I can’t see that happening. 2HC 639AM has a very poor penetration into Coffs Harbour and in some places 531 from Kempsey comes in stronger. At Woolgoolga/North Coffs 2GF booms in so you can hear the 2SM programs on other channels. I was a fan of putting the FM program onto 2HC for those reasons plus the fact that ratings plummeted from over 4% in breakfast to less than 2% when Marcus Paul was on. A local breakfast program was always my wish but it is not my train set.
There is also mention elsewhere in the thread alluding to Mr Caralis not liking to spend money on FM conversions. I don’t see why the writer would say that because he has already heavily invested in conversions on 2GF and 2RE and soon 2MG plus many more in the planning. He has also championed for in-fill FM translators in many smaller markets at huge cost for the benefit of listeners.
That’s assuming they convert “lame AM” stations as is. The option is there to create a brand new FM station with a different format - which I think is more likely in competitive markets.
I think the Canberra market is interesting. Would they need to switch off the repeaters. Would they need to move the transmitter tower to get good coverage of Tuggeranong and Canberra. I am not sure if move the existing radio transmitter tower to Mount Taylor or Tuggeranong Hill in the south would it cover the north adequately? Canberra should have more commercial stations on FM similar to Wollongong. Unlike Wollongong there are zero am commercial stations.
A few of the Tuggeranong repeater frequencies would almost certainly have to be sacrificed for more high powered FM in Canberra. The obvious choices are 95.1 and 103.1, but even those frequencies have problems. Both of these are allocated to Tuggeranong (for 2XX and SBS, I think?) These have never got to air, so ‘use it or lose it’ applies here. 2BS gets in pretty well via tropo and would cause interference, particularly on the fringes of Canberra. 103.1 is clearer but you’d probably need to move the (s)hit repeater at Tumut which is currently on air there. Tumut doesn’t get into Canberra but you can hear the Canberra stations in Tumut and especially Batlow.
Frequencies in between Tuggeranong and Queanbeyan outlets such as 97.1 and 99.5 may also have to be used. Again this might involve moving some low powered stations such as Young and Tumut . 99.5 is already used as a TCBL frequency in Canberra for Radio Ramadan.
There’d be more options if you just did away with the Tuggers repeaters entirely (99.1 comes to mind). 97.5 is another good option if you get rid of Kix Country.
Even so, the stations listed are owned by some pretty bland operators. Most won’t change a great deal because of how well they slot into their existing networks. 3GG and one of the Canberra stations are the best chance of trying something different (albeit 3GG has a pretty small space to work with between TRFM, Gold, Triple M and the Melbourne stations), but even then Kevin won’t give them anywhere near enough resources to do out and do something really innovative. Especially in Canberra, SCA/ARN will go hard and outspend them on promotions and marketing if they even attempt to launch a new station.
3GG and one of the Canberra AMs should go for a smooth-style format - it’s the only real format gap that a mainstream FM could chase.
I wonder if 3GG converts to FM with a Greatest Hits or Smooth format, then does SCA revert Triple M Gippsland back to Hit?
No chance I’d say - think they’re happy to not be slammed by TRFM in that format.
It would be nice if you can’t put the FM program on 2HC to maybe go to a solid gold/classic hits format which is badly needed on the North Coast.
I’d love to see 2GF go more music based now it’s on FM but I can’t see that happening soon 
How bad is the reception there of the main freq? Is there a lot of multipath? Is it similar to WS FM at Penrith and Campbelltown? I was wondering if not using Telstra tower (or whatever they call it these days) might help cover both the south and north of the populated areas of Canberra.
I disagree. Canberra needs a rock station! Capital Rock.
Unless you’re right up against the Mount Taylor ridgeline (which is the geographical barrier between Tuggers and Woden/Civic) you get the Black Mountain FMs quite OK in most parts of Tuggers.
I wonder if you put the FM Blowtorches on Mount Taylor how well that will serve the ACT? It would be interesting how many people in Canberra actually do knowingly tune into the repeaters. I am sure most of the stations don’t mention their repeater’s frequencies. Only radio nerds probably know.
The only case “normal people” may use the frequency is in the car with the RDS doing its magic.
2GCR Goulburn on 103.3 probably would need to move as well.
I think having NewsRadio on FM in Canberra is a waste.
Is it possible for Capital to do a frequency swap? Have NewsRadio on 1206 for example?
Possibly, but there’s only 200 kHz separating 88.7 Goulburn from 88.9 Braidwood, so it can be done. There’s now also 107.7 GN and 107.9 Yass.
Opening up 103.9 to either 2CA or 2CC would make sense too. It’s an idea that’s been floated on here before. You could Kix the country station off 97.5 to convert both of the AMs. Kix could probably go on AM too like in the Southern Highlands, retaining its DAB service and perhaps getting a few FM LPONs in Queanbeyan and Canberra as a quid pro quo.
I’m not sure what to do about 2CN: the Devil’s station and its 666 frequency is quite iconic in Canberra.
While I agree a proper rock station would be great, I can’t see it happening. We don’t even have any proper rock stations in the big state capital cities. Triple M isn’t a rock station. The only commercial operators doing rock stations these days are Rebel, Power 100 and B-Rock. It’s a real pity because “proper” rock stations still rate really well in North America and New Zealand, but we’ll never really know if they would/should work here because nobody has given it a shot in a metro market for 20 years. It’s quite sad.
Isn’t part of ACT / NSW considered remote 
? Maybe Breeze / Rebel can get a frequency… Braidwood doesn’t have adequate reception from any commercial station when I was there. Sure you can get a weak Goulburn/Canberra FM signal. @dxnerd would be happy.
Sadly I don’t think remote ACT and SE NSW are in either the Remote Northern (Rebel/Breeze) or Remote Central (Flow FM) zones. @TV-Expert will know more. There are certainly areas like Numeralla and Countegany where some houses have VAST.
A cheeky Rebel on Mount Ginini (in the Brindabellas) would go down well 
That is correct.
I have found that too, there was one street in Kambah under Mt Taylor where Canberra fm reception from Black Mountain was almost non existent even on a car radio.
Two options to allow for fm conversions of 2CA / 2CC.
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Move the Tuggeranong translators 400khz off the Canberra frequencies e.g 102.7 103.5 104.3 etc.
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Shut down the Tuggeranong translators all together and promote dab+ instead.
95.9 and 100.7 would be my pick of frequencies, provided Kix Country Goulburn can find a new frequency.