I guess if New Fm was to have the same playlist as Max they would be too close to Hit 106.9. New fm was playing quite a bit of rock, more then Triple M Newcastle when I was driving through Newcastle.
I think an FM repeater for Forster would be a better idea. They already have one for sister station 2RE at Bundacree.
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Max FM used to run a Hit Music format during local programming and the wider “80s, 90s and now” format when on the network feed, but didn’t they change direction around the same time the new logo launched?
What I know for sure is that since about Late 2016/Early 2017, there’s been something of a revolving door at the Max when it comes to on-air presenters…
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Max fm playlist includes more hit music then New Fm, at 3pm as part of their workday programming they have guess the year three songs from a certain year.
This morning they played Keeping Score by LDRU, and I Love You I hate you. These two songs were once on high rotation on Nova. I don’t think New Fm would play them.
In regards to translators for Forster / Tuncurry, 100.3 was fine on the car stereo, but not so good on my Pure Move fm / dab+ radio.
In comparison Middle Brother came in very well on both radios, that is why I was suggesting Middle Brother as a better site for Max fm and the 2RE fm conversion.
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If Max were to be transmitted from Middle Brother, I think a frequency change might be required.
Because remembering how ABC-FM reception from Middle Brother hasn’t been an overly uncommon occurrence in Sydney during recent Summers, I reckon a Middle Brother-transmitted Max on 107.3FM would have the potential to severely interfere with reception of 2SER down here during the warmer months unless there were serious nulls in the direction of Sydney…
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I think you are right. Could they use 93.1for Max fm and 93.9for a 2RE conversion if they were to broadcast from Middle Brother.
In regards to 98.7 ABC Classic Fm from Middle Brother it is semi permanent at my local in NW Sydney with my setup. But this is more for the Am / fm dxing thread.
The Taree Licence area should meet the border of the Newcastle radio licence area at Bulahdelah as the only signals that can be received here are the nationals from Middle Brother. Also the Newcastle Fm stations are quite weak in the northern section of their licence area between Karauh and Bulahdelah.
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Except for 93.1 Breeze FM near Bulahdelah, which is not yet on air, but apparently will be in the next year or two.
107.3 from Middle Brother would also interfere with 2BBB Bellingen and would play havoc with the off-air feed to the 93.3 translator at Dorrigo.
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This has been a great discussion about the Taree services.
Would be great to see them shift to a proper transmission site such as Middle Brother.
I agree, the licence boundary should be shifted to meet other local licence areas.
Bulahdelah is also within the Mid Coast Council area and historically within the Great Lakes Council area.
You’re right, Sugarloaf signals are poor in Karuah, many have switched TV antennas to Gan Gan, downstream in Port Stephens. Sugarloaf signals not at the power of the national broadcasters are noticeably weak. The drop of just a few metres from main street of Karuah to Cole Brothers oysters on the river bank highlights this.
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RE Newcastle reception within the north of the LA, I found that about 30km north of Raymond Terrace was the point where the Newcastle commercial fm stations became strong on the car radio. They were patchy from Bulahdelah to around this point. Even the 80kw nationals struggled within the same areas.
I found Newcastle Fm reception in Forster was better thanks to a costal path.
The Newcastle nationals and commercial fm stations really need to be at 150kw to the north to account for terrain.
If Taree fm came from Middle Brother with the right power would then allow great reception to the Boundary of the Newcastle / Taree LA border. This would be better then at present as you only have Middle Brother Nationals received between Forster and Bulahdelah. At least Rebel and Breeze will be on air to cover this area eventually.
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Good summary. Always good to have the long existing stations cover as much area as is sensible as in this case. Rebel and Breeze can switch on whenever as an addition.
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Only problem with having Taree Commercial FM from Middle Brother is, that site is at or out of the Northern LA Boundary. The TV & National FM LA vary significantly.
The Newcastle RA1 also doesn’t butt up to the Taree RA1 LA, there’s a gap in between, thus the allowance of Breeze & Rebel in the area.
The Southern Taree boundary is reasonably straight & heads across through roughly Coolongolook to Gloucester.
The Newcastle Northern boundary is difficult to cover & stick to, it juts up & down quite a lot, cutting across from the coast only barely covering Bulahdelah, then cutting right back down to Booral, missing out on Stroud, then it goes back up to roughly the Chichester Dam area, then back down to roughly Vacy, then back up to cover Gresford, then across to Singleton.
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Yes going by Radio Alive they have the northern boundary of the Taree LA going through Middle Brother. So if they were to use Middle Brother they would require a similar setup to Power Fm Nowra, strong null to the north and all the power going to the south.
Do you think the Newcastle commercials and National fm’s require more power to the north??
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I always thought 107.5 would be better for Max fm, in line with the Middle Brother/Kempsey spacing and not cochanneled with Bellingen and Sydney. From the existing site, Max fm is pretty ordinary to the North and to the south it already interferes with 2SER in parts of Sydney with tropo. I have received it before on the F3 near Brooklyn and on the Northern beaches.
You’d have to get rid of SBS 107.7 at Laurieton or Camden Haven (whereever it is) now though, especially if it were to be from Middle Brother.
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Brooklyn - tropo
Northern Beaches - fortuitous LOS due to low signal of 2SER.
The move should be on to move Taree RA1 commercial services to Middle Brother before 2RE is considered for conversion.
When the 10kW BE is back in service, does it run at 10kW?
Coverage used to extend south to Caboolture and north to Maryborough, but lucky to get to Tiaro (somewhere there @Brianc68?) and thank goodness for FM 100.5 from Doonan for coverage south.
I felt its coverage was better than 4SS in the 90’s for covering a large distance but its shrunk. Why?
Nope only at 5kw as per what it is licensed for 
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Yes it sounds so weak now and barely receivable past Tiaro. Back in the 80s 4GY was a local strength station in Maryborough during the day. In fact even north to Howard/Torbanlea. One of the on air promos on 4GY even started “From Torbanlea to …” The other town was a town starting with T way to the south of Gympie, illustrating the range. The main on air ID was “Wide Bay, Cooloola and Sunshine Coast”. This would have been early to mid 80s
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FM 104.7 in Grafton has revealed a new logo. They have just posted it on their Facebook page.
