Random Radio

How can you work out the bit rate of this:

I’ve gone into page source but can’t find what’s needed.

I emailed them once about the Excel transmitter lists (back when they weren’t being updated for about a year).

Took 6 weeks for them to reply.

1 Like

1 Like

Smithton observations:

*88.9 7DBS/t on air
*94.5 7BU/t on air and sounds like true stereo.
*105.5 JJJ/t not on air.

Marrawah observations:

*729 Adelaide receivable on car radio at 1300. Strong with 70 cm loop.
*5CK Port Pirie (639) good on loop at 1300.
*No reception of 5CC Port Lincoln or 6VA Albany (both frequencies suffered from Melbourne splat; all Melburnians at local strength).
*Most of SW Victoria+Mt Gambier AM easily received on car radio.
*Melbourne and Warrnambool FM received on high points in the district. Tropo conditions were woeful due to a very gusty cold front and showers.

2 Likes

This is amazing, thank you.

How’d you get it play in VLC? I couldn’t find the right filename for it to play, perhaps I chopped off the end of the URL?

1 Like

I think he’s wrong.

Streaming doesn’t give you local news, sport, weather and traffic as well.
Nor announcers with some interesting trivia about the music you just heard.

Radio for me isn’t JUST about music, it’s a whole package of the above with music.

3 Likes

Yes I agree mostly. They’ve been predicting the death of radio for a very long time but it’s managed to survive. I think the problem for me is that mainstream FM radio isn’t adapting and is cramming its content so full of advertising and chatter that people are “forced” towards streaming just to hear some music, and also to get the range of music they want. Mainstream FM, with the exception of Smooth FM and stations like 4KQ has just become unlistenable. I just won’t listen to the endless blocks of advertising anymore. In my opinion if radio is to survive they will have to really harness DAB+ and create some alternatives. There are some encouraging signs with Easy Hits and the Triple M digital stations but even these are now starting to have long blocks of ads that just have me starting to flick stations. For example, Easy Hits is now only playing about 2 songs in a row during breakfast then a block of ads - sorry but I’m not going to listen to that. Of course they need advertising but it’s too much these days. As for FM stations like the main Triple M station - wouldn’t listen to that in a million years particularly at breakfast, you get about 6 songs an hour! And those 6 songs are the most over-played songs in the universe.
Yes I want local content and I want announcers who are engaging and talk about the music and other topics, but I don’t want to listen to the drivel and endless chatter at breakfast, drive, and increasingly other times during the day. I contrast this to the 80s when I had mainstream FM radio on all the time - because it struck the right balance of music and information, it played adventurous and carefully selected music, and didn’t bombard me with so many ads.

6 Likes

Radio ads are like an audial lobotomy.

I think that the 1980s style programming mix is best found on good community stations these days. The emphasis being on good- bad community radio is pretty cringeworthy.

4 Likes

So how much advertising is Commercial Radio allowed an hour?

Wrong section - ignore post

I agree ,too much yap yap yap and endless commercials on Triple M on the breakfast show,about 5 songs an hour. I want to be able to listen to my Bluetooth speaker but I’ll get in trouble if I do :confused:

2 Likes

Recently, the music logging software was used for radioinfo as we discussed here and found KQ has a variety well ahead of other Brisbane stations.

There’s a business I know of where the owners are under 30 yet play KQ simply because of the variety.

@ethirkill45, it seems that radio has had all restrictions removed on advertising limits.

Details here:
https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/About/Corporate/Responsibilities/advertising-on-radio-and-tv

Specifically here:
https://www.acma.gov.au/-/media/Broadcasting-Investigations/Information/Word-Document/CRA-Commercial-Radio-Code-of-Practice---30-March-2018-docx.docx?la=en

The solus limits have been abolished in part 4 of the commercial code and no mention of any limit whatsoever. They must’ve gone crying cap in hand to the govt about losing revenue when we know that radio’s share of total of advertising expenditure has remained stable despite the growth in online advertising.

2 Likes

I read recently of some new licences in Canada, smaller markets, but it made me think how stagnant radio has become in this country. No new stations in years. Surely there are some places where there are opportunities to add new players to markets?

Fraser Coast springs to mind. Only 2 real commercial stations running yet a bigger population than nearby Bundaberg with 3.

Canberra needs another FM, either conversion of an AM or new licence.

Brisbane and Perth desperately need another FM each. Surely Adelaide has scope for an FM conversion.

What are ACMA doing? North America NZ and even UK are still offering up new licences, but nothing here.

6 Likes

Spectrum space is an issue, the use of SFNs and some restacking should create some space.

2 Likes

Protected market by the incumbents, they don’t want any new licences issued or competitors.

I was talking with a friend in the industry last week, who was discussing audio processing with other colleagues in the USA & Europe, & they can’t believe the spectrum space between stations in our markets compared with theirs, ours is well under utilised.

A market the size of Sydney in another part of the world, would have double, possibly triple the number of stations in it.

6 Likes

Agree. The 5 mainland state capitals are laughable in terms of the number of commercial stations for their size.

The incumbents do everything they can to try to prevent new players, but surely this happens overseas as well. In other countries the regulator actually has some balls, unlike ACMA, and just goes ahead. Why not here?

It will ultimately backfire on the incumbents though. With fewer choices on FM people it will just accelerate the move to other platforms such as streaming. If people can’t find what they want on FM they’ll move on. If it wasn’t for DAB+ stations I wouldn’t listen to commercial radio at all. Ever. I think they’re being short-sighted, if there were a decent number of choices on FM people would be more likely to stick with traditional radio.

11 Likes

I can’t find a thread for Internet Radio anywhere, but I thought I’d just mention that a good 80s online station with some Australian songs is bop! 80s, which I haven’t heard of before.

Also has short but professional sounding IDs and better sounding audio quality than iHeart Radio.

Their website is here

http://www.bophits.com

1 Like

Good find. The80s.com.au seems to have folded, so this is a good replacement. Air FM Penrith is another good choice for commercial free 80s music with an Australian bent.

3 Likes

There’s also XS80s in NZ, which plays plenty of Aussie music, even those that don’t chart in NZ, eg. “Computer One” by Dear Enemy. I listened to that station quite a bit whilst I was over there in February.

3 Likes