you better get the webmaster to change the programs on ur website 
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The Minister for Communications visited Braidwood FM a while ago, mainly for a photo op but also to acknowledge our bushfire coverage. There are also government grants we can apply for. However, community radio is generally more than arms length away from government- a good thing generally.
As to the substance of your question, I really donāt think community radio has much clout politically. Which is a shame; as I argued previously it should be a national treasure. At the end of the day many people think community radio is a luxury, a somewhat frivolous pastime for those involved. Certainly not in the same league as schools and even churches. Iād argue religious groups massage the ego more than community radio stations, but thatās my opinion only.
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It does: The Darby Travers Show.
Simple as that.
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Agree with your views @dxnerd.
Community radio perhaps needs to be more persuasive with lobbying.
You could analogise religious groups and community radio to that of the wine sector compared to all other alcohol categories who donāt have as favourable an ear with the govt.
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Not to mention the gambling sector. Want a high powered horse racing station in a market where there are few FM frequencies available? No wuckers.
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Interesting points, and I largely agree. I guess Iād just thought, the politicians I know/have worked with generally make a point of getting involved with or attending meetings at a lot of community groups - religious/education ones primarily, but also things like Probus/Lions clubs etc, mainly to get their face out there in voterland. I just wonder why local community radio stations with similar levels of local engagement (theoretically) might not gather the same attention politically.
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I suspect, $$$$$$$
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Not to mention old blokes who didnāt make it in commercial radio living out their fantasies.
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Maybe before but now its old blokes who commercial radio has burntā¦ Look around the community world, Heaps of ex-commercial radio announcers!
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We have Pete Diskon ex 2EC; he also does a few shows on 2EAR FM. He is actually based in Batemans Bay.
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Even some ex ABC people too. Debbie Spillane was with us at 2BBB for a few years.
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Yes indeed. You could also add Andrew Dunkley ex ABC Western Plains who is now heard on Dubboās DCFM 88.9
Andrew also hosts the popular weekly astronomy themed podcast; āSpace Nutsā with Professor Fred Watson.
As for ex commercial broadcasters thereās also Mike Jeffries (ex 2UE/2CC etc) currently being heard on community aspirant Pulse FM (Hawkesbury, NSW) on Sunday afternoons.
Community Radio is lucky to have these guys freely giving their time on air during their later/twilight years.
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Kev Kellaway ex 2KO Newcastle who is now on 2NUR FM here is another.
He also did voiceovers for NBN Television.
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First time I heard her was the weekend news/sports updates on 2Day FM during the Summer of 87 88, she was on Newsradio for quite a wile. Is she still doing radio?
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Isānt it Strange that Hamilton in Western Victoria has around 9,000 Residents but no Community Radio Station of their Own.
A lot of towns and small cities around Australia with the same situation
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Ipswich QLD is the one that boggles my mind. Yes it has a local commercial station (playing a playlist heard all across the east coast) but for a community so distinct from others it has no community station. Every other LGA in SEQ has or did have one.
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Web streamer West Bremer Radio has tried to pick up the slack.
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ACMA has released its consultation paper this week in regards to 4CRB Gold Coast wanting to change its community of interest from āsenior citizensā to āgeneralā.
See: https://www.acma.gov.au/consultations/2022-08/changing-4crbs-community-interest-consultation-272022
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What a fascinating indictment on the ACMA (and the agencies before them). Commercial, community, national: a station should be free from interference within its service area. I wonder whether Life FM (105.1) or Phoenix (106.7) have ever been wiped out by the high-powered Melbourne stations on those frequencies? In car, Life - and presumably Phoenix - drops out well before Kyneton where 3MMM blasts in.
Speaking of Kyneton: drove up to Bendigo on Sunday afternoon and caught some of Fresh 101.5. In quite a long sponsorship block, I noticed several sponsors based in Kyneton. Felt quite unusual on first thought, but consulting the RRL and sure enough, Kyneton is within Bendigo RA4.
Looking at the maps further raises some anomalies:
- As you might expect, Bendigo RA1 (Hit 91.9, MMM 93.5) has the widest footprint, with the licence area extending north to the Murray River - encompassing Echuca and Kerang - as far west as St Arnaud and Maryborough in the south. It stops short of Daylesford, yet the spa town is included in Bendigo RA2 (Vision Aus 88.7).
- Bendigo RA4 (Fresh 101.5) encircles but does not serve Daylesford. Uniquely, it does however cover Woodend - home of Highlands FM.
- Bendigo RA5 (Life 105.1, Phoenix 106.7) is limited largely to Bendigo and surrounding suburbs, stopping short of Marong to the west and, perhaps short-sightedly, the rapidly growing Huntly to the north. The smaller licence area at least makes sense when considering the frequency choices for these services, co-channeling with high-powered Melbourne FMs.
- Bendigo RA3 (KLFM 96.5) is most peculiar: another frequency not in line with other Bendigo services, yet with a wider area to the west and east of the Bendigo urban area than Bendigo RA5, along with the enclaved inclusion of Castlemaine - albeit one that requires the 106.3 repeater.
The precedent of DAB+ in Hobart suggests that, should the rollout ever extend into Bendigo, all five community stations would be eligible for spectrum on that multiplex, with the service area matching that of Bendigo RA1. For Life and Phoenix, this would represent a significant extension to their current licence area; for Fresh and Vision, this would at least theoretically be a reduction on their FM service area (in excluding Woodend and Daylesford respectively).
And this is before we even venture into Maryboroughā¦
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