Rebel Media

SEN Track could be classed as a narrowcast format; Breeze is clearly commercial. Unless an adventurous music format is so rare as to be narrowcasting these days (arguable).

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But SEN Adelaide 1629 is clearly commercial in the way 1116 in Melbourne is, and it’s operating on the same licence. So I can only presume there’s some exemption for this type of service/licence>

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There is nothing to stop an operator putting a narrowcast format on a commercial licence, but the reverse is a no no as others have said.

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Does Crocmedia not have an s.40 commercial license? Though, if that was acquired with the Rete Italia licences that may not justify SEN’s existence in Adelaide (which pre-dated the RI acquistions)

Then again with Macquarie Sports’ ratings, let alone SEN’s first attempts in Adelaide, perhaps sports talk really is narrowcasting outside of Melbourne :man_shrugging:

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Best comment yet. Sports broadcasting will always be a struggle especially outside of Melbourne.

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I think sports talk is a narrowcast format outside of Sydney and Melbourne; it would rate something like 1-2% if it was on a full commercial licence.

I must admit I haven’t looked at the Broadcasting Services Act recently so perhaps the restriction has been repealed.

I also have a feeling that ACMA wouldn’t act without a complaint. Crocmedia’s ‘competition’ either no longer exists (MSR) or are racing stations which they have some kind of relationship with (RadioTAB in Adelaide, RSN’s owners)

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I thought these ‘off band’ licences eg 1620 could be whatever format they wanted ie. commercial was fine. After all Radio 2 was full on commercial. I thought off band was completely different to narrowcast?

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They changed it after Radio 2’s demise. MF NAS (1611-1701) is in spirit equivalent to the LPON scheme on FM. It’s my opinion that both should be non- commercial and in the case of LPONs, minimal networking should be allowed.

The non-commercial restriction on s 40 (non BSB) licences only applied to the MF-NAS band:

https://www.legislation.gov.au/Details/F2009L03344/9c316893-87c1-48b8-a180-3ae106632735

Looks like it is no longer in force! Apparently repealed in 2013, which is when the government of the day took the scissors to a lot of ‘unnecessary regulation’. So it seems that you can now once again operate a commercial service on the MF-NAS band.

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4KZ operates relays on 1611 and 1620 with a non-BSB commercial radio licence.

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Yes- the 4KZ licences are definitely grandfathered.

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Was up in Maryborough and Hervey Bay this weekend and great to hear Breeze on air in Wide Bay on 102.5. Good in car reception in both Maryborough and Hervey Bay with station name and RDS display. A much needed alternative in Wide Bay.

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Do you think the audio quality isn’t as good as Rebel? That’s what I found last week. Coverage is pretty good!

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Wide Bay, narrow audio?

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Analog bandwidth is fine, just doesn’t seem to have as high a quality feed into it compared to Rebel. Like the stream for Breeze is higher compression. Doesn’t sound as punchy or vibrant compared to Rebel.

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Actually you might be right. Perhaps not quite as good audio quality as Rebel. Great coverage though.

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I understand Breeze is still officially testing on 102.5 so not launched officially. It may improve. They are also launching 1611 AM in Maryborough but I completely forgot to see if that was on air yet.

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It isn’t

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Will Maryborough’s 1611 be in stereo like Toowoomba?

No I don’t believe so.

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