NR 41/2001
6 July, 2001
New community radio licence for Hornsby
The Australian Broadcasting Authority has decided to allocate a new community radio licence for Hornsby, New South Wales. The licence will be allocated to 2HHH FM Ltd on 22 July 2001 and it will have 12 months from that date in which to commence its service. The service will be broadcast on 100.1 MHz on the FM band.
"The proposed service will provide programming targeted to meet the needs of the Hornsby community, with around forty five per cent of total programming being locally orientated," said Professor David Flint, ABA Chairman.
The ABA decided to allocate the licence to 2HHH FM as it considered that in comparison to the proposed services from the three other applicants, this group's service would better meet the needs of the Hornsby community.
"The ABA recognises that there are community members who have been involved with the other applicants and the ABA encourages them to continue their participation in community radio by joining 2HHH FM," said Professor Flint.
2HHH FM has open membership provisions and membership is readily available to those interested in joining the organisation. This would include members of the Chinese, Greek or other language communities.
The ABA assessed four applications for the new community radio licence. 2HHH FM Ltd and Hornsby Ku-Ring-Gai Community Radio Inc. (North FM) both proposed to serve the general Hornsby community; Hellenic Australian Radio Inc. proposed to serve the Greek community and Chinese Community Service Broadcasting Inc. proposed to serve the Chinese community.
2HHH FM 's considerable local programming and significant membership (over two hundred and fifty members) were key factors in the ABA's decision that it was the best applicant for the licence
To contact the new licensee, please call Mr Don McNicol, Director, 2HHH FM Ltd., on 9980 8333.
Media contact: Donald Robertson, ABA Manager Media and PR on (02) 9334 7980.
Backgrounder
Hornsby area
The Hornsby area is currently served by national radio services 2RN (576kHz) Sydney, 2PB (630kHz), 2BL (702MHz), 2ABCFM (92.9MHz), 2JJJ (105.7MHz), 2SBSFM (97.7MHz), 2EA (1107kHz) and the following Sydney-wide community radio services 2RPH (1224kHz), 2OOO (98.5MHz), 2MBS (102.5MHz), 2CBA (103.MHz), 2SER (107.3MHz). In addition, there are ten commercial radio services servicing the Hornsby area.
Hornsby is also served by national television services ABN2 (ABC) Sydney, SBS28 Sydney, commercial television services ATN 7 Sydney, TCN 9 Sydney, TEN10 Sydney and one community television service, CTV 31.
The ABA released a licence area plan for Sydney in December 1999. In addition to three new Sydney-wide community broadcasting licences, four local coverage community broadcasting licences were made available, one each in Penrith, Blacktown, Campbelltown and Hornsby.
The three Sydney-wide licences and the Campbelltown, Penrith and Hornsby licences have been allocated.
Community licence allocation
Part 6 of the Broadcasting Services Act 1992 provides for the allocation of community broadcasting licences.
The ABA uses a merit based allocation process where applicants compete on the basis of merit for the licence. The process includes opportunity for the public to comment on applications received.
The ABA must also have regard to:
- the extent to which the proposed service would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the community within the licence area of the proposed service; and
- the nature and diversity of the interests of that community; and
- the nature and diversity of other broadcasting services (including national broadcasting services) available within that licence area; and
- the capacity of the applicant to provide the proposed service; and
- the undesirability of one person being in a position to exercise control of more than one community broadcasting licence that is a broadcasting services bands licence in the same licence area; and
- the undesirability of the Commonwealth, a State or Territory or a political party being in a position to exercise control of a community broadcasting licence.
The Minister may also give directions to the ABA to give priority to a particular community interest or interests.
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