Aba update 138, December 2004 / January 2005

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ABA

 Update 

N e w s  U p d a t e 

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Changes to radio services 

in Bathurst area proposed 

The ABA is proposing to make channel capacity 

available for new radio services in the Bathurst 

region. 

The ABA is proposing to make FM channel 

capacity available in Bathurst City on 98.3 MHz 

to the ABC for a future national service. This is 

part of the ABA’s ongoing commitment to 

reserve channel capacity for the future provision 

of the full range of ABC radio services to 

communities or regional transmission areas with 

a population of 10 000 people or more. 

The ABA also proposes to make FM channel 

capacity available for the commercial radio 

service 2BS at Sofala, Burraga and Blayney on 

90.1 MHz, 88.1 MHz and 89.3 MHz respectively. 

These proposals follow consideration of requests 

from Bathurst Broadcasters, the licensee of the 

2BS service, to enable it to resolve reception 

difficulties in the Bathurst region. These areas 

were identified by Bathurst Broadcasters as radio 

blackspots for the purpose of the Commercial 

Radio Blackspots Program. 

Licence area plans 

For copies of all 

The ABA is also proposing to increase the 

licence area plans, tel: 

antenna height of the 2BXS FM service at 

1800 226 667 

Bathurst from 30 metres to 45 metres to reflect 

the current operating conditions. 

The closing date for comment on the proposal, 

in the Bathurst radio licence area plan, was 

3 December 2004. The draft variation to the 

Bathurst radio licence area plan together with an 

explanatory paper are available on the ABA’s 

web site, http://www.aba.gov.au/radio/services/ 

services/nsw/bathurst/index.htm. 

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Draft variation to Bega 

radio licence area plan 

The ABA is proposing to extend the licence area 

of community radio service 2BAR Bega to 

include Candelo, Bermagui and Tura Beach, and 

to specify the effective radiation power of the 

service at 1 kW. The ABA considers this power 

level will provide an adequate signal to the 

primary townships in the extended licence area. 

‘The proposed change follows a request from 

the licensee of the 2BAR service to extend its 

licence area and improve coverage of its 

service,’ said Ms Maddock. 

The 2BAR service has operated for two years 

from a site at Dr Georges Mountain, initially on 

an ERPof 2 kW. The ERP of the service was 

lowered to 350 W after a field survey conducted 

by the ABA showed that this reduced power 

level was adequate to serve the licence area. 

2BAR has requested the ABA extend its licence 

area to include those townships which received 

the service when it operated at the higher ERP. 

2BAR has shown that some residents in these 

townships are members of its service and there 

are signficiant community-of-interest ties 

between Bega and the smaller townships. 

The closing date for comment on the proposal, 

in the Bega radio licence area plan, is 

17 December 2004. The draft variation to the 

Bega radio licence area plan, with an 

explanatory paper, is available from the ABA’s 

web site, http://www.aba.gov.au/radio/services/ 

services/nsw/bega/index.htm. 

■ 

New radio channels 

proposed for Port Stephens 

The ABA is proposing to make FM channel 

capacity available for commercial service 2HD 

Newcastle and five national radio services at 

Port Stephens, New South Wales. 

‘The draft technical specifications for FM radio 

translators at Port Stephens have been 

developed with the objective of minimising any 

possible interference to television reception in 

the area,’ said Ms Maddock. ‘If any interference 

does occur when services commence, it will be 

the responsibility of the radio broadcasters to 

rectify it.’ 

FM radio translators for the Port Stephens area 

have the potential to cause interference to the 

reception of television services where viewers 

are watching Newcastle television services using 

mast head amplifiers.’ 

Before finalising the technical specifications, 

the ABA is interested in receiving comments on 

the draft variation to the Newcastle radio licence 

Issue 138 

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