You maybe?
I can see it now…
Cranky FM, where there’s never a dull moment.
There’s not enough mental institutions or resting places for the amount of people that would either go nuts or kill themselves upon my voice. 
But seriously, new entrants need to be given priority for any new licenses or ones being put up for sale. It’ll never happen I know, but comments made in the Random Radio thread (the last ones by RFBurns and Brianc68) hit the nail on the head.
If we let the existing operators buy 2HD and New FM, I can tell you exactly what would happen:
ARN - 2HD becomes Gold/WSFM satellite, New FM becomes KIIS
Nova Entertainment - 2HD maybe left alone, New FM becomes Nova
EON Broadcasting - 2HD becomes 2CH satellite, New FM maybe left alone
Capital Radio Network - probably the least unfavorable of the bunch if they don’t form a joint venture with Grants and combine 2NM and Power FM into it. Both would be left alone to some extent. A CRN/Grant joint venture would wipe out 2NM/Power FM.
WIN - left alone, but would be nice to see if WIN starts a much needed competitor to NBN News based out of the 2HD/New FM news dept.
Macquarie - 2HD becomes 2GB satellite. New FM left alone.
Now, I know people would be saying, no they won’t do that, but the pessimist inside of me says, yes they bloody would do that. If there is money to be made by boning people left, right and centre, they’ll do it.
At least if an independent company comes in, preferably backed and run by people from Newcastle, who can stand out and say, we’re 100% Newcastle, compared to every other operator in the area who is own and/or run out of Sydney, could use the 100% local aspect as a great promotional and operational background. That is a better outcome.
What’s not to say that KOFM and (S)Hit FM won’t be run be 100% out of Sydney in a few years with SFA local presence. NBN/Nine probably will be, including news production I’d guess. How long before the Herald gets the arse from Fairfax? WIN and Prime don’t do crap in the area, and sadly that won’t change. The only local would be the ABC, and that’s if more funding isn’t removed. That would actually be a shame.
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Well, considering that 2HD is an AM station as opposed to being on FM (apart from the fact that they have an FM translator at Port Stephens), I think they would have a more “Classic Hits” format similar to 4KQ/Cruise (which is more 60s/70s based), rather than a “Pure Gold” format like WS/Gold (which is more 80s/90s based).
Having a “Classic Hits” station in Newcastle/Hunter, whoever a new owner of 2HD might be (apart from maybe Macquarie), would fill the gap nicely in between KO & 2NUR.
Hate to tell you fine folk, but the fact is that SCA is trying to buy Caralis and has had offers out for ages. They would sell 2HD and NEW to another useless mob like the Camerons, to blunt competition and continue on their merry way, but with stations right through from Melbourne to Cairns and some nice little markets in the west of the state.
The goal is to have the highway coverage on the east coast fully covered by SCA
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Seriously - both should be told to f**k off.
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Why would it be a shame? Their content is a joke. It’s focussed on a very narrow audience target, I’m surprised it has any sizeable audience, the only reason for it is due to the poor standard of the commercial offerings.
ABC would clean up in Newcastle if they widened their content to what the majority of locals are talking and thinking about.
This is exactly what NEW FM should program, ditch the network feed, run a local log and completely separate local program to hollow out KO and most likely 2NUR. Of course, too much effort for Bill.
Yes, this is true. Great to point that out, thanks @Richo. Has been since RG Capital days. Tim Hughes, Rhys Holleran were always keen on buying Caralis.
It’s always made me wonder what deals were done for SCA not to buy Midwest Radio from the receivers.
Because its not the sole duty of the taxpayer to provide a local service that’s actually meant to be done by and large by the commercial sector. That is what I am afraid of if these companies are allowed to buy more and more of each other.
I don;t trust the commercial sector to do anything properly anymore. The regulators are toothless tigers. If they had any guts, SCA would be told, in all frankness - to fuck off. If I could, I’d literally tell them to fuck off, and use those exact words. Barred from buying anymore. I’d even go as far as telling the Camerons and Caralis to sell off some stations if situation change. Near total domination of the eastern seaboard by one company, with little to no competition in the areas of which they’re serving - that is not good for anyone.
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I’d like to see a reach rule in radio, or at least one that prevents ownership of stations in adjacent markets.
But given the reach rule in TV is or has been abolished, it’s unlikely to be introduced for radio.
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2HD wants 90.5 translator into Belmont North
https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/changes-to-the-newcastle-lap
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Emboldened by their Toowoomba success the Bill and Al caravan of quasi conversion rolls into Australia’s seventh largest market.
Under ACMA’s heading Discussion of proposal, the reasons given are all very similar to what has happened surrounding most urban AM sites.
Applying this logic, why did 4BC go to considerable expense to shift sites and to a less favourable site. No FM infill. ACMA was quite clear none would be offered.
Homebush Bay sites have development within the drop zone of AM masts. Significant absorption of ground wave.
ACMA imply modifications to the existing site are impractical or won’t resolve the coverage deficiencies. On what grounds? Install TX capable of an appropriate power increase during the day, review what is required at night.
Appendix A
The map is curious. Both the CRC and ITU predictions show coverage stops well before the 2.5 mV/m contour and there’s more of the licence area to go, including plenty of highway coverage missed on the F3.
Appendix C
In other directions, looking at outlying towns; Buladelah, Dungog, Singleton, Paxton and valleys of the Hunter in between, coverage must not be too good in those locations either. Urban noise within towns and surrounding industry, over 100km of highway and byway coverage missed too, esp at night.
