While I’m not here to defend Sky… they are an official emergency broadcaster in Victoria and tech issues aside they have demonstrated a capacity to get information to air quickly as part of a bulletin or on the ticker… often quicker than ABC 24.
In fact after the Black Saturday fires in Victoria Sky was widely praised in the communities affected because they were the only source of information available. Terrestrial radio and TV had been knocked out by the fires.
There’s a lot to criticise about Sky legitimately but how about tempering that with acknowledgement where it’s due?
My only concern with Sky as an emergency broadcaster is their reach. Wouldn’t want to see Sky favoured being fed information over other outlets regardless of official status. AFAIK ABC TV is not an official broadcaster.
No one is favoured as information is diseminated to everyone simultaneously.
The object of emergency service status is to secure a commitment from the broadcaster to undertake a minimum level of coverage and then to let the public know that the outlet can be trusted to pass on information in a timely manner.
As for Sky on WIN, you would hope they’d switch to live rolling coverage in the case of an emergency or at least coverage emergency warnings etc on the ticker.
In the case of Sydney they can move the am transmittors to Gosford area and convert them to FM in Sydney. Sydney would have dab and FM. Gosford just have a low power crappy repeater so having high power am transmitter for at least radio national and 702 will make sense there and provide adequate coverage in Sydney too.
Could consider having the ABC FM transmission from Wentworth Falls. 702/576/630 from the central coast should cover the Sydney coastline well.
But with budgets etc I doubt this would happen. . Nice to talk hypothetically about the topic.
Lindy Burns has announced that she won’t return to ABC Radio Melbourne and will return to Newcastle and take up a new position with ABC Training.
She will present a special Melbourne Cup broadcast on November 6 with guest correspondent Matt Preston reporting from the Birdcage and will then sign off with a series of outdoor broadcasts in regional Victoria in the first week of December.
ABC Gold Coast is hosting a daily hour of highlights and interviews at 10am during the Pan Pacific Masters Games currently being held on the Gold Coast. Also being simulcast across Australia on ABC Grandstand digital.
Loretta Ryan is filling in for Rebecca Levingston on ABC Radio Brisbane breakfast at the moment, while Rebecca has knee surgery. Most likely repairing damage caused by the fall at the Ekka earlier this year.
It was announced on Drive on ABC Radio Melbourne late this afternoon. There is no link for actual registration yet, however if you subscribe to its e-newsletter you will get access to early bird registrations.
. Nice to talk hypothetically about the topic.