Sydney community broadcaster 2ser is asking for donations to help restore the stations antenna, damaged on Good Friday.
Coincidently the station is just this morning beginning to experience difficulties with the backup FM transmission equipment, and while temporary repairs have allowed 2ser to stay on-air, station manager, Martin Walters stresses that the fix is a only short term solution and a replacement antenna is the only option, with an estimated cost is $30,000.
Martin says, “The adjective our technician used when reporting back that Friday night was ‘catastrophic’, a moment I will always remember. A catastrophic lightning hit during our 40th birthday year during a global pandemic… The lightning took out 2SER’s antenna and transmitter; the transmitter’s being repaired, with a back-up currently in place, but the antenna needs to be replaced.
“We’ve applied for emergency support from the CBF and remain hopeful they can provide some help, after all this is a critical issue for 2SER, but we’re mindful that over 270 other stations have also put in for help due to the impacts of COVID-19.
“Ultimately it would be good to see the Federal Government recognise the immediate challenges facing the community broadcasting sector through an injection of emergency funding. We’ve applied for grants elsewhere too, but it’s highly competitive right now, there’s a lot of need out there.
“UTS and Macquarie University remain highly supportive of 2SER but the well-reported financial challenges faced by Australia’s universities from the coronavirus mean we need to find this emergencing funding support elsewhere.
“2SER has worked to establish a variety of revenue streams but COVID-19 has impacted all of them, from the sponsorship wipe-out (a flow-on effect of the crisis in the arts and culture sector) to training fees to the universities’ capacity to assist.
“It’s not a stretch to say the station’s future is up in the air – at the very least we need urgent funding to get us through the next 12 months.”
Donations to the station are tax deductible.
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