ABA~Update

The ABA has allocated four new community radio licences: two in , one in Queensland and one in Western Australia .

F ne c uni• r dio licences

he ABA has allocated broadcast o n 101.7 and 107.3 The Muswellbrook/ The new community radio four new community MHz on the FM band. Murruruncli area is currently licence was advertised in the Tradio licences: one to Mt Helen FM is currently served by ABC television and Port Stephens Examiner on 7 serve Muswellbrook and Port broadcasting seven days a three comme rcial te levisio n July 1999 and the application Stephens New South Wales, week, 24 ho urs a cl ay unde r a servi ces. Radi o services in - received was assessed with one to serve Hervey Bay, temporary community broad­ elude two ABC services: 2UH particular regard to whether Queensland and one to servie casting li cence. and 2HVR, and two commer- the proposed service would Esperance, Western Australia. When that li cence expires cial radio services: 2 M and meet existing and perceived 'The proposed services will on 8 ovember 1999, they 2VLY. future community needs. add to the range and diversity w ill continue broadcasting In the radio licence area plan The Port Stephens FM Radio of services in these areas,' under a permanent commu- for th e Muswellbrook/ service curre ntly o pe rates said Professor David Flint, ABA ni ty radio broadcasting licence Murrurundi region, released seven cl ays a week, fr om Chairman. 'The applicants sat- from 9 ovember 1999. on 6 July 1999, the ABA deter­ 6 a.m. to midnight as a tempo­ isfied the ABA that they would The new community radio mined one new community rary community hroadcaste r. meet the existing and per- li cence was advertised in the FM radi o broadcasting service With the a ll ocation of the ceived future needs of the MusweL/hrook Chronicle and be m a d e available in permanent li cen ce, Po rt general communities in the the Quirindi Advocate. One Muswellbrook. Stephens FM Radio wi ll in­ licence areas.' appli cation was received and crease the servi ce to 7 clays a The ABA allocated the li- it was assessed w ith particular Port Stephens week, 24-hours a day. cences after consulting with regard to w hethe r the pro- The proposed service will the people of the local com- posed servi ce would meet ex- The licence was all ocated to provide programs that wil l munities to seek their views isting and perceived future Port Ste phens FM Radio Inc. cover a wide range of to pics o n what additional broadcast- community needs. and the new servi ce w ill broacl­ and music that w ill appeal to ing services were needed in The proposed service w ill cast on 100.9 MHz on the FM many different people in the their areas. provide programs that will band. Port Stephens community. cover a wide range of local Port Stephens FM Radi o is Muswellbrook issues, news and music that currentl y broadcasting unde r Port Stephens region w ill appeal to many different a ten1porary c0mmunity Port Stephens is located o n The li cence has been allo- people in the Muswellbrook broadcasting li cence. When the central coast of New South cated to Mt He len FM & TV community. that licence expires on 31 Jam1- Wales, approximately 200 kilo­ Upper Hunter & Live rpool ary 2000, they will continue metres north of Sydney and Plains Community Broadcast- Muswellbrook region broadcasting unde r a perma­ 32 kilometres north of New­ ing, Telecasting & To urism Muswell brook/ Murruruncli is nent community radio broad­ castle . Association Inc. (Mt He len in the Upper Hunter Va ll ey, casting licence from 1 February The Port Stephens area is FM). The new service wi ll ahout 295 km north of Sydney. 2000. curre ntly served by ABC and

6 SBS television and three com­ resent the general community ing licence on 103.5 MHz. mercial television services. of the Hervey Bay licence area. The ABA all ocated this li cence Esperance. Radio services include the The ABA decided to all ocate on 21 January 1999 and th e The proposed servi ce will ABC services 2ABCFM, 2RN , the li cence to Fraser Coast as sei-vice is required to com­ provide programs that will 2JJJ, 2NC and 2PB; SBS serv­ its me mbe rship is mo re me nce by 20 January 2000. cover a range of topics and ice 2EA; commercia l radio broadly representative of the An open narrowcasting serv­ music th at will appeal to Chris­ services 2NEW, 2KKO, 2X:X:X: g neral community of the ice, Country FM, has been tians from a wide cross sec­ and 2HD; a nd general com­ Hervey Bay li cence area and operating since December ti o n of denominati ons in th e munity service 2NUR based in therefore its service would bet- 1998. Esperance community. Newcastle. te r meet the existing and per- In the radio li cence area plan ceived future needs of the Esperance Esperance region for the Po i-r Stephens region, Hervey Bay community. Es perance is located on the re leased in October 1998, the . The li cence was allocated to south east coast of Western ABA determined th at one new Hervey Bay region Esperance So nshine Broad­ Australia, approximately 730 community FM radio broad­ The Hervey Bay area is cur- caste rs Inc. and the new serv­ kilometres south east of Perth casting service be made avail­ rently served by the ABC and ice w ill broadcast o n on the coast of the Great Aus­ able in Port Stephe ns. SBS nati onal television serv- 103.9 MHz on the FM band. trali an Bight. ices, and three commercial Esperance Sonshine Broad­ The Esperance area is cur­ Hervey Bay te levision services, RTQ61 casters Inc. is currently broad­ rently served by ABC televi­ (WIN) , STQ58 (7) and TNQ64 casting under a tempo rary sio n and two comme rcia l The ABA has a ll ocated a new (TE ). In additi on to the ABC community broadcasting li­ te levision services. Radio serv­ community radio licence for radio services; ABC regional cence. When that licence ex­ ices include the ABC services Hervey Bay, Queensland. radio, ABC Radio Na tional pires on 8 ovember 1999, 6ABCFM, 6ABCRN, 6JJJ and The licence was allocated to ( 4ABCRN 4JJJ and 4ABCFM, they will continue broadcast­ 6ED; and commercial radio Fraser Coast Community Ra­ th ere are two commercial serv­ ing unde r a pe rmanent com­ services 6SEA and 6SE. There d io Inc. to operate a service ices: 4MB Maryborough and munity li cence. is currently no permane nt on 107.5 MHz on the FM band 4CEE . Wide Bay Christian The new community radio community radio broadcast­ from 23 Septembe r 1999. Broadcasters Associati on op­ li cence was advertised in Tbe in g service in Esperance. The ABA received two ap­ erntes a community radio Esperance Express and the ap­ In the radio li cence area pl an plications fo r th e new com­ broadcasting servi ce whi ch plication received was as­ fo r the Esperance region, re­ munity radio li cence. O ne was serves th e needs of the Chris­ sessed with particular regard leased on 26 Se ptember 1996, from the Fraser Coast Com­ ti an community within the to whether the proposed serv­ the ABA determined that one munity Radi o In c. , the other Maryborough li cence area. ice would meet the existing new community FM radio from Community Radi o Sa ndy Broadcast Ope rati ons Pty and perceived future needs of broadcasting service be made Straits Inc. Both applica nts rep- Limited, will operate the third the Christian community of ava ilable in Es perance. commercial radio broadcast-

OCTOBER 1999 7