In an important move by Australia’s biggest regional network, Southern Cross Austereo has turned its digital streaming back on for an additional eighteen regional radio stations.
Listeners can access the live broadcast streams from station websites and apps.
SCA’s Head of Regional Media, Rick Lenarcic is pleased the network can now offer local audiences more ways to hear their favourite music and local information.
“SCA is the number one Commercial Radio group online and we’re excited we can now bring that offering to a number of our regional markets which may be at risk as we enter into bushfire and cyclone season.”
Speaking to radioinfo, SCA’s Head of Regulatory Affairs and Corporate Communications Creina Chapman says turning the streams back on was “inevitable.”
The stations are being turned on under Interim Simulcasting Licenses issued by the PPCA in accordance with orders made by the Copyright Tribunal of Australia, after a prolongued dispute between the commercial radio industry and the PPCA.
Chapman says the interim licences cost about $300, but that fees will be revised as part of a final settlement some time this year. A settlement hearing is scheduled for April, but it could be that individual networks, or indeed the whole industry, will reach a direct settlement before that date.
The interim licence arrangement has been in place for metro stations since court directions were issued about 2 years ago, but regional stations objected to paying the additional fees and potential back payments, arguing that the amount of fees and backpayments could drive small regional stations into unprofitability. At the time, regional stations banded together to protest against the PPCA’s actions and all turned off their streams. Since then SCA and some others have gradually turned regional streams back on.
With more regional listeners tuning in via improved broadband or better and cheaper regional mobile data phone plans, stations appear to be coming to the conclusion that they cannot afford to lose streaming listeners to capital city ‘head of network’ stations or music streaming services such as Pandora.
Chapman would not be drawn on radioinfo’s question of whether SCA was breaking ranks with other regional broadcasters. “No comment,” was her polite reply.
She said most of the stations actually turned their streams on during Christmas week, but testing needed to be completed to ensure the radio app streams were working, so the public announcement was postponed until today.
The eighteen stations turning on today are:
North Queensland
Hot FM, Cairns
Sea FM, Cairns
Hot FM Mareeba
Hot FM Mackay
Sea FM Mackay
Hot FM Rockhampton/Gladstone
Sea FM Rockhampton/Gladstone
Victoria, New South Wales and South Australia
Star FM Shepparton
3SR FM Shepparton
Star FM Gippsland
Star FM Albury
The River Albury
Star FM Mildura
Sun FM Mildura
Star FM Bendigo
3BO FM Bendigo
5SE Mount Gambier
Star FM Mount Gambier.
Streaming services for the remaining SCA regional stations are expected to be turned on within weeks.