ABC Local Radio

theres a major rainstorm event in brisbane at the moment (archerfield has gotten 62.2 mm in the last 12 hours)

roads are closed due to flash flooding and there are power outages through brisbane. this should be the situation where ABC local radio shines. but no. they are running standard programming. 4BC has actully been better in getting info out than the ABC

Hardly an emergency at this stage - Energex reporting only 73 properties without power and no flooded roads closed in Brisbane, only some out past Wamruan in the far northern outskirts.

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Boscombe Rd Brookfield open at 5:30pm.

Marshall Rd Rocklea open 6:30pm according to BoM gauge.

These are some of the low hanging fruit, roads first to close in Bris and no problem.

Paradise Rd Larapinta is closed this morning however, no surprise.

ABC will go to emergency updates when such a situation is declared. It wasn’t reached.

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Emergency warnings for floods and storms can be difficult for the ABC to manage in Sydney and Brisbane because the weather can vary so greatly between the inland and coastal suburbs in both cities. Sydney often experiences East Coast Lows- extratropical cyclones- in the cooler months. Whilst gale force winds and torrential rain afflict the coastal fringe, the outer western suburbs may remain completely dry with only a moderate southerly breeze. Similarly, the outer west cops the lion’s share of the severe thunderstorms that enter the Sydney metro; the majority weaken significantly by the time they reach the coast. The ABC takes its cues from the Bureau of Meterology, which may issue a severe weather warning for the whole of a weather district or just a small part of one, further complicating things. These weather districts may also differ from local government boundaries, for example Ulladulla is included in the South Coast forecast area (Ulladulla- VIC border), yet the town is wholly within the Shoalhaven LGA.

Melbourne, Adelaide, Perth, and Hobart receive most of their severe weather in the cooler months, associated with cold fronts that tend to sweep across the region more evenly.

I’ve excluded bushfires from this analysis as by definition they are local-scale events, though severe fire weather is felt across the broader region.

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Ausmusic Month - November

Rock and Roll Dad – 6 – 10 November on ABC Radio Nightlife & ABC Regional Stations from 13–17 November

In the months before Alan Escombe died in his home near Byron Bay NSW he recorded over 200 voice memos, revealing two decades of rock and roll confessions. Alan was the bass guitarist of the 1960’s band the Shake Spears whose records today are highly prized collector items. When his son Luke Escombe pressed play, he started a journey re-living with his father adventures of riots, revolution, drugs, war and backstage yarns about some of the biggest names in rock and roll. In a special collaboration with the ABC, these voice recordings are now part of a musical documentary series which will be showcased across ABC Local Radio and Double J this Ausmusic Month.

ABC Melbourne

The Friday Revue – 1pm – 3pm every Friday throughout Ausmusic Month

The Friday Revue with Richelle Hunt and Brian Nankervis will broadcast live each Friday during Ausmusic Month between 1pm – 3pm from different locations across Melbourne. These broadcasts will feature live music, quizzes and discussions about local and national arts and culture.

Anyone heard any info on Will Hagon lately? I noticed he didn’t do Bathurst and no MotoGP today. Is he still doing a fortnightly spot on Nightlife?

I had found that and in it:

“I got into the radio in the 1980s. Late this October would be my 40th anniversary with the ABC [Australian Broadcasting Corporation].”

It’s kinda vague. I’ve been missing his authoritative and passionate voice.

It was strange not hearing Will Hagon’s voice on Grandstand during Bathurst, Gold Coast 600 nor the Phillip Island MotoGP. I hope he will be back for the Newcastle 500.

Haven’t heard ABC Grandstand’s Peter Walsh on the Radio Since Round 21 of the AFL Season.

ABC has announced that they will live stream a further 19 regional stations from mid-March next year, which includes:

  • 97.3 ABC Illawarra - Wollongong
  • ABC South East (NSW) - Bega
  • ABC Capricornia - Rockhampton
  • ABC South East (SA) - Mt Gambier
  • ABC North Coast - Lismore
  • ABC Coffs Coast - Coffs Harbour
  • ABC Tropical North - Mackay
  • ABC West Coast - Port Lincoln
  • ABC Riverina - Wagga Wagga
  • ABC Sunshine Coast - Maroochydore
  • ABC South Coast - Albany
  • ABC Riverland - Renmark
  • ABC Central West - Orange
  • ABC Wide Bay - Bundaberg
  • ABC Mid West - Geraldton
  • ABC Shepparton - Shepparton
  • ABC New England North West - Tamworth
  • ABC North Queensland - Townsville
  • ABC Esperance - Esperance

Source: Radioinfo

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About time, streaming ABC North Coast (lismore) will be most welcome considering FM 94.5 is blocked by the wasteful inclusion of FM 94.5 Sunshine Coast for Newsradio twice over.

North facing slopes within Northern Rivers also suffer interference in summer due to this. Find an alternate freq for Newsradio on the Sunshine Coast.

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They tried 104.1, but that didn’t work out because of JJJ Darling Downs.

It was SUPPOSED to go on 828AM… I think the NIMBYs put a stop to the erection of an AM tower for that? Not sure on that one.

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Correct on both counts.

Should’ve kept looking for another FM slot, even lower powered would’ve been fine.

AM 936 is at Bald Hills, coverage north to the southern end at least of the Sunshine Coast is sufficient.

Same for the AM tower, in the valley at Valdora was not a good location, needed to be more south east on the flood plain behind Coolum or the localities along the river from Yandina out to Mudjimba.

BA and ABC did not try too hard for a site. Would love to see AM 828 fired up again on the Sunshine Coast for whatever purpose, it gave great coverage as 4SS from the eastern part of Bli Bli.

Whatever the solution, would be great to have FM 94.5 clear again for ABC Lismore.

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Karen Tighe said on ABC Grandstand this afternoon that Peter Walsh was away on leave, but did not elaborate further.

FM doesn’t penetrate well into the valleys located in the NW of the Scumshine Coast (Kenilworth, Imbil). These areas would have probably received the old 4SS no trouble at all. Parts of this region are possibly in an overlap zone with Gympie though.

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What about as an interim solution switching the Local Radio program on Mt Nardi for one of the other high power frequencies? 96.9 and 98.5 carrying RN and News Radio respectively get out very well with little interference from co-channeled frequencies (the latter only occasionally has issues with ABCFM Wide Bay, the former even less so from the mid-powered site at Gympie)

Regardless, either frequency suffers less than it’s current home, and surely it’s more important to get the Local Radio program out clear of interference than either of the other two (which can be heard as exact relays from the Gold Coast or Mt Moombil in the event of interference anyway…)

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Good idea… They should swap Local Radio 94.5 and News Radio 98.5 so that News effectively becomes an SFN on 94.5 for Sunshine Coast to Northern Rivers (GC can still use 95.7).

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That was my thinking - it’s not perfect as 98.5 does occasionally have issues too, but it’s a lot better than the current arrangement. Though to be honest the issue is less so 94.5 being used on Mt Nardi, it’s that they stuck a Newsradio repeater so close to it at Dulong - terrible planning

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ABC Radio Melbourne’s afternoon presenter, Clare Bowditch, will be leaving the station to shift focus back to her music career. Her last day with the station will be on Wednesday 29th November.

Source: Radioinfo