Other thoughts
This proposal needs to find a different allocation that is not a Sydney sub metro allocation. ACMA’s suggestion of an advisory note that it’ll be interference limited to 60 dBμV/m. Find a clear channel, postpone this until the whole region is reallocated.
If 2HD need infill here, they’ll need one later for the F3 region I described plus the other areas. Port Stephens already on air. Very inefficient use of spectrum.
Beyond the scope
Market priced FM conversion cost. Old NBN 3 audio carrier and clear the rest either side.
Create a mechanism of recent sale multiples commensurate to market size, market revenue or actual comparable station revenue. Choose one or all objects. Open process. No excuses of ‘commercial in confidence’ to hide behind. Good luck with the latter.
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I wonder if the Central Coast stations would have concerns with this proposal as the area in question lays very close to where the Gosford LAP boundary is.
90.5 is somewhat coincidental as there is still a pirate on that frequency here.
I am 5km from the Belmont North TX site with a perfect LOS, so I will be interested to see how this goes, if implemented.
It will also mean an end of any Dx reception of Alive 90.5 from Parramatta during tropo.
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That’s covered in the explanatory document, it uses the precedent that Rob Gamble and co achieved with their reasoning for changes to 96.1 Gympie, (the ones they didn’t go through with).
Overspill is expected if it means it covers within the area.
The prediction maps show only small overspill into Gosford’s licence area, there’s a lot more remaining of the Newcastle area below the 2.5 mV/m contour that receive no benefit from this proposal. In theory.
We all know that Caralis translators seem to have special qualities of far exceeding the predictions.
I’m surprised there’s not more discussion about this proposal. What do people think? Will it get up? Will SCA oppose it as in Toowoomba?
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Yes, it’s plausible that it could constitute a quasi FM conversion for 2HD in the Lake Macquarie area.
Re Overspill, I don’t think 90.5 would cause anymore overspill into the Gosford area than the Mt Sugarloaf stations do, which have strong coverage down to Forresters Beach and just north of Wyong on the Old Pacific Highway.
Conversely Gosford stations overspill into the east side of Lake Macquarie to a similar level.
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I can’t get the ACMA Radcom database to load, maintenance?
Many of the supposed ‘problems’ are not what they seem.
There’s a mention of a 1.8km freeway through the TX site. ACMA notes the licensee gave list of examples of development in the past decade. This is one of four points.
This is not true, no land was resumed for the long overdue Newcastle inner city bypass extension. There is an AM TX site due west of the project that is untouched, I watched the ‘movie’ of Nearmap aerial images from 2010 to present and that site was not disturbed.
‘No radials were harmed in the making of this road’
Hmm, I think I might put in a submission against this.
Whilst I’m all for making radio reception better, I think this will more benefit BOG rather than the listener, & it’ll just clog up the FM band more.
I don’t think it’s what it seems, & if they do what they should, & replace the ground radials around the mast that has deteriorated (not due to the highway passing through the site either), then they’d be in a better situation.
If they get this up, ACMA should also grant translators at the same site, for similar reasons for the ABC AM services & SBS AM.
The thing is though, around the Belmont North, Floraville, Jewels area, where this would serve the greatest, the FM’s from Mt Sugarloaf are far more difficult to receive, than the Newcastle AM services including 2HD.
The DTV translator at this proposed site was installed due to poor reception from Mt Sugarloaf, the FM’s are in the same boat as TV, so they should get a translator here too.
I drive Belmont to Sydney every day, & can say that while 2HD is reasonably poor from Blacksmiths, & South, it is receivable to a listenable standard all the way to Sydney, & even receivable in parts of Sydney during the daytime, because the deteriorated radials let the signal “float” over the local licence area, & land further afield.
When I’m traveling pre-dawn, 2HD gets hammered moderately by 4HI Emerald, from around Belmont South, but this is negated as I travel further South, & 2HD comes good again around the Sparks Rd interchange on the M1 (F3), which is outside the Newcastle licence area, & about where the Newcastle FM’s start to drift into obscurity.
The Port Stephens FM translator is easily received at the 2HD studios at Sandgate & up into Maitland, it’s also receivable in & around Newcastle city, this Southern translator would cover the Southern half of the RA1 area, meeting the Southern edge of the PS translator, giving 2HD a full coverage quasi FM service around Newcastle.
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The Upper Hunter could do with more FM stations. Maybe Bill should be told to f**k off.
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Exactly my thoughts.
Yes, knew the bypass construction made no difference.
What we have here is the typical commercial AM site in 2018: underinvestment.
You’ve seen guy ropes become poorly maintained and damage masts in Wagga and Gordonvale plus many other sites which have not had their opex budgets looked after sensibly.
I’ve noticed the same problems with 2HD’s coverage, it is all about underinvestment in the site.
You don’t have to be a retired or now dead guru of AM site engineering, simply commonsense and a suitable budget.
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Guys regarding the 2HD submission, I need (would like) to find how long ago I posted in Media Spy about information I had received, about 2HD doing field signal strength tests, & them coming back weaker than past tests, with it being discovered the 1143KHz Earth mat had deteriorated, & that was causing the lower power output radiation levels from the mast/antenna?
It would’ve been in the old forums site, somewhere between mid year 2010 & mid year 2013?
I’ve tried a few archive sites, but can’t find it.
Would anyone happen to recall, is it etched in your memory, or anyone know an archive site that might have all posts archived for that period?
These signal/reception issues have been going on at 2HD for quite sometime now, & the station have known about the problem & cause, now they’re trying to make out issues are only recent & blaming unrelated things for it, I want to call them out on the BS.
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Which ones so we can try alternatives?
I do remember the discussion, reduced efficiency.