27 November 2009
Changes to 2ST Nowra translator at St Georges Basin
The Australian Communications and Media Authority has changed the location and technical specifications of an FM translator providing the 2ST Nowra commercial radio service to the St Georges Basin area of New South Wales.
The changes will address issues related to the maintenance and operation of the transmitter which have resulted in disruptions to the service in the St Georges Basin area.
The translator is currently situated at Bewong, NSW. The changes to the service include moving the translator to a new site at Huskisson, increasing the antenna height and decreasing the effective radiated power (ERP).
The changes are contained in a variation to the licence area plan for Nowra radio, released today.
The variation and explanatory paper are available on the ACMA website or by calling 1300 850 115.
Media contact: Donald Robertson, Media Manager on (02) 9334 7980.
Background
Licence area plans
The ACMA prepares licence area plans under subsection 26(1) of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 (the BSA). Licence area plans determine the number and characteristics, including technical specifications, of broadcasting services that are to be available in particular areas of Australia with the use of the broadcasting services bands. The ACMA may vary licence area plans under subsection 26(2) of the BSA.
Section 23 of the BSA imposes specific obligations on the ACMA when carrying out its planning functions, including, amongst other things, that the ACMA is required to perform its functions in a way that promotes the objects of the Act, including the economic and efficient use of the radiofrequency spectrum.
Section 27 of the BSA provides that the ACMA must make provision for wide public consultation when considering whether to make or vary a licence area plan.
Consultation and submissions
Section 27 of the BSA provides that the ACMA must make provisions for wide public consultation when considering whether to make or vary a licence area plan.
Before making a decision to vary the Nowra licence area plan, the ACMA undertook the following consultation:
On 6 October 2009, the ACMA published the following papers on its website:
- a draft variation to the Nowra licence area plan;
- an explanatory paper about the changes proposed in the draft variation to the Nowra licence area plan, inviting public comment by 30 October 2009; and
- a media release announcing the proposed draft variation to the Nowra licence area plan.
On 7 October 2009, the ACMA wrote to the licensees providing radio broadcasting services to the Nowra region to advise them of the release of the draft variation to the Nowra licence area plan and to invite their comments.
On 9 October 2009, the ACMA placed an advertisement in the South Coast Register outlining the effect of the draft variation on the licence area plan, providing details of how to obtain copies of the draft variation, how to access it on the ACMA’s website and inviting public comment.
The ACMA received no submissions on the draft variation to the Nowra licence area plan and accompanying explanatory paper.
Nowra radio licence area plan
The variation to the licence area plan released today will re-locate the FM translator for commercial broadcasting service 2ST from Bewong to Huskisson.
The service currently operates on frequency 91.7 MHz with a 70 metre antenna with a maximum effective radiated power (ERP) of 2 kW. Following this variation the service will now operate from Huskisson on frequency 91.7 MHz with a 70 metre antenna, an ERP of 1 kW and a rotated radiation pattern. The ACMA believes this change in the technical specifications of the service will mitigate any interference to 2ST’s AM service broadcasting into Nowra.
This variation also updated the current descriptions of the existing commercial and community licence areas in the Nowra licence area plan so that they are defined in terms used in the 2006 census. The variation also corrected drafting errors to ensure consistency in the terminology and format of the attachments to the licence area plan for Nowra radio.
