ABA Update

IN THE NEWS

The ABA has allocated new licences after community consultation during the licence area planning and allocation processes, and assessing whether the proposed services would meet existing and perceived future community needs. New community radio licences for ...

Monaro, NSW (2XL and 2SKI) provide general Boonah, Qld In December 2000, the ABA programming. Of the two na- finalised the Ipswich radio li- The successful applicant for the tional services, one (2CP) pro- The successful applicant for the cence area plan, which includes new community radio licence vides general programming and new community radio licence the Boonah licence area. It de- for the Monaro licence area, is regional news whilst the other for Boonah, Scenic Rim Broad- termined that one new com- Monaro Community Radio In- (2ABCRN) provides general casting Association Inc. (Rim munity radio broadcasting corporated (MCR), will provide programming and national FM), will broadcast on 100.1 licence be made available for a service on 90.5 MHz (Cooma), news. MHz on the FM band. Rim FM is Boonah. 93.9 MHz (Jindabyne) and 93.3 The ABA released a licence currently broadcasting on that MHz (Monaro) on the FM band. area plan for Cooma in July frequency under a temporary Nambour, Qld The Monaro licence area cov- 1999. community broadcasting li- ers Cooma, Monaro and cence that expires on 16 March The successful applicants for Jindabyne. , NSW 2003. The permanent commu- the two new community radio There were two applicants for nity radio broadcasting licence licences for Nambour, SDA Ra- the Monaro licence, MCR and The successful applicant new will commence on 17 March dio Association Inc. and Sun- High Country Community Me- community radio licence for 2003. shine Coast Christian dia Association Incorporated the Wagga Wagga licence area, Rim FM was the only appli- Broadcasters Association Inc., (HCCMA). Both applicants were Riverina Christian Radio Incor- cant for the licence. will provide services on 104.9 proposing to provide a general porated (Life FM), will broad- Rim FM’s service operates 24 MHz and 106.5 MHz respec- service, although HCCMA had cast 101.9 MHz on the FM band. hours a day, 7 days a week. The tively, on the FM band. a focus on multicultural broad- Life FM is currently broadcast- proposed service will provide The ABA received four appli- casting and seniors. ing on that frequency under a programs that will cover a wide cations for the licences, from: In the ABA’s view, MCR dem- temporary community broad- range of local issues, in addi- SDA Radio Incorporated (Sun- onstrated a clear commitment casting licence that expires on tion to news, information and shine FM), Sunshine Coast to meet the many and varied 8 February 2003. The perma- entertainment that appeals to Christian Broadcasters Associa- needs of the community within nent community radio broad- the different community groups tion Inc (Rhema FM), Caloundra the Monaro licence area and it casting licence will commence throughout the Boonah licence Community Radio Incorporated has also committed to keeping on 9 February 2003. Life FM area. (Beach FM) and Maleny Com- abreast of changing needs. proposes to provide a service The Boonah area is currently munity Radio Incorporated This licence was previously to meet the needs of the Chris- served by six national radio (Hinterland FM). advertised in November 1999 tian community. services; 4QR, 4RN, 4PB, 4JJJ, ‘Sunshine FM has demon- but the ABA decided, after a The Wagga Wagga licence 4ABC and 4SBS; seven com- strated that it is committed to thorough assessment process, area has eight radio services – mercial radio services; 4BH, providing the mature age serv- not to allocate the licence at two commercial (2WG, 2WZD), 4BC, 4KQ, 4MMM, 4BBB, 4MIX ice it currently provides, and that time. five national (2ABCRN, 2RVR, and 4TAB; and three commu- continuing its current program The Monaro area is currently 2ABCFM, 2JJJ, 2SBS) and one nity radio services; 4MBS, 4RPH of expansion of the focus of the served by four radio services — community (2AAA). and 4BSR (limited coverage). It service to include a variety of two commercial and two na- The ABA released a licence is also served by national tel- community interests in its pro- tional. There is no existing li- area plan for Wagga Wagga in evision services ABC and SBS, gramming. Rhema has demon- censed community broadcaster. December 2001. and commercial television serv- strated that it is dedicated to  The two commercials services ices QTQ, TVQ and BTQ. providing a Christian service to

