doesnât mean it has to be ABC local radio to fulfil that purpose. You could move ABC News to the current ABC Local Radio AM frequencies, but I worry that would then be seen as fat to cut - why have a high power service covering most of the state for broadcasting parliament?
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On Black Saturday, the ABC Gippsland 100.7 FM signal went off air (along with TRFM) with the ABC advising listeners to tune to 828AM. So hereâs my rule of thumb:
- In floods, the AM transmitters go down (because they are in boggy areas, subject to flood)
- In bushfires, the FM transmitters go down (because they are at the top of heavily wooded mountains)
- In cyclones, they all blow down and we wonât be in Kansas any more!
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Its a toss up between NewsRadio and Radio National. Given so many Radio National stations are still AM, I would make that the main AM source. I am sure the ABC could work out how to do state-by-state emergency broadcasting on RN!
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Itâs role as Australiaâs emergency broadcaster is very much still a thing. It was tendered out, which Sky and the ABC ran for, with the ABC obviously winning.