Community Radio

Proposal to revise the temporary community broadcasting licence guidelines for radio – consultation 03/2021

Technological developments and changes in listener behaviours are affecting radio broadcasting services in Australia. Demand for use of radiofrequency spectrum to deliver radio broadcasting services is growing, and in many parts of Australia, spectrum is congested.

In May 2019, we released an issues paper to hear about the delivery of radio. We also wanted to consider whether there needed to be any changes to support radio services into the future. In March 2020, we published our Future delivery of radio report to the then Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts.

The report identified 4 broadcasting spectrum priority activities to help support radio and inform our planning and licence allocation activity, including temporary community broadcasting allocations.

Against this backdrop, we consider it timely to revise and clarify our current guidelines. We are inviting comments from interested stakeholders on proposed changes to the guidelines, which apply to community radio services.

1 Like

From 2BACR Facebook page.

*** IMPORTANT UPDATE ***

“We are experiencing technical difficulties at our transmitter site therefore you may not be able to listen to John’s program via radio 100.9 FM. However you can still listen via livestreaming at www.2BACR.com.au which remains uninterrupted. We will post to our Facebook page a recording of the segment with Keith and John later today. Apologies from all of us at 2BACR”

Joining us in the studio tomorrow (Thursday 11/2) is Keith Donnelly, local good samaritan and founder of Keith’s Closet. Tune into The Lunch Break Program with John Holden between noon and 2pm on Thursday to hear about Keith’s wonderful community project. 2BACR 100.9 FM or stream live at www.2bacr.com.au

More about Keith’s Closet …
https://www.facebook.com/KeithsCloset2019/

1 Like

http://www.wynfm.org.au/schedule.php

Look how much they air the Voice of America service, for an Australian community station, it’s such a bizarre choice, why not use the Community Radio Satellite feed?

4 Likes

i think it depends on if they can afford the crn shows

1 Like

If they can’t afford $610 a year, for a service with local stuff, and news (VOA news with American news, how is that relevant to Wyndham City in Melbourne??), they shouldn’t be on air.

5 Likes

I found out some interesting info from the HOPE 103.2 engineer (who does engineering audits for many religious stations around NSW) this morning, regarding 98.5 The Light in Albury.

Apparently the station was originally planned to be an AM station & the transmitter site was built as such, out in the flat countryside with a guyed mast, but they were then allocated an FM frequency & had to install a FM antenna on the mast.

Back in 2014 they applied to ACMA for a LAP change, to move the transmitter to Huon Hill, but they’re still waiting approval (things don’t happen fast at ACMA), they are hoping it will be finalised & they can have the new transmitter site up & running by the end of this year though.

6 Likes

It’s a poor allocation considering 3ONE Shepparton is just down the road.

its called one fm shepparton

That could explain why there’s an allocation for an AM HPON service on 1296 kHz in the Albury LAP if the AM service was never taken up by TheLight.

3 Likes

@dxnerd was referring to it’s callsign rather than on-air branding. It’s easily confused, particularly when a station identifies with only part of it’s callsign.

2 Likes

Yep, but I like to be a nerd and use the official callsign! It does help in a few situations such as distinguishing 2SEA Eden from Sea FM (4SEE) Sunshine Coast and 4SEA Gold Coast.

There is of course 2ONE in Katoomba also, now The Edge.

4 Likes

And 2CFM (SeaFM) Gosford.

4 Likes

Tuned in tonight to Harmony FM hawkesbury out of curiosity, and they’re playing the top 40 songs supposedly from this week in 1981. The announcer keeps on noting from this week, but it seemed to have been either the 18th or 25th Jan 1981. I thinks so, because I thought Antmusic was at number one this week in feb. So had to check this out, so what do you know, it was John Lennon at #1. So this week finally they put on a fresh countdown.

https://rateyourmusic.com/list/Badgerdarkness/australian-top-100-singles-09-february-1981/

Well, certainly love the music, can’t believe all that stuff from Blondie to Jona Lewie, and Dr Hook to John Lennon is 40 years old, anyway, the news and weather they were playing was also a few days old, somewhat of a laugh. This is considering they’re trying to get a license for the hawkesbury, but they have advertisers from Penrith to the Blue Mountains; heard a Katoomba business advertised on there a few weeks ago, so not sure what area they’re trying to get a license for.

3 Likes

Community Radio can be full of surprises.
Listening to 106.9 2VOX FM this morning I heard a station promo by Ray Burgess.

OMG. I recall that Aussie music artist from the 70’s on Countdown etc.
Not a name I’ve heard for some 30 years, nor can I recall hearing any of his music since the 70’s…

1 Like

@anonymousbroadcaster : I’d be interested to see what you think of my ‘Billy Bob’s Retro Countdown’ programme. I just play a selection of the Top 50 (or 100, where available) in a two hour slot. Would you happen to have access to the Top 100 for all weeks from 1979-2000? That would be a great help if so.

It airs Thursday afternoons 1300-1500 on Braidwood FM.

2 Likes

anonymousbroadcaster
It is very interesting reading your comments… Referring to Harmony FM, Harmony is on air for one day a week ONLY Wednesdays. Your comments indicating news and weather etc you would have listened on the web because we were not on air the day you spoke about actually three days before this. NOW we do not worry what goes to air from our web stream when we are not on the 89.9 spectrum for we only pay for the news for Wednesday. I have gone through the months on this site and I see you and another have some problem with Harmony it is clear, we think we know who you are. I am going to talk to admin here and my advice is to just lay off Harmony FM. Graham ‘Spider’ Webb 67 years as a broadcaster on television and radio.

2 Likes

Community radio at its finest, old man threatening people.

7 Likes

Anyone else here listen to 99.7 Bridge FM 80s show on a Saturday night? Wow the depth of songs is amazing. Too many forgotten classics and rare tracks to list - but I absolutely love it. Even left the radio on low while drifting off to sleep last night as I was enjoying it so much. Haven’t done that since the 90s.

2 Likes

You can see their log here (link correct as of Sunday 28th Feb): 99.7 Bridge FM playlist

1 Like