The commercial radio industry has urged ACMA not to grant any more analog licences for now, to allow for the completion of digital radio planning and the establishment of new digital technology. The advice is contained in CRA’s submission to ACMA in relation to possible new licences for the Bourke, Cairns and Maryborough licence areas.
One new community licence was proposed for each of these areas, but CRA has objected to all of them, asserting in a letter to ACMA:
“The commercial radio industry is concerned that the ACMA is intending to grant additional licences… given the impending roll out of digital radio, and the accompanying increase in broadcasting services, in these areas.
“The licence areas are already well served with a variety of existing commercial and community radio services, and the ACMA’s explanatory paper does not provide any evidence of the need for additional services. Furthermore, the allocation of new analogue licences at this time could hinder the success of digital radio in these regional areas…”
The submission is part of CRA’s ongoing forward planning for the roll out of digital radio to regional areas, but cuts across the community radio sector’s push for new services which have been identified by local residents in these areas.
CRA’s letter, written by Joan Warner, says ACMA is being “short sighted” in thinking of granting new licences for the three towns within the licence areas: Wilcannia, Mossman and Tiaro.
It refers to Section 35C of the Broadcasting Act, which “recognises the need to limit new entrants at this time of technological change,” but says a temporary halt in new analog licences will “ultimately lead to a more diverse range of radio services available to communities in regional Australia.”
To read the full text of the letter, click the link below.
I can't agree with Joan warner on this point. I think ACMA should release more HPONS and community radio licences - both AM and FM - as there is demand in the marketplace for these radio services in various communities, in particular those urban areas where new LPONs are not currently permitted.
I would think Australia is getting close to saturation for Community radio stations. It has been proved many times that it is difficult for the smaller towns of less than 10,000 population to be able to sustain a single commercial radio station, let alone a community station as well. And there are probably not too many places left in Australia where a community radio service would be viable in the long term. But the few towns that could sustain a community radio which don't yet have at least one service operating, should be permitted to obtain frequencies from ACMA where they are available and where there is a demand for such services.
The same can be said of HPONs. There are a similar number of HPON services as there are community radio services in Australia. Most HPONs are owned by the Racing industry, with a few owned by United Christian broadcasters and country music commercial narrowcasters (most of which are owned by commercial broadcasting interests anyway). There is scope for releasing more frequencies for HPONS in some regions, and while it is fair that commercial broadcast radio be given more licences than the community or narrowcast sectors, there is still scope for growing the number of HPONS, which tend to be viable in smaller population areas since most operate as relay stations for services based in the bigger urban markets. (EG Kix Country FM has many HPONs and LPONs in regional areas of QLD and SA, but the studio is in Bundaberg, population 50,000).
I don't think ACMA is being reckless in releasing these analogue frequencies at time when the Commercial radio sector is trying to consolidate the market to accept the new DAB+ radio technology. The uptake has been faster than predicted, which should mean a successful rollout of the DAB+ is leading to a bright future. But DAB+ is not a replacement to analogue radio broadcasting. I think the CRA are crying wolf in regards to ACMA's decision to release new analogue frequencies in a judicious manner for new HPON and community services.
The switchover from analogue to digital TV will yield a digital dividend, especially in Newcastle, Bunbury, Townsville, Wollongong, Renmark where Channel 3 and Channel 5 TV stations currently operate on frequencies in the VHF Band II, (FM broadcast band). In these markets, ACMA does not allow new applications for LPONS because of exclusion zones imposed to protect these TV stations from potential interference. While I believe these protection radii are often overly protective, and could be reduced by a third in most cases without riskingn interference to TV transmissions, these zones are unfortunately likely to remain in place until after the switching off of analogue TV services.
In the mean time, ACMA might be able to release a few scarce frequencies o supply new HPON and community services within these protected zones, to allow new entrants into these markets and improve diversity in regions where DAB+ services are not yet available, and indeed may not be sustainable anyway. I would hope ACMA might remove the exclusion zones as soon as the switchover to digital TV is complete (in fact sooner would be better) in a Channel 3 or 5 TV zone, so that new LPONs can be applied for. This of course is assuming that ACMA will continue the LPON system past 2013 - something that will be decided in 2011.
Philip Smith
Narrowcaster & Media Consultant
Perth WA
[email protected]
Mob:0409 212377