The Toowoomba licence area is pretty strange indeed. Probably something to do with originally 4WK was the Warwick station, 4GR based in Toowoomba and 4AK in Oakey. Historically you wouldn’t have expected to receive good coverage of 4WK in Toowoomba or Oakey until they put a re-transmitter in Toowoomba. 4AK was patchy in Warwick as well, but 4GR was probably acceptable into Warwick.
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My father’s courier van has an after-market windscreen antenna, which is pretty poor for AM reception, even when in a major capital city. For example, even the 50kW-powered 702 ABC Sydney is a pain in the a@@ to pick up in Sydney CBD due to all the high buildings, to the point where I get a better & clearer signal from ABC Illawarra on FM! 
Before you ask, yes I know getting a DAB+ car radio is the best solution in this situation, at least for within Sydney, and I did try to persuade my father to get it for his van, but he decides to stick with his basic FM/AM radio. For the record, he mainly listens to FM, particularly WS.
For a few more regional examples on his work van’s after-market antenna, I have trouble getting a clear signal of 1233 ABC Newcastle just 20-30km out from the transmitter, and as for 2GN down in the Southern Tablelands of NSW, I couldn’t get a clear signal just around 25km from the transmitter.
In regards to the AM-FM conversion for regional solus markets in general, it would be interesting to see 2ST having their main transmission converted to FM to be transmitted from Knights Hill, therefore eliminating the need for FM translators in Jervis Bay & Ulladulla. The Southern Highlands’ translator would be kept on-air, due to having local programming specific for that region. Having 2ST transmitting from Knights Hill would result on indirectly giving Wollongong’s older music radio listeners an extra choice without having to tune to the Sydney stations, considering that neither the Wollongong-based Wave or i98 are really targeting the older listeners.
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2ST may not be eligible for an FM conversion as there may be too much overlap with Wollongong.
Actually, believe it or not, the Nowra commercial radio licence area only has a 12.77% overlap with the Wollongong commercial radio licence area, so therefore, 2ST is eligible for an FM conversion. That said, I think i98 & to a lesser extent, Wave, would have something to say about this.
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Given that Power is a S.39 licence, which was not available to stations with more than 30% overlap, then I guess it would be!
91.7 is probably the only suitable frequency for it.
It should be a no brainer for 2ST to apply then.
Though would they have to give up 102.9 on the Highlands given 94.9 Power doesn’t have any repeaters?
That’s exactly what I was thinking, in which it would replace the Jervis Bay repeater service that currently occupies the frequency.
Well, unlike with 2ST, 94.9 Power FM doesn’t provide any break-away programming for the Southern Highlands, hence why there’s no need for a repeater.
I would have thought that repeaters would have been dictated by coverage, not programming?
If that was the case, then perhaps Southern Highlands should be a separate licence area.
Another example of FM having better coverage then AM is the 918 AM 2XL service in Cooma.
Before the 96.3mhz frequency was established in Jindabyne. 2XL was only available on 918khz from Cooma. By the time the signal reached Jindabyne 60KM away it was quite weak and sky waves at night killed the signal. I would often get better signal at night in Sydney then in Jindabyne which was part of their coverage area.
97.7 Snow fm transmits from Mt Roberts near Bredbo at 50KW and is strong to Berridale but weak in Jindabyne due to the hills to the north east blocking the signal. That is why they have the 94.7 frequency in Jindabyne.
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This is more a problem of co-channeling than AM itself.
Your post highlights the problem with the Cooma FM TX location being too far north, more infill is needed.
I note the Camerons are keen to turn off every AM site they have in South Australia. Gone would be the booming coverage of 5CC, 5CS, 5RM and 5MU. Every one of these stations are co-channeled yet many communities rely on the strength of the AM signal to reach their area.
Yeah that’s really a great point that goes unnoticed when talking about these FM conversions at times. People on the periphery or even marginally outside a licence area, who for all intents and purposes are part of a station’s audience and rely on that station, will be left out by these changeovers.
It also seems a lot of these WA changeovers seem to be converting FM transmissions with fairly low power (a few hundred watts or not much more). There will be a lot of people who don’t live in these towns but would still listen to these stations who will lose out here. Sure they may not be great in number, but when you’re dealing with small markets anyway the loss of signal for even a few listeners is not a good outcome
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Exactly, ACMA have adopted (likely encouraged by CRA) a very strict interpretation. It doesn’t serve the public well, government and radio should both be striving to do so.
5RM is a great example, Lameroo and Pinnaroo do not receive FM 93.1 (Magic) but 5RM’s signal is crystal clear. Same to the north in the sparse pastoral districts/Barrier Highway. Sure, ACMA can direct people to 8SAT but it’s not compelling as local commercials and info where these people far away have a community of interest for shops, services and social matters.
The 200 people as a locality deserving of coverage as mentioned by ACMA in their explanatory notes is a new one to me. Creating a threshold for translators. Gives them a get out clause.
