I understand this argument for competitive markets - but if you are in a market where it’s you with an AM and an FM (or just an AM) station without competition there must be some benefit given the takeup of the option - or is it about closing in the market so you limit competition?
I suppose though if you are approaching EOL on your transmitter gear replacing it with FM gear makes some sense.
What is B92 Warragul?
It’s an ACMA form for requesting a variation to an analog radio LAP, including proposals to add new services to a radio LAP.
More:
https://www.acma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2020-02/ACMA%20B92%20%20Guidance%20notes.pdf
Thanks. I thought it might be a new radio station LOL.
Sounds like a secondary backroad since Victorian roads are labelled just like that!
The old Princes Highway between Drouin and Warragul maybe? 
There’s a lot of thinking in radio station/network management that just doesn’t make sense to any of us here or anyone who really knows how radio works, unfortunately as most of those who make the decisions these days have come to station management from a sales position or outside of the radio/media landscape altogether.
Some networks (which I’m not going to name here), have over the last 20-30 years promoted people to management who really have no idea & should never be there in the first place, in one case I’ve been told, someone went from a receptionist position straight to station/network management position in a short period of time with no in between positions, & another one from a PA position to again network management (decision making) position, with no experience or in between positions, both stories I believe to be true.
I know of only one station manager who has come from a technical/engineering position & actually knows how radio works, many in management positions these days don’t know how to program a radio station/network, let alone how it all actually works from studio to listener’s ears.
Another reasoning on conversions is due to the above & that “they” (whoever they are), have been telling us for the past 80 years that AM radio is dead & should be buried, is a belief in Australia that AM radio is inferior & a dead duck so to speak, & you’ll never make any money out of it & that no one listens, but then Nine Radio might argue that, & AM radio still tops the ratings in the 2 biggest markets in the country (don’t say most people stream or listen on DAB to 2GB & 3AW, because they don’t).
Also AM radio is technically a different beast to FM & really needs qualified techs who know what they’re doing to look after it technically, it’s also very dangerous to work around, with high voltages much more easily accessible than FM, so you’re average Black Thunder driver can’t or shouldn’t be looking after an AM transmission site, they shouldn’t be doing it for FM either, but do.
There’s not a lot of techs around anymore who know how AM transmissions work & can look after them, so conversion to FM & let the 18 year old promotions person look after things is the way to go.
There’s now a lot more public safety/security expense for an AM transmission site too, where for a start, because it’s mast is electrically live & touchable by a person standing on the ground which could kill them if they did so, they have to be double fenced & secure, an FM/TV tower is only dangerous if you climb it, so much less safety/security around one of those & most FM sites are owned by someone other than the radio station, so there’s no extra cost or headaches to operate from one of those sites.
I think if they haven’t put themselves out of business in the next 15 years, a lot of the station owners will be sorry they “sold out” & got rid of their AM sites & broadcasting infrastructure, AM’s far from dead & useless, as much as some (in here too) would like to think.
The American AM station owners are fighting hard to keep their AM operating & for listeners to be able to receive them, (recent AM radio in cars issue that went to the US congress to make a law car have to have an AM radio tuner), yes most or a lot of them have FM translators, but they don’t in most cases want to give up the AM & convert fully to FM.
Although the Americans do make some stupid decisions regarding their broadcast technologies, they, like us, are a large expanse country & they know what they have & know what they need to cover it, we on the other hand seem to follow more European thinking, where if you traveled the distance from Sydney to Newcastle or Brisbane to the Gold Coast, you’d be in another country. With FM & DAB, in Australia & the USA, you just won’t get the coverage, at a reasonable cost, that you need & will with AM/MW.
Stephen Beers was chief engineer at 3AW, promoted to station manager (previous redundant/too costly), briefly sacked (cost cutting again), then reinstated.
Or taking a longer term view, as AM disappears from home stereos and possibly some cars, surely there’s still a benefit to get off it and onto FM in regional areas were DAB isn’t an option? It really is pretty hard to buy an AM radio these days, particularly portable devices.
BAI and TXA have Black Thunder drivers now?
lol, no & TXA & BAI don’t look after all the transmitters across Australia, in fact far from it.
Then some are asking why SCA aren’t interested in converting some AM’s, out of every reason I’ve mentioned 99% don’t apply & SCA will gain no benefit doing so, as BAI own the sites, transmitters, & maintain them & SCA probably can’t justify the costs they’d have to pay BAI to convert, from any small amount of competition & extra sales benefit they might gain.
Yeah can’t get rid of all the AM services as they are more fun then plain old FM
ACMA has released its consultation paper for Armidale: https://www.acma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2023-10/Consultation%20paper%20-%20Proposal%20to%20vary%20the%20Armidale%20licence%20area%20plan.docx
The document also explained on why 2AD hadn’t yet converted to FM:
Following the variation in January 2020, the licensee [2AD] advised the ACMA that they
were unable to access the Little Duval site and subsequently, requested that the 2AD
and 2NEB main transmitters be allowed to operate at a new site on Thunderbolts Cave Rd.
Both 2AD & 2NEB are also proposing to install FM translators in Armidale Town, Guyra & Uralla.
I have a feeling 2AD couldn’t access the Little Duval site because they never paid their rent to Seven West Media (Prime Network before that), for the 100.3 transmitter, so SWM probably told them no way in hell are you putting more stuff here & not paying, so they’ve had to find somewhere else.
Self destruction & too stupid to get out of their own way comes to mind when we’re talking BOG/SRN.
Surely ACMA smelt a rat about why BOG was unable to access Little Duval and asked questions?
I’m guessing it’s not the ACMAs role to mediate in these situations and/or enforce current specs, given the new specs with 3 infill sites does not (to my eyes) represent a better use of spectrum than Little Duval.
Also seems daft to put the main TXs at a site that can’t service ANY of the main towns in its licence area.
I assume Walcha is still required as well, making for FIVE sites in an area that less than 2 hours from north to south. Could be more costly to maintain so many sites too?
And Tamworth could also be a repeat of this exercise too? eg moving off Soma Mountain for the same reason and needing new specs.
There is a mobile site at Thunderbolts Cave. Its actually worth the short drive off the highway to have a look at the cave where bushranger Captain Thunderbolt operated until the plods caught him too.
I guess the other option would be Bald Hill but it would not have the coverage of Soma Mountain, and would require new specs.
And yes, parts of East Tamworth don’t get line of sight from Bald Hill, the community stations suffer from multi path in that part of town.
It makes it harder to use the station frequency in branding when the main transmitter has fewer listeners than the translator/s.
Agree, I was thinking FM100.3 is going to need a name change if they go with new specs as more people will probably need to listen on the new 98.1 Armidale Town relay, with the new main site being another 10 km further north, it’s already very hilly terrain up that way.