The ABA is proposing to make channels available for additional community and national radio services at seven locations in the Illawarra, South East New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory.
The ABA has also proposed changes to existing radio services in the region as part of draft variations to the relevant licence area plans. The changes are aimed at resolving reception deficiencies in the region.
Before reaching a final decision the ABA is interested in receiving comments on its proposals. The closing date for submissions is 5.00pm, Friday 26 September 2003.
The ABA determined the radio licence area plans for Bega, Canberra, Cooma, Goulburn, Nowra and Wollongong in mid 1999. Since that time the ABA has received numerous requests from broadcasters requesting variations to these licence area plans.
The populations of the Illawarra, South East NSW and ACT commercial and community radio licence areas, were initially determined using 1996 Census figures. It is proposed that the licence areas now be redefined using 2001 Census figures.
Below is a summary of the ABA’s proposals:
Bega
· Reserve channel capacity for two additional national radio services to serve the Batemans Bay/Moruya area;
· Change the current technical specification of the existing commercial service 2EC Bega in order to improve its coverage in outlying areas where its reception is marginal;
· Allow the existing community service, 2BAR Bega, to move transmitter site from from Old Bega Hospital to Dr George Mountain; and
· Make channel capacity available for an additional community radio service in Eden.
Canberra
· FM frequencies 103.9 MHz and 99.9 MHz no longer to be made available for community radio purposes in Canberra
· FM frequencies 103.9 MHz and 99.9 MHz be reserved for the existing Canberra national radio service, 2PB (1440 kHz), to convert to the FM band, in order to rectify its current reception deficiencies;
· 1440 kHz continue to be reserved for a national radio service for the foreseeable future;
· Make channel capacity available for an additional FM transmitter for the existing community radio service 1RPH (1125 kHz) to serve the city of Wagga Wagga, NSW;
· Give the existing Queanbeyan community radio service, 2QBN the option to change its current technical operating conditions, in order to serve the communities of Sutton and Bungendore;
· Make channel capacity available for an additional FM transmitter for the existing community radio service 1WAY (91.9 MHz) to serve the area of Tuggeranong, ACT; and
· Not to make available any additional open narrowcasting services in Canberra.
Cooma
· Change the polarisation of the 2XL and 2SKI commercial radio services in Bombala from mixed to vertical, in order to prevent interference to WIN3 Narooma television service;
· Make available channel capacity for an additional transmitter for the community radio service, 2MNO Cooma, to serve the town of Bombala, NSW; and
· Change the frequency of the existing Bombala open narrowcasting service in order to avoid potential interference from the proposed Illawarra high power national service.
Goulburn
· Reserve channel capacity for an additional national radio service to serve the city of Goulburn;
· Vary the nominal transmitter site of the 2GN and 2SNO’s transmitters to Eurodux Road, Brushy Hill in Braidwood; and
· Make channel capacity available for an additional community radio service to serve the town of Braidwood, NSW.
Nowra
· Vary the existing technical specification of commercial radio service 2ST Nowra in order to rectify signal deficiencies in the north of its licence area and to make available an additional FM transmitter for 2ST to serve the south east section of its licence area; and
· Make channel capacity available for an additional community radio service to serve the town of Sanctuary Point, NSW.
Wollongong
· Reserve channel capacity for one additional national radio service to serve the Illawarra area; and
· The existing SBS service, 2EA, move to an alternative channel in order to be able to transmit with a maximum ERP of 2 kW.