Though they’d probably have to pay to use someone’s else’s DAB spectrum, it’d be cheaper to keep their own that was attached to the AM licence?
As for Darwin, I vaguely recall them being allocated 101.7 with 8RPH callsign but most likely never switched on, they might have used that as a free back door entry to DAB there?
no mention of 101.7 or 8RPH on ACMA list.
It appears that VAR uses DAB bandwidth belonging to 8HOT/8MIX
Darwin
8RN 657 National V OD 2k -12 25 26 130 50 59 1198399
1242 HPON V OD 2k -12 25 26 130 50 59 1153482
8KNB 94.5 Community M OD 15k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1155777
8GGG 97.7 Community M DA 15k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1172081
8HOT 100.1 Commercial M DA 17k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1384928
8SBSFM 100.9 National M DA 18k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1198595
8PNN 102.5 National M DA 19k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1153014
8JJJ 103.3 National M DA 19k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1150182
8TFM 104.1 Community M OD 15k -12 22 26 130 52 4 1172355
8MIX 104.9 Commercial M DA 17k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1151946
8DDD 105.7 National V DA 1k -12 27 49 130 50 40 1150181
8DDD 105.7 National M DA 19k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1150181
8ABCFM 107.3 National M DA 19k -12 24 52 130 58 9 1150180
Darwin City
92.3 HPON V DA 100 -12 27 26 130 50 12 1152325
Darwin East
90.7 HPON V DA 100 -12 28 21 130 59 31 1171027
Darwin North
91.5 HPON M OD 100 -12 22 26 130 52 4 1152312
Found it
https://www.acma.gov.au/sites/default/files/2026-03/lic035_community_radio_broadcasting_licences.pdf
What was the function of those anyway?
bizarre! Maybe they’ve never used it and instead gone down the DAB route with capacity from ARN.
https://radioinfo.com.au/news/breakfast-of-champions-2sers-danny-chifley/
Breakfast of champions – 2SER’s Danny Chifley
This week brings to an end a four-year run on 2SER breakfast of one of the most creative and much-loved presenters the station has ever had.
I knew Danny a little bit via my work with the CBAA around 2011-2013. He used to man the phones and everyone in the sector seemed to know him and love him.
1179 is still on air playing music. Just a jukebox for nobody. Wonder how much longer?
I would expect a couple of weeks at least.
I wonder if it will stay on for as long as the DAB takes to get reallocated? I don’t suppose they could argue that the ‘parent’ analogue signal is now 99.5 Geelong. Cats fans certainly wouldn’t argue that.
Do we know if it’s full power or low power?
A little bit off-topic do you have the actual link to other documents such as updated commercial radio broadcasters.
Both 1179 and 1197 (Melbourne and Adelaide) were as of yesterday, I received both by groundwave during the day.
I listened on an SDR for a good while the other day and only after about three back-to-back(-to-back) songs did I finally hear the announcement that Vision Australia Radio was no longer available on this frequency. If the purpose is to get your listeners to retune, it’s doing a pretty ordinary job of that. As boring as they are, the short loops on repeat are exactly what should be broadcast on a frequency about to be turned off.
the announcements need to be at least after every song. Or by this stage just ditch the music and go with the announcements on constant loop.
Re Future of 98.5 Apple FM (3APL), from their website:
Dear valued listeners
In the time since it was announced that 3APL Apple 98.5fm (Bacchus Marsh Community Radio Inc) would be closing down there has been a push to keep us going. Since then there have been donations and fundraising events. As it stands all outstanding debts and bills have been paid so the station will not be ceasing to broadcast on Sunday July 5th as advertised
We are not out of the woods yet. There will be a meeting of the membership soon to discuss the future of the station. But for the moment, we’ll continue to broadcast.
There are still bills to pay in the near future. If you are able to, please donate to the radio station via the GoFuneMe campaign. Or email info@apple985fm.com.au to donate directly
www.gofundme.com/f/save-our-bacchus-marsh-community-radio-station
We’d like to thank everyone for their support and donations.
Thank you also to The Moorabool News, Melton and Moorabool Star, The Age, ABC Radio Melbourne, and ABC Radio Ballarat
Yay! That’s great news! Well done to all of those involved @darby_travers
3RPH on 1179 AM in Melbourne is now just a blank carrier.
5RPH Adelaide is off, so I’d assume that 3RPH is not far from being turned off also. I had to check from multiple SDRs in the Adelaide Hills as mine is receiving 4BI Brisbane.
