More transmitters for ABC NewsRadio

Seventeen communities and more than six million people across Australia will hear the ABC’s NewsRadio service with the fulfillment of an election promise to extend the network. The NSW towns of Dubbo and Wagga will also benefit by improved Local Radio services as part of the transmission expansion.

As part of a three stage rollout, ABC NewsRadio will be extended to 13 new areas and two existing NewsRadio services will be enhanced. ABC Local Radio will also be extended to Dubbo, and existing ABC Local Radio services in Wagga Wagga will be enhanced.

The first stage rollout of new transmitters, which begins next year, will provide NewsRadio coverage to about 1.2 million people for the first time. A further 5 million people in Dubbo, Hobart, Sydney and Wagga Wagga will also benefit from improvements to existing NewsRadio or Local Radio transmissions.

The ABC says stages 2 and 3 of the rollout have the potential to extend services to a further 3 million people.

Announcing the expansion, Communications Minister Helen Coonan said: “The ABC can be a lifeline for local communities and the Australian Government is committed to ensuring more Australians can access as many of the ABC’s services as possible. At the last election the Australian Government committed to extending ABC NewsRadio services and enhancing Local Radio services.”

ABC NewsRadio began broadcasting in August 1994 and is Australia’s only live, national news network. It broadcasts continuously, giving listeners 24 hour access to breaking news, sport, finance, weather, and live coverage of Federal Parliament.

NewsRadio is broadcast in each of Australia’s capital cities plus Newcastle, the Gold Coast, and Gosford and it is also on the internet. Currently NewsRadio can potentially be heard by about 78% of the Australian population, and when all three stages of the rollout have been completed, the ABC estimates over 95% of Australians will have coverage.

ABC Local Radio has an estimated national penetration rate of more than 99% already, and is often the only mobile source of vital weather and emergency service information for Australians living in rural, regional and remote Australia. The Local Radio extension in Dubbo City and its enhancement in Wagga Wagga will provide “more comprehensive coverage” of this service.

Full details of the new transmission sites is below.

 

 

Tags: |