I think AM and FM are still more valuable real estate than DAB.
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I don’t think you will find any commercial or national broadcaster willing to even consider it
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The Goulburn LAP Variation has been finalised: Variation to Licence Area Plan – Goulburn Radio – 2021 (No.1)
That means ACMA has approved the new technical specifications for 2GN, therefore paving the way for the station to finally convert to FM by the end of this year or early next year.
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FWIW, the 2GN allocation appears in the latest ACMA broadcast transmitter spreadsheet as well, though it could have been there for some time (I don’t check it religiously).
Yet more mining relays in the Hunter Valley, this time the Mangoola Mine:
2NM 88.9
JJJ 89.7
Local Radio (Muswellbrook) 90.5
Not sure if the 2NM relays are full FM quality yet. They’d be getting close to a ‘pseudo’ FM conversion with all the various mine transmitters.
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It has been on there for around the past 2 years.
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If the ones I’ve heard so far are anything to go by, they are being fed off air from 981 AM.
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That was the case when I last heard them. Wasn’t sure if they’d changed to a web feed or similar.
2GN Crookwell (106.1) is still relaying 1368 off air. I am sure they will relay from 107.7 once it commences. 103.7 Eagle FM is likely a straight off air feed of 93.5.
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Yes, when I was last in Crookwell, Eagle 103.7 had RDS and was in stereo, unlike 106.1 2GN.
Also imagine the FM feed will be used for 106.1 when that changes over too.
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How does it sound? Hopefully better than the webstream in 2017.
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Thought I’d move this over here,
It’s an interesting one - the principle for the ACMA per this doc, is that their limiting it to ‘solus markets’ uses a definition of a market that includes where there’s a 30%+ overlap.
That is an interesting question for 2MW then - as surely the overlap that matters is the one in the other direction. Only 26% of the Gold Coast license area population is in Murwillumbah, so surely it’s not a competition issue under that definition, and as I’d think BOG would/should point out - if it’s enough of an overlap to be denied an FM conversion, they’d be enough of an overlap to be deemed as the same market for being on Gold Coast DAB.
Suppose spectrum congestion would be the main issue even if the ACMA did agree it wasn’t a competition issue, maybe a local would know better how viable using 104.1 or 103.5 at higher power would be?
The only other station that pops in my head as a 1 station overlap AM market is 3EL in Maryborough - though the huge overlap there would rule it out of contention I’d think.
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I was referring to a supplementary FM licence for 2MW (s 39) rather than the conversion of 2MW itself to FM, but nevertheless overlap seems to be the answer to both.
There is an old Aus.radio.broadcast thread which touches on it but really doesn’t present conclusive evidence:
https://aus.radio.broadcast.narkive.com/KXT11HTN/radio-97
Someone does claim that certain other licence areas (Warragul/Latrobe Valley, Hamilton/Warrnambool) were delayed in getting a s39 due to overlap issues with one another. These licence areas were apparently redrawn and reduced to limit overlap, such that s39 FMs could be granted. In 3TR’s case it essentially converted to the new FM licence, with 3GV becoming the ‘new’ AM licence.
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That was definitely correct. They were pretty much the last markets to get S39 licences.
Rockhampton/Gladstone and Toowoomba/Warwick had similar overlap issues, so were never eligible for S39 lilences, so their markets were effectively aggregated and thus got extra FM licences so each aggregated market had 4 stations.
Because Toowoomba/Warwick had 3 stations, the new FM licence was effectively auctioned to SCA, but Rocky/Gladstone had two AM stations, they were each given an FM licence.
Coverage of the AM stations in each aggregated market still heavily favours their original markets (4RO still doesn’t have even have a translator in Gladstone as allocated, and is at a lower power than 4CC there).
Interesting that 4WK got a Toowoomba translator, but 4GR and 4AK didn’t get Warwick translators. Toowoomba is a much bigger town, so I daresay market forces drove this. I guess its the same reason why 4RO never put it’s Gladstone repeater to air.
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I notice that you might have been the poster of that info on the original thread 
On the subject of a 2MW FM conversion, they really have a pseudo one anyway due to 103.5 (south) and 104.1 (north). Murwillumbah is in a valley though, so I’m not sure how well these are received there. I haven’t visited the town since the year 2000!
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The legislative reason is the overlap is too high.
@Moe mentions the overlap mattering in one direction; reasonable people like us would agree, unfortunately the regulator and the CRA lobby do not, they like the protectionism.
2ZZZ has always operated as the de facto s39 for 2MW. Running and and since its inception, bumper IDs out of commercials that mention towns within the exclusive 2MW licence area. Coverage south of Burleigh Hill improves for ZZZ, then south of Currumbin’s ridge towards Tugun, it is local station, receivable on seek in car radios.
