There’s also 96.5 in Brisbane. I’m not sure whether they were always a religious station but it definitely is now.
1 Like
Yes - this is what their licence was granted for.
2 Likes
And 96five lately (as I’m sure had been mentioned above at some point) is a bit of an interesting question, given they are operated in the same group as Hope 103.2 now (roughly half the directors of Hope Media sit on the Family Radio board, which remains legally separate). I’m not exactly doubting the localism of most of 96.5’s schedule and it’s not quite the same as a sub-metro licence - they are, after all, fulfilling the same mission, so to speak - but I’m not quite sure that was intended. 
4 Likes
The audio drop-out problem with 89.3 2GLF has gone from bad to worse.
Been an issue for a while now.
No reports on their Facebook pages since Jan 8th re the power problem.
Might be an stereo encoder/processor fault as the stereo pilot disappears with the loss of audio.
4 Likes
I guess one other slight surprise looking at 96five’s site is, conversely to Sonshine, they’re leaning away from the “Family” branding, having dropped it from their logo.
Changing to “Family Radio” (as per their association name) would be problematic, as that’d be confused with the late Harold Camping’s US network - he of the “the rapture/end of the world will happen in 2012” fame/infamy.
And as much as I’m sure some at the Sydney sistership would love to call it “Hope 96five” to align the branding… that would look waaay more sus than now.
2 Likes
I’m not a fan of the Hope/96five connection but it’s not without precedent: Vision Australia owns RPH services across Victoria, New South Wales, South Australia and Western Australia now.
2 Likes
Yeah, VA Radio is the other good example - and likewise, for sure… it’s offering a service that would’ve otherwise been lost in many states (certainly in the case of RPH services) so it’s not exactly a bad thing.
There’s a fair question as to whether they should be seen as narrowcast or community in some cases, but I think for either example it’s merely a matter of semantics (they’re both licensed for an audience of interest after all), especially as it’s unlikely in this environment to be replaced by anything else.
So, totally, mind my nitpicking; I’m usually too good with that sometimes 
2 Likes
For me I think it’s the how these “Christian” stations are being run, is what rubs me up the wrong way.
For example if the Vision Australia/RPH radio stations ran a format of all talk that was akin to 2GB or 3AW, they could argue that it was for the blind but it would come across a bit fake and like they had a different agenda in mind.
Likewise with the “Christian” stations, if they were all run like Rhema Newcastle or Air1 in the US or even Alternative like RadioU or Boost1019 (HipHop), then I would have no issue, but it’s the Top40 playlist with 1 or 2 Christian hits littered through out but not enough to scare away the listeners, that’s what is wrong, and ACMA should take a hard line to it and say they need to adhere to there designated format.
I doubt listeners of 2MFM would want to hear Bruno Mars so why does Hope103.2 do it……
Edit: it’s not like ACMA don’t enforce guidelines on community stations, look at FBi Radio they have restrictions on the music they can play as long as your arm
5 Likes
Apart from the obvious money grab…
But if Rhema in Newcastle can seemingly survive in a much smaller market on a more pure Christian format, then there’s no reason Hope can’t do the same.
It would be interesting to see how Hope’s total revenue earnings compares to other stations like FBi, 2SER and Fine Music.
2 Likes
There is no comparison, Hope have 2 or 3 radiothon’s per year & get, give or take a bit, around $700,000 to $1 million each time, plus all the sponsorship & memberships funds, and the station will use all this a maybe more each year in operating expenses. The annual reports the tech has to make to the CEO are more than the commercial stations, TXA has to tell them how we maintain the tower to make sure it doesn’t fall down & take them off air, is just one thing they have to know.
There’s big money & costs at HOPE, they’d get & use more money than all the other stations you listed combined each year.
3 Likes
I’d have to somewhat agree.
Either they are just coincidentally much more profitable/have a larger supporter base, or they are run differently to other community stations.
Eg: Hope103.2 sounds a lot more commercial than 2RDJ or Radio Skid Row (whom both do an excellent job serving the community).
Are there a different set of standards for a Christian radio station, separate to community stations?
2 Likes
I wouldn’t have thought so.
Otherwise there probably needs to be a separate licence type … ‘community’ and ‘Christian community’… with the relevant conditions set out under each.
My guess is that Hope have more paid staff, whereas the others rely mostly on volunteers?
3 Likes
Brisbane Family Radio originally had to wait a long time to get a licence when the Keating Government gave a licence to the Aboriginal Broadcasting Association in preference to them. A couple of ABC staffers got the place going initially and after that I lost touch with them. I am guessing they may have gone bust at some stage and that’s how Hope from Sydney became involved. One of those ABC staffers also got the shortwave transmitter back on the air at Cox Peninsula a few years later.
Community radio is a pretty marginal financially in a lot of places now.
3 Likes
As mentioned previously, Hope Media is not only in a co-mission agreement with 96five in Brisbane, but also Salt 1065 on the Sunshine Coast and Juice 1073 on the Gold Coast too. So there are 4 stations that are generally connected to one another.
5 Likes
That comes as no surprise - the ability of a committee to look after things like broadcast plant and equipment and abide by codes of practice and broadcasting acts was always very limited. I often wondered how some community stations managed to maintain things like playout servers which are easily trashed by well meaning amateurs too.
2 Likes
Yeah something ain’t right… all in the name of Jebus tho they will claim 
.
Someone really needs to take a second look into them, just another tentacle of the church over reaching for the unsuspecting wallets of the community guised under the name of the good lord… let’s HOPE the ACMA take note and go do what they need to do… then again not holding my breath.
3 Likes
Seriously how much more money does Hillsong need… surely they would have enough to plant their foot in hard in the commercial FM market…
1 Like
Does BayFM Brisbane have any connections at all to Christian radio stations?
1 Like
I don’t believe so
I talk to Hope 103.2 tech ok the odd occasion and he is a quite a nice bloke but Yeah I have never understood how that is allowed
Yeah it seems the happy clappers are untouchable and buggered if I can work out why
5 Likes
Because any government is too afraid to touch them… and in the case of Scomo he even partakes in the delusion
3 Likes