18 IN THE NEWS

the Nambour community,’ said Great Southern Community that appeals to the many differ- No community radio Professor Flint. Broadcasters Association Incor- ent community groups across licence in George Two community licences for porated (GSFM). the Northern Midlands licence Town, Tas Nambour were made available The Victor Harbor region is area. following completion of the within the licence area of the The Northern Midlands area The ABA has decided not to Nambour radio licence area Adelaide commercial and com- of Tasmania is currently served allocate a community radio plan in December 2000. munity radio service, therefore by four national radio services broadcasting licence in George The Nambour area is currently nominally receiving 18 wide 7NT, 7JJJ, 7ABC and 7RN; two Town, Tasmania at this time. served by three national radio coverage services from Adelaide commercial radio services 7LA The ABA sought applications services, 4SCR, 4ABC and 4JJJ – five commercial, six national and 7EX and two community for the licence in September and two Nambour wide com- and six community. However, radio services 7LTN and 7WAY. 2002. The sole applicant was mercial radio services, 4SEE and the region is within the It is also served by national Tamar FM Incorporated. Tamar 4SSS. It is also served by na- southernmost point of the li- television services ABC and SBS, FM proposed to serve the gen- tional television services ABQ40 cence areas and is shadowed and commercial television serv- eral community of the George and SBS34, commercial televi- by Mount Terrible. Predicted ices TNT and TVT. Town licence area. sion services STQ43, RTQ49 field strength contour maps In December 2001, the ABA ‘After giving careful consid- and TNQ46. show that the level of signals in finalised the Launceston radio eration to the criteria laid down The ABA released a licence this area falls below a rural licence area plan, which in- in the legislation and the infor- area plan for Nambour in De- stereo grade of service. cludes the Northern Midlands mation provided by the appli- cember 2000. Victor Harbor is within the licence area. cant, the ABA has decided in licece areas of the commercial this case not to allocate the Victor Harbor, SA television services SAS58, Perth, WA licence,’ said Professor Flint. NSW61 and ADS64 and the na- ‘The ABA finds that the appli- The successful applicants for tional television services ABS55 The successful applicant for the cant was not able to satisfy the the new community radio li- and SBS52. new community radio licence ABA that it had the necessary cence to serve the wider The ABA released a licence for the Perth licence area, Youth financial, technical and man- Fleurieu Peninsula area is En- area plan for Murray Bridge, Media Society of Western Aus- agement capacity to provide a counter FM Community Broad- which included the Victor tralia Incorporated (Groove broadcasting service that would casters Association Inc. It will Harbor region, in December FM), will broadcast 101.7 MHz adequately serve the George provide a service on 89.3 MHz 2001. on the FM band. Town licence area. In addition, in Victor Harbor, 94.7 MHz in There were two applicants for the applicant did not success- Strathalbyn and 88.3 MHz in Northern Midlands, the Perth licence, Groove FM fully demonstrate to the ABA Yankalilla. Tas (youth) and Capital Commu- that there was sufficient need The successful applicant for nity Radio Incorporated (sen- and community interest within the licence to serve Victor The successful applicant for the iors). the licence area for its pro- Harbor only, Great Southern new community radio licence Groove FM is proposing to posed service,’ said Professor Community Broadcasters Asso- for the Northern Midlands area provide a comprehensive serv- Flint. ciation Inc., will provide a serv- of Tasmania, Northern Midlands ice to meet the needs of young ‘At some time in the future the ice on 90.1 MHz. Community Broadcasters Inc. people, with a particular focus matter may be reconsidered and The ABA received three ap- (Heart FM), will broadcast on on students and youth aged then the licence can be plications for the wider cover- 95.7 MHz on the FM band. Heart between 12–26 years. In the readvertised. During the inter- age Fleurieu Peninsula licence. FM is currently broadcasting on ABA’s view, this new service vening period it is suggested The applicants were Encounter that frequency under a tempo- will provide young people with that the unsuccessful applicant FM Community Broadcasters rary community broadcasting an opportunity to actively par- apply for a temporary commu- Association Inc (5EFM), Radio licence that expires on 30 April ticipate in the development and nity broadcasting licence, which Alexandrina (Alex FM) Com- 2003. The permanent commu- delivery of the service. will provide it with an opportu- munity Broadcasters Associa- nity radio broadcasting licence The Perth licence area has 18 nity to increase the number of tion Incorporated (Alex FM) will commence on 1 May 2003. Perth-wide radio services – six community members actively and The Fleurieu Peninsula Heart FM was the only appli- commercial (6IX, 6PPM, 6MIX involved in provision of its serv- Christian Broadcasters Associa- cant for the licence. Its service 6NOW, 6PR, ), six na- ice,’ he said. tion Incorporated (Spirit FM). operates 24 hours a day, 7 days tional (6WF, 6RN, 6ABC, 6SBS, Until such time as the ABA The ABA received four appli- a week. The proposed service 6PB, 6JJJ) and six community reconsiders a permanent allo- cations for the Victor Harbor will provide programs that will (6NR, 6RPH, 6AR, 6EBA, 6SON, cation, the channel set aside for only licence. The applicants cover a wide range of local 6RTR). this licence (95.3 MHz) will were the three listed above for issues, in addition to news, in- The ABA released a licence continue to be made available the wider coverage licence, and formation and entertainment area plan for Perth in October for temporary community 2001. broadcasting.

DECEMBER 2002 / JANUARY 2003 19