The mention of redrawn license areas in Victoria reminds me that a redraw was offered to 5CS and 5AU, however the licensee of both chose to aggregate the area to transmit from the main TV site for the region.
The two FM licenses for Rockhampton/Gladstone were auctioned. As the market was aggregated, two commercial stations, not a solus market and therefore no s.39.
RO’s consecutive owners have decided the 1125 allocation is not suitable, they want an FM translator. Likewise for the specs of the FM translator for CC at Yeppoon were also insufficient to the licensee to proceed.
Simply, ACMA has made an offer that has been declined.
There has never been an ACMA consultation document proposing Warwick translators. 4GR reception on 864 in Warwick is good. Not so for 1242 4AK, where an FM translator would be justified, especially at night. I recall we have had a discussion with @gordo92 here about the 4AK Warwick signal.
4WK’s main site is at Allora, which is closer to Warwick than Toowoomba, hence the need for the 1359 translator which is now FM 95.5 and providing fantastic coverage.
104.1 does work in Murwillumbah, 103.5 is there but scratchy.
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Thanks for the insights @crankymedia
Yes, I had thought that the 2x FM’s in Rockhampton/Gladstone were auctioned.
It still surprises me that 4RO never took up the translator in Gladstone even on AM. Gladstone is a pretty sizeable city (around 50K). I haven’t been up there for a while but I guess 990 still gets into Gladstone ok?
Toowoomba is a bit of a mess really and was never “aggregated” properly. 4WK being originally a Warwick station and 4AK being from Oakey. You’re right 1242 (4AK) never really got to Warwick and vice versa with the 4WK signal getting north/west of Toowoomba.
I never really understood why they aggregated Rockhampton/Gladstone but wouldn’t aggregate Bundaberg/Maryborough (Wide Bay). Wide Bay would have been easier (at least on FM) as a single transmitter on Mt Goonanamen would have pretty much covered it (as Rebel/Breeze do today). Whereas in Central QLD they’ve got FM transmitters for both Rockhampton and Gladstone.
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Yes, have always found 990 booms into Gladstone. Even in concrete apartment blocks, only when you null the ferrite rod towards Port Alma can you notice any difference.
4RO is south of Rocky, towards Gladstone with a 5kW DA array on a fantastic salt pan for excellent ground conductivity.
Would say the different licensee owners in Maryborough and Bundaberg historically would’ve prevented this being advanced. Along with the terribly small licence area boundaries when licence areas were defined, much less than the coverage of the 5kW DA Bundaberg and 2kW OD Maryborough stations.
The former Isis Shire of Childers was not included in the Bundaberg licence area for example.
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Hence why radio there has taken on a more Rebellious streak.
Thanks for all the insights folks; it’s ‘nuts and bolts’ discussions like these that make a media nerd forum 
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I can absolutely back up the history of the Warragul/Latrobe Valley licence areas as being 100% correct here. I remember the news stories on WIN News about the change. I believe Moe was dropped from Latrobe Valley’s licence area to reduce the overlap - the owners in both areas agreed Moe was more in keeping with the community of the western licence area than the eastern (which anyone who’s ever been to the area knows is crap - Moe and Morwell are in so many ways one, as is the entire Valley) - but the powers that be bought the argument and allowed 94.3 Sea FM and 99.5/99.9 3TRFM to commence in the early 2000s. To be fair 1242 is and was always weaker into Moe and the FM from Mt Tassie had that built into it as well - it is receivable but not as strong as 94.3.
On Murwillumbah, I don’t think you could just up-power 104.1 as it already suffers due to the high-powered JJJ relay for Toowoomba. Could 103.5 maybe become the higher-powered station, escaping interference from 103.3 Southern Downs and 103.7 Brisbane?
As for Warwick et al, it has confused me that Warwick doesn’t have a 4AK translator. I was again in Stanthorpe on the weekend and noted the ease of listening to 4AK, 4WK and 4GR (Triple M) all on FM in town - but the AM signal for all three stations is much poorer on the Granite Belt. Note also that Hit100.7 Toowoomba is also broadcast on 91.9 in Warwick and 97.9 in Stanthorpe, so there is precedent for the “Toowoomba-based” station to have a translator to the south.
As Mr Nerd says, great conversation here, have loved all your inputs and information.
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Indeed. Moccasins On Everyone in both towns 
Don’t forget the low powered 97.9 translator for Warragul in the Latrobe Valley…how does that fit in? I suppose its sole purpose is to cover Moe? I have always wondered about that. There is no FM relay for 3GG.
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