Austereo have had a few joint ventures over the years.
NXFM and KOFM in Newcastle were a joint venture between Austereo and RG Capital. RG Capital was bought out by Macquarie Regional RadioWorks in 2004. Macquarie rebranded to Southern Cross Media Group after they bought out Southern Cross Broadcasting in 2007. When Southern Cross launched a hostile takeover of Austereo in March 2011, the company was renamed Southern Cross Austereo in July 2011. As a result, NX and KO were now wholly owned by one company, instead of it being a joint venture.
Austereo also had a minority interest in TTT FM in Hobart back in the 90ās.
Back on topic, itās worth reading the ABAās Draft LAP + Discussion Paper for Canberra dated October 1998.
In October 1995, Capital Radio (who only owned 2CC at the time) proposed that the 3 FM channels available in Canberra should all be for commercial radio. However, less than two years in July 1997, Capital Radio changed its view, in which the 3 FM channels available should be assigned for community radio services instead.
Whatās also interesting from that paper is that the Tuggeranong translators were proposed to operate on the āBrisbaneā channels from 88.5 to 94.1 inclusive, and then 95.1 and 95.9. 92.1 was proposed for the HPON at Queanbeyan. The HPON at Williamsdale, then proposed for 107.7, has never materialised. 2QBN wanted to put a Williamsdale translator on 107.5 a few years ago but thatās never happened.
As we know the Tuggers translators occupy most of the remaining āCanberraā channels, including ones proposed for potential new Canberra wide commercial radio licences (99.1, 99.9, 100.7).
The incumbents love the Tuggers translators because it will mean no new competition on the fm band in Canberra unless one of the unused Tuggers frequencies get reallocated. (use it or loose it)
The best solution for Canberra is reallocate a frequency like 95.1MHz for commercial broadcasting, and give 2CA the option to convert to Fm, if they are not interested auction it off for someone new to enter the market. Canberra does not need anymore community stations, but it surely needs some new competition on fm.
Agree, and I wonder if the translators are still required? Does DAB cover that area adequately? If DAB coverage is adequate one could argue you donāt need FM translators.
Iāve been meaning to do a video showing reception from Black Mountain in Tuggeranong. On the lee slopes of Mount Taylor you would get multipath but other than that reception from Black Mountain is fine.
As has been said above, the translators act as a convenient bulwark against new entrants in the Canberra radio market. I note the same tired line about ācommercial viabilityā was trotted out in the 1998 draft LAP linked above.
From memory there are a couple of spots around Kambah under Mt Taylor where there is equivalent to Lake George shading and multipath but generally Black Mountain reception is fine through out the Tuggeranong area.
The Tuggeranong translators only purposes is to stop new competitors entering the Canberra market. Allowing 2CA to convert to fm or a new commercial fm station to commence would be the best thing for Canberra radio listeners.
Iād guess basically not (having been in the southern-most suburb Banks for a while) as isnāt most radio listening in the car anyway, where you donāt want to have to change frequencies when you leave the Tuggeranong area & have to switch to the main Canberra reception area, and if home happens to have poor reception you could stream anyway.
Iām not sure why they use more than one transmitter site for Tuggeranong either. Some of the translators are on Mount Taylor, others are on Tuggeranong Hill and Valley FM 89.5 has a transmitter on top of their studio in Erindale. I think one translator may be on Isaacs Ridge also.
Itās unsurprising that Valley FM canāt be heard much outside Tuggeranong, though it does sneak into the Jerrabomberra Wetlands carpark. I only hear ABCFM Goulburn here in Bungendore.
