Broadcast Facilities

Australia’s tallest and oldest TV tower will be no more. Sad :frowning: Howcome the Willoughby tower has never been used for radio or DVB in the last decade? Do Artarmon and Gore Hill provide better coverage of Sydney?

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Wonder how I missed that other post & why a search didn’t show it up?

The Willoughby tower is used for DVB (DTV), it’s used for at least 1 hour per week, per channel when they do Disaster Recovery Tests, & if there’s any issues or tower works at Artarmon it is used for extended periods.

Yes Gore Hill & Artarmon give better coverage of Sydney than Willoughby, & there’s no Radio infrastructure on the tower.

It hasn’t been used for DAB since DAB+ started back in 2007 (I think), because Artarmon was chosen as the DAB+ site for better coverage, & DAB+ don’t have any main backup/alternate sites.

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Just a question, but is the BCV8 Bendigo studios still occupied by Southern Cross?

I believe so. Google still has them located there along with Hit and Triple M.

Interestingly postal address is PO box 888, bet they’ve had that one a while.

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Just going through google myself. This is my current understanding for Victoria’s local stations.

AMV4 (Albury) - has now been converted into a church
BTV6 (Ballarat) - still occupied by WIN
BCV8 (Bendigo) - still occupied by Southern Cross
GLV8/10 (Traralgon) - Abounded, 1 building remains on site.
STV8 (Mildura) - still occupied by WIN
GMV6 (Shepparton) - completely demolished. I believe this has been replaced on site by another broadcast facility?

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Meriton’s homage to the ATN-7 studios on Mobbs Lane, Epping - Seven St. Now occupied by the Epping Park by Meriton apartment buildings.

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The GLV building was demolished some time ago. I do believe a car dealership now stands where it used to be. A childcare centre is now on the site of the old GMV building in Shepparton.

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Regarding GLV8/10. There is still one large building remaining on top of the hill. I believe that structure has been there since the station opened.

This is the building that can be seen

From google maps

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I imagine the “Seven Street” address sign in that pic is also a homage to ATN-7.

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Yeah, that’s what meant.

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What else is there in that pic which could be a homage to Seven?

Sorry @littlegezzybear I didn’t read your post properly.

Though they could have had a side street called “Weakest Link” or “Controversy Corner”, or set up a medical centre called “Country Practice”.

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That would be great if it was the case!!!

Google and the North Sydney council website led me to find that TX Australia has a current approval to install digital television and digital radio antenna on the existing tower on the roof of 101 Miller St, North Sydney. The development application was approved in January 2019. The development consent PDF:

https://www.google.com/url?sa=t&source=web&rct=j&url=https://www.northsydney.nsw.gov.au/files/sharedassets/public/webconsents/2019/feb_21_2019_1200am/approved_development_applications_21_feb_2019/359_18_101_miller_street_north_sydney_st.pdf&ved=2ahUKEwjRy8f--ObnAhXiV3wKHWH-AHgQFjAFegQIBRAB&usg=AOvVaw2-EWdAZxKOXmtPcYwgHXrI

An excerpt from the plans on the North Sydney council website. You can find the plans if you search for 101 Miller St in the development section. It’s not possible to post a link to the DA page.

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101 Miller St is also where C31 Sydney used to transmit from before it moved to the ABC Tower at Gore Hill in June 2002.

At my home location near Campbelltown, back when the external TV antenna was inside the roof (as opposed to outside), I couldn’t get C31 very well, whereas all the major Sydney channels from Artarmon/Gore Hill/Willoughby were received fine. After C31 moved to Gore Hill, I could get it quite well.

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I couldn’t see any info on how tall the tower would be, but I dare say any new VHF/DAB services on it will be at a greater height than what C31 was.

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According to this page, 101 Miller St (Optus Plaza) is 120m tall when measured to the roof. When including its existing antenna, it rises to 156m above ground level.

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The plan was to use the existing tower, so no apparent change in height it seems. Another excerpt from the plans:

Maybe this could change, if TX Australia perhaps now wants it higher??

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Yes the old Optus Tower/Building.
It’s also from where 98.5 Radio 2OOO TX.

I thought Radio Austral on 87.8 also TX’d from there in Nth Sydney (one of their sites) - might have to recheck that…
UPDATE: Diff. ACMA site ID, but same address in theory as TX precision is unknown.
So if not located there, could be nearby…

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