N E W S Mt Helen FM licence cancelled

ACMA has cancelled the community access to, and participation in, the – proper records are kept of Mt to participate in the service by 30 licence held by Mt service and general governance. Helen FM’s business activities, November 2005 and a written report Helen FM & TV Upper Hunter & ACMA imposed three additional including all financial detailing procedures for corporate Liverpool Plains Community licence conditions on Mt Helen FM’s arrangements and matters governance by 31 March 2006. Broadcasting, Telecasting and licence on 15 September 2005. The • Mt Helen FM establishes and On 31 August 2006, ACMA found Tourism Association Inc. (Mt Helen conditions required that: maintains a sub-committee that Mt Helen FM had breached its FM), after finding that it had not • the office bearers of the licensee responsible for encouraging and additional licence conditions by complied with its licence conditions. and all members of the committee arranging access to Mt Helen FM failing to meet these requirements Mt Helen FM was allocated a of management are validly elected and all its operations by members and issued a formal notice to the community radio broadcasting and devise and implement of the Muswellbrook community licensee to comply with the licence in 1999 to represent the procedures to ensure that: and conditions by 1 October 2006. Mt general community in Muswellbrook, – every member of the committee of • Mt Helen FM broadcasts one Helen FM did not comply by the due New South Wales. The 2GGZ service management is fully aware of and announcement inviting listeners to date and ceased broadcasting in operated on 101.7 MHz and 107.3 understands the legislative and become members of the station August 2006. MHz. After an enquiry into Mt Helen regulatory requirements which and to participate in the selection ACMA has not made any decision FM’s application for renewal of its apply to the licensee and provision of programs each regarding the future use of the community licence in 2004, the – the committee of management hour between 7.00 am and frequency that has been freed up and licence was renewed with the properly scrutinises all of the midnight on each day of the week. will consider this issue once intention that additional licence licensee’s activities, including all Mt Helen FM was required to processes have been finalised with conditions would be imposed to financial arrangements and provide to ACMA a transcript of on- Mt Helen FM. ensure that the licensee improves matters and air announcements inviting listeners Low power community radio service for city area ACMA will make channel capacity 2004 and a revised draft variation There are amendments to the Wanneroo FM translator following available for a new low power released in December 2005. ACMA technical specifications for submissions received on the revised community radio service to serve the received more than 1,500 letters of community radio services 6NR, 6RPH draft variation released in December Perth city area. The new service will support encouraging it to make an and 6YMS and commercial radio 2005 and a subsequent field survey operate on 90.5 MHz. Capital additional community radio service service 6PR to reflect transmitter undertaken by ACMA. Community Radio and Western available in Perth. site changes and power increases for The variation does not consider Sports Media, which have been The licence area of community the 6RPH and 6YMS services. the future use of the FM frequency sharing the frequency, will continue radio service 6TCR Wanneroo has ACMA has also withdrawn the 100.9 MHz. The West Australian to share the frequency until licence been extended to include all of the availability for an open Aboriginal Media Association had applications are called for the new City of Wanneroo and the City of narrowcasting service of AM provided a community radio licence permanent service. Joondalup. 6TCR has also been frequency 1170 kHz, which may be service on that frequency until The changes follow consideration granted an increase in power to the required for digital radio. October this year, when ACMA of submissions received on a draft north to enable it to provide ACMA will not proceed with cancelled its licence. variation to the Perth radio licence coverage to all of the City of changes previously proposed to the The licence area plan is on the area plan released in September Wanneroo. technical specifications for the 6IX ACMA website at www.acma.gov.au.

and its financial capacity and C31 trial in extended • to consider membership ACMA has extended the community considered that neither of the two and technical capacity to provide the applications from members of rival television trial being conducted by applicants for the licence (C31 and proposed service. community television group, C31 in Adelaide until 4 July 2007. OUR TV Adelaide Ltd) satisfied the At the end of the trial, ACMA will Television Adelaide Ltd, in The trial had previously been relevant criteria. assess C31’s compliance with accordance with C31’s extended to 4 January 2007. Applications for the trial were undertakings it has given, including: constitution. Expressions of interest for a trial received from C31 and Television • to take active steps to identify Before considering whether or not were invited in June 2006 after Adelaide Ltd (TV Adelaide). ACMA community needs to advertise for the permanent ACMA had decided not to allocate a concluded that C31 satisfied the • encourage participation in the community television licence in permanent community television criteria and had concerns that TV service Adelaide, ACMA will await further licence in Adelaide because it Adelaide did not have the financial • report on corporate governance developments digital television policy.

TEMPORARY COMMUNITY BROADCASTING LICENCES ALLOCATED, DECEMBER 2006 –JANUARY 2007 State Licence area Licensee Community served Frequency Start Finish Allocated SA Riverland RA1 Riverland Christian Radio Inc Christian 93.9 MHz 11/12/06 10/6/07 7/12/06 SA Goolwa RA1 The Fleurieu Christian Broadcasters Inc Christian 96.5 MHz 30/1/07 29/1/08 2/1/07 Radio Alexandrina (Alex FM) Community SA Goolwa RA1 General 96.5 MHz 30/1/07 29/1/08 2/1/07 Broadcasters Association Inc Milton Ulladulla and Districts Community Radio NSW Ulladulla RA1 General 102.7 MHz 7/2/07 6/2/08 12/1/07 Association of Broadcasters Inc WA Port Hedland RA2 Hedland Community Radio Inc Aboriginal 101.3 MHz 30/1/07 29/1/08 17/1/07

ACMAsphere | Issue 16 – February 2007 9