When is the turn off date for 963?
Guess 4WK will be covering NSW more at night when this occurs
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At this stage got no idea when 963 Triple M Limestone Coast will be switched off, because broadcasting on the station’s new frequency 90.5FM hasn’t even started yet. Though May there were frequent ads saying the move to 90.5 will happen on June 8th, it didn’t happen, then I messaged them on Facebook & the local announcer replied saying to move has been delayed to June 20th, again nothing.
Test transmissions on 90.5 occurred on June 15th & 16th, but nothing since then, ads promoting the change are still regularly airing but instead of giving a date, they are just mentioning “coming soon”. When 90.5 officially starts there will be a 28 day simulcasting period, after which I’m guessing 963 will be switched off for good.
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You still have 2RG Griffith to contend with.
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There’s not only Triple M (2RG) Griffith but also Triple M (6TZ) Bunbury on 963. Griffith is by far the dominant signal through most of NSW at night; I very rarely hear much from 5SE as it is. 4WK has always struggled in behind Griffith.
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Ahhh yeah that right… Silly me 
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90.5 turns on Monday 3rd. 963 will turn off 7th August.
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What’s the coverage like?
I drove around town for a bit earlier this morning, the reception around Mt Gambier is pretty good for the most part, I noticed the stereo indicator briefly flickered once, the transmitter is at Mt Burr, which is around 50km’s NE of Mt Gambier & only 11km’s E of the town of Millicent, so the reception is probably stronger in Millicent than Mt Gambier. Keen to test out how far the signal reaches when I drive to Adelaide later this year, including seeing how good the car reception is in Naracoorte.
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Good to know, I recall getting weak 96 1 in Warrnambool last year, probably less likely coming from Mt Burr now. 90.5 is also used at Terang (east of Warrnambool too).
But I also get reasonable reception of 96.1 with RDS at Victor Harbour in 2019 too, I imagine that should still be the case from Mt Burr too.
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Their web page still mentions 963 as their frequency.
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That’s correct, you know how slow SCA are at updating there web pages! but at least they have already changed it on the LisTNR app.
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I was wondering whether that was still on air. It will get hammered by 5SE during any slight tropo lift. I think 90.5 Terang runs Vision though, so no great loss…
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It was on air when i was out that way in June 2022.
In theory, only about 5kW in that direction from 5SE antenna and distance between sites of around 225kms vs Vision with only 200W & given terrain between 5SE antenna & Terang locality; I could easily imagine during the strong & regular tropo that occurs in that region that reception of 90.5 Vision would be affected in the fringe to semi-local areas of Vision. I think looking at the terrain there would be normal fringe 5SE reception easily up to 95kms from 5SE tx towards Terang.
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TRIPLE M LIMESTONE COAST MOVES TO FM SIGNAL ON 90.5 FM
Triple M Limestone Coast will move to the FM dial this month, broadcasting from a new frequency at 90.5 FM.
5SE Limestone Coast, as Triple M was then known, was switched on at 963AM at 7:30pm Saturday 3 July, 1937. Since then, the station has transitioned to Triple M and remained on its AM frequency, until now.
Triple M will still continue to provide its Limestone Coast, South Australian listeners will all their ‘Good Times and Greatest Hits’ show favourites, including Triple M Breakfast with Ewan Grant, The Marty Sheargold Show, The Rush Hour with Bernie Blewey and Jars, Triple M Footy and more.
SCA Head of Regional Content, Blair Woodcock, said: “It’s an exciting day to have the Limestone Coasts 90.5 Triple M switch on. Being a part of this community’s rich history over the past 75 years hasn’t disappeared because of the switch to FM; this transition now means we can continue to engage and connect with the community for many decades to come.”
SCA Limestone Coast General Manager, Patrick O’Donnell, said: “The move to the FM frequency is exciting news for our Triple M listeners on the Limestone Coast with the upcoming change to FM delivering that quality sound we have been waiting for. Our great local station, from its beginnings as 5SE then transforming to 963 Triple M, will now continue on 90.5 through the FM dial. All our listeners’ favourite Triple M shows and music will be at their new home of 90.5 from this month.”
The 963AM frequency will cease transmission from 7 August 2023.
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They also switched from 1296 to 963 in the early 1980s, not sure why given 1296 is a clearer frequency (with only Brisbane and Wagin WA to compete with at night).
963 is more crowded with Warwick QLD, Griffith NSW and to a lesser extent Bunbury WA all sharing it).
Edit: Maybe it was so Radio National could use 1305 in the Riverlands?
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1305 wasn’t used for an ABC Riverland radio service until around 1988-89, in which the local ABC radio service 5MV moved to that frequency from 1593. On a side note, 5MV later moved to 1062, with 1305 taken up by RN.
Source: ABC 1988-89 Annual Report
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5SE opened on 1360 KHz (221 m) in 1937.
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So a wavelength of 224 metres translates to a frequency of 1340 kilohertz (pre the 1978 9 khz spacing change).