DAB+ metro planning when comparing to analogue coverage had a geographic spread north of 75%.
Also consider that in a low noise/rural environment, the rural grade coverage will stretch a long way with AM. All licence areas for conversion are predominately flat, hence AM coverage is good. FM requires height, this is not possible, nor is the output practical.
Use the Cooma example, it’s a licence area with lots of infill (a few of them govt funded), lots of hills for FM sites to cover the licence area and likely out do the AM coverage for many reasons.
Not the case in the WA and Broken Hill examples. The NW WA sites for conversion are all minnow powered too. Successive owners have chosen budget AM site and plant set ups.
Coverage should be mandated to be no less on FM than existing AM. To accept anything less is to accept a decline in coverage - less services for regional Australia. The vocal and largely autonomous WA Nationals have an opportunity to demand better.
[quote=“crankymedia, post:292, topic:263”]
5RM is a great example, Lameroo and Pinnaroo do not receive FM 93.1 (Magic) but 5RM’s signal is crystal clear. Same to the north in the sparse pastoral districts/Barrier Highway.
[/quote] Same in North West Victoria, I can not pick up 5RM at home due to local interference but once in the car it comes in at listenable quality. It would certainly belt into Mildura like a local station
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I agree though the logistics of this could be a challenge without really high power transmitters and/or numerous translators in the regions - neither of which I imagine are overly palatable options for broadcasters in fairly remote areas.
Still, the point stands that in these areas the loss of coverage from the local broadcast media stands to hit even harder than it would in an equivalent metro or larger regional area.
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1071/98.3 in Bendigo is 3EL, the letters taken from the old Easy Listening Network. My understanding is that 3CV became the FM licence that is now Star. 3EL was a “new” station with Easy Listening.
Wasn’t’ 3CV licensed to Maryborough, i.e. it was never originally a Bendigo station?
Something like that, and its coverage covered both Ballarat and Bendigo, but its studios used to be in Bendigo and i think was almost a defacto second commercial station in Bendigo.
It still is licensed to Maryborough - but it’s basically the same thing as Bendigo. Maryborough has a 76% overlap with Bendigo, while Bendigo covers 98% of the Maryborough licence area.
Man charged following unauthorised radio transmissions at Victorian airports
This is a joint media release with Airservices Australia and the Australian Communications and Media Authority
The Australian Federal Police (AFP) has charged a 19-year-old Rockbank (Victorian) man with serious offences related to the alleged unlawful interference with air traffic control and endangering the safety of aircraft at two Victorian airports.
The arrest follows an AFP-led investigation with the assistance of Airservices Australia, the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) and Victoria Police.
Between 5 September 2016 and 3 November 2016, there were 16 separate unauthorised radio transmissions at Melbourne Airport and Avalon Airport causing interference with air traffic control.
On 21 November 2016, the AFP arrested a man and subsequently charged him with:
- four counts of endangering the safety of aircraft contrary to Section 25(2)(b) of the Crimes (Aviation) Act 1991 (Cth); and
- one count of interference likely to endanger safety or cause loss or damage contrary to Section 194 of the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (Cth).
The man is scheduled to appear before the Melbourne Magistrates Court this afternoon.
The AFP’s head of Crime Operations, acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan said this arrest demonstrates how law enforcement takes the safety of the airline industry very seriously.
“The current security measures in place for the airline industry are robust, and the traveling public should be reassured we are treating this matter appropriately,” acting Assistant Commissioner Chris Sheehan said.
“These incidents were thoroughly investigated by the AFP with the technical support of Airservices and the ACMA.
“The offences this 19-year-old man faces carry a maximum penalty of up to 20 years imprisonment.”
“The AFP also acknowledges the close working relationship with Qantas and Virgin Australia Group and the assistance provided particularly during the early stages of the investigation,” he said.
Airservices said there is no current threat to the safety and security of the travelling public as a result of these alleged radio transmissions in Victoria.
“Airservices worked closely with the AFP throughout this investigation to ensure the safety and security of the travelling public,” Airservices Southern Operations Manager Steven Clarke said.
“Airservices has appropriate procedures, processes and systems in place to ensure the safety of aviation operations at Melbourne and Avalon airports, and across the country and for the travelling public,” Mr Clarke said.
The ACMA uses a range of technologies and techniques to investigate and locate the sources of unauthorized or interfering transmissions across the radio frequency spectrum.
The ACMA reminds members of the public that making unauthorised transmissions may constitute a serious offence under the Radiocommunications Act 1992 (Cth).
From video of arrest
When he is released he should come up to Sydney and broadcast a rock station that plays 30 minute blocks of non-stop rock with no sport shows and without a bogan cultural identity.
He would be doing us a favour. We would crowdsource his legal fees.
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Does anyone know the story behind the gaps in the .8MHz spacing in Melbourne - a look through would suggest that 88.3, 89.1, 97.1 and 97.9 seem to have just local low powered community stations, when they are on frequencies that in theory would support having a high powered Melbourne station on them.