What’s that?
Top End Aboriginal Bush Broadcasting Association. Basically an aggregated network of old RIBS (Remote Indigenous Broadcasting Stations).
Some of those TEABBAs have been received in Japan via TEP so put out reasonable power.
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ABC now relaying the local radio program on their AM RN frequency of 657AM. I guess a fail-safe in case 105.7 goes off-air, and maybe an opportunity to expand coverage across the top end?
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Looking at ACMA listing 8DDD also has a backup FM transmitter at the ABC studios 1kw compared to the main 19k transmitter. 8RN is 2kw and could act as another back up; probably only have potential to get out further than the FM transmitter at night.
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Interesting! Good to know the ABC can take them over to get coverage out when needed.
Was in car Saturday evening and streamed some of the ABC Darwin coverage, there were many mentions in the hour I listened of brief outages of the FM signal, hence the AM simulcast.
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New sign installed at Gillieston Heights (Maitland) that listed both 1233 Newcastle and 702 Sydney
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Looks like it is all on FM with some good music. Enjoying some of the tracks.
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Why mention 702 Sydney in the Hunter? Unless 1233 is out and they can’t switch to JJJ or Classic FM or one of the other AM frequencies…surely you’d think if the shit hits the fan, you’d switch JJJ or Classic FM to local emergency radio.
It does boom into the area.
Yeah, on the old ABC coverage maps they used to have on their website, I think the fringe coverage for 702 went as far as Muswellbrook/Scone and down to Canberra. Here in Bungendore 702 is quite listenable as long as you’re away from the RF soup of the town centre and not under powerlines.
If we ever have a national emergency, the large AM transmitters would be needed.
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When I went to Darwin / Cairns it was a challenge to get 702 am. In NZ I could get it in the south island. It’s one of those frequencies I like to try where ever I go. It was hard in Malaysia as where I went wasn’t good for any AM Stations and I think that’s a bit too far away without special equipment. Although in other parts of Asia I listened to Radio Australia on shortwave. It’s been quite a few years since I have been abroad.
5AN seems to get out the best overseas. It’s been heard well in Indonesia and was by far and away the strongest Aussie station into Grayland Washington when I tried the node earlier this year.
1152 NewsRadio Busselton also gets out very well towards Asia and Europe, logged very frequently in Finland.
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TfNSW are installing the ABC frequency signage extensively across the state now. Looks like almost complete coverage of the state now - I’ve seen them everywhere, even on minor highways and rural roads.
My main criticism would be that it doesn’t tell you to specifically seek out ABC Local Radio (as opposed to RN, NewsRadio, Classic or JJJ), or include the name of the local radio region for people who would want to listen on digital devices (via mobile apps or on DAB in metropolitan areas) - it’s just ‘listen to the ABC’.
Surprised the commercials haven’t kicked up a stink about their stations not being listed.
the ABC is the designated emergency services broadcaster, though?
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It is, and rightly so. But, you know how the commercial sector is…
“bUt We BrOaDcAsT EmErGeNcY iNfOmAtIoN tOO! wE DEsErVe To Be On ThE SiGn!”
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TfNSW are installing them on all state roads - there are a couple of variations to the sign too (for multiple stations and FM)
I noticed recently quite a number in the Hunter Valley had both 1233 AM and 702 AM
Given there are signs with multiple frequencies listed, listing specific regions becomes tricky. They’re also not designed to be ‘advertising’ for the ABC either - they’re designed to direct you to a specific frequency for that area in the event of an emergency.
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I’m guessing that they don’t want the additional responsibility (and therefore cost) of a minimum obligation to run emergency information when they’d otherwise be running automated content or networked programming (the US requires it, hence they have their EAS system which breaks into programming automatically).
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I really wish we had a system like that here in Australia, that was one of my ideas to help with emergency information after Black Summer. Speaking of the signs, I did see one of those near Jamberoo a few weeks ago displaying “97.3 FM”.