Windsor-Hawkesbury Community Radio is seeking community membership and participation to establish a new radio group in the Hawkesbury region of Sydney, aiming to apply for the now vacant frequency on 89.9FM.

It is hoping to apply for air time on the frequency once it sets up its local association.

The aspirant community radio group is being set up by CAMS (Consortium of Australian Media Services), which used to operate a service in Bankstown called Flame FM. The station stopped broadcasting in 2011 and is no longer active.

As reported by radioinfo last month, the frequency is now vacant and open to temporary test licence transmissions (TCBL) from any group which hopes to apply for the full time licence when it is made available through ACMA.

CAMS is asking people and organisations from the region to join its consortium, either for free, or with a $2 membership.

A statement from CAMS Chairperson Ralph Heness says: “If you’re a local resident, an aspiring radio broadcaster, keen on sound production, or IT, or maybe you’re just interested to see what it’s about and have no experience at all, we want you.’

Heness has told radioinfo: “CAMS is an Australian community media representative body not limited to any specific geographic area, it attempts to represent the community interests wherever it is needed for the benefit of the community as a whole, the Hawkesbury licence was in need of this representation and CAMS moved to fill the void for the benefit of the community.”

The group’s media release says:

CAMS is launching WHCR for the Hawkesbury Community of NSW and we would like the community to get involved and help establish this new grass roots radio service.

For the first time in 40 years, the Hawkesbury is getting a new community radio service called Windsor Hawkesbury Community Radio (WHCR). This new and exciting community venture is under the umbrella of  CAMS, which is a long standing Australian community media representative body.

WHCR is seeking all persons (and organisations) who live or spend a large amount of time in the Hawkesbury to contact us immediately and join the station, membership is just $2 or free depending on the option you choose.

Contact WHCR 89.9 FM at: 0452 595 845 or email [email protected].

The group has set up a basic website to recruit community members.

Incumbent Hawkesbury Radio had been broadcasting on the 89.9 frequency under a temporary community broadcasting licence (TCBL) since it lost its permanent licence, and will be obliged to share time with any other group that intends to pitch for the full time licence, once those groups can establish their credentials and bonafides to the satisfaction of the regulator ACMA. Local membership and participation is an important part of the process for any new TCBL applicant.

As of this week, another aspirant group Hawkesbury Gold, is now on air, while Hawkesbury Radio continues to stream its programs via its internet site.

The two aspirants are sharing broadcast time as follows (more info in our related report here):

Hawkesbury Gold – noon Wednesday to midnight Saturday
Hawkesbury Radio – midnight Saturday to noon Wednesday

At this stage WHCR has not been approved for TCBL broadcasting, the only two groups that have been approved at this time are the incumbent, Hawkesbury Radio and challenger Hawkesbury Gold.