How utterly ridiculous that a town like Bendigo has five different radio licence areas. I can get the need for maybe two - a wider area one and a narrow area one focusing on town - but five is just excessive.
4 Likes
And by comparison, the community stations on the Gold Coast all serve the same area as the main commercials, which is entirely sensible.
This change would seem to make sense. 94.1 is a pure music station (really a quasi-commercial) that specifically targets an older demographic, why compete for listeners there? The programming on 4CRB is entirely different in that they do provide a more general format with talk, interviews etc as well as music. Unless them doing this is a sign of further changes to their format to come?
2 Likes
The ACMA trying to justify its existence?!
I agree, there is no need for such bureaucracy.
1 Like
Speaking of 94.1 - will they ever get a permanent licence? What is it with just a temporary transmitter licence?
2 Likes
āGeneralā makes no sense for a market as large as the Gold Coast. Hopefully the ACMA rejects this and if the license has slipped into āgeneralā content, that they are required to shift back.
I can understand a āgeneralā community license in a small town - where the localism is in contrast to region wide services, or where it is the only community station thus doing a ābits of everythingā format thatās tough to listen to all the time, but allows all voices on air.
In a market with as many stations as Gold Coast, both community and commercial, all should be focused on a niche group that is underserved by commercial and national radio - āpeopleā isnāt a niche group in a city of 500k.
2 Likes
94.1 would be a good frequency for a new high powered commercial FM service for Brisbane - either a new service or an AM conversion.
3 Likes
Actually the population of Gold Coast metro is now 720k.
1 Like
Agreed. Move the GC community licence to 93.7 and move Rebel Canungra to 91.3 with specs given so as not to cause interference with ABC in Northern NSW.
3 Likes
Iāve installed a new audio processor for Koori Radio Sydney in the last few days, so the FM has a new sound, the FMās still fed off their DAB+ transmission though, so itās the best I can get it.
2MBS are also getting closer to moving transmission to Artarmon, theyāre moving their smaller backup TX on Monday, & will get that up & running probably over the next week, using that temporarily at a reduced normal power, while they move their main TX to Artarmon, then once thatās set up will be from Artarmon at full power, Iād expect that to happen before the end of October.
They really are serious about broadcast too, they have more redundancy than some of the commercial stations. Their STL runs across 2 fibres, (different providers & different routes between studio & transmitter), & also have 4G backup on one of them, they can also switch multiple transmitters to multiple places, including a backup alternate antenna, (still only a provision at Artarmon).
7 Likes
Thanks for the update, i had suspected 2MBS hadnāt yet moved as when I was down at Chatswood earlier in the week that 2MBS and 2SER were the weakest of the Sydney wide community stations from there.
4 Likes
Somethingās happened to their audio feed in the last hour or so though. Very faint audio. Hopefully they can invest in a quality direct audio feed in near future. They often have audio problems. Another step in the right direction for them with the new audio processor 
UPDATE: Audio restored at 1.35pm
Noted 92.1 2MFM carrying a DW English program titled; āIn Good Shapeā running a little past scheduled 1pm finish according to website schedule.
4 Likes
The redundancies explain why 2MBS so very rarely goes off air; I can only recall them doing so once, in about 2008. There was a big CBD wide power outage which also knocked out Koori Radio and Skid Row from memory. Luckily tropo conditions were OK and I received Power FM Bega.
4 Likes
Except they didnāt buy it, TXA bought it & still own it, unless they decide to pay for it.
HOPE 103.2 wanted their processor back, that was on loan to TXA for Kooriās use.
3 Likes
Koori radio sounds fantastic since the upgrade. Iāve found the reception quality has also improved, as itās not fading out like it used to.
2 Likes
Driving along the M7 today I thought I was in Goulburn!!! SWR Fmās transmitter is spitting out some decent intermodulation at the moment.
It is from 98.3 mhz and was even cochanneling with 2ST on 102.9, and cutting over the top of it near the transmitter site.
101.5 was the frequency that suffered the worst intermod.
The intermodulation was received between the Elizabeth Drive interchange and Wallgrove Rd, it was at itās worst near the transmitter site.
This is the first time I have noticed this issue, and my car radio has quite a good tuner, so the intermod must be quite significant.
@matt86 are you still associated with SWR Fm?
3 Likes
Another thing I have also noticed since @anon71206228 installed the new audio processor for Koori, it is has significantly reduced the over deviation onto 93.5. Before this it was quite significant and would even register a stereo signal at times. This made dxing Eagle fm very difficult. There is still some slight adjacent channel interference but that can be expected with a 50KW fm station 30Km away.
5 Likes
Yes I am and Iām overdue to go up to the transmitter. It has always done that in the overload zone very close to it (never as far as Elizabeth Drive) but Iāll now be keeping a close eye on it to make sure it hasnāt suddenly increased. By chance I only went past it on the M7 Sunday night listening to 2ST on the way home from down south and it was only just slightly noticeable in one spot. I know it does the same thing on 104.5.
SWR is currently doing a complete rebuild of the studios and broadcasting from a temporary facility using the old studio 2 equipment and standby PIE gear, so the volunteer hours have all gone into that lately.
@Ant5476 thankyou for reporting
7 Likes
@matt86 does SWR still limit power to the south? To avoid interference with NewsRadio in Goulburn and it might be or is outside of SWR licence area.
2 Likes
Please boost the signal towards Parramatta/Rydalmere 
the work radio here is tuned to it and it can be a bit finicky.
3 Likes
@Petarkco I second that , yes can you please also boost it to Pennant Hills I have to use the internet radio here most of the time. Triple H fights with it too.
2 Likes