24 November 1999

New community radio licence for Lightening Ridge

The Australian Broadcasting Authority has allocated a community radio licence for the Lightning Ridge area of New South Wales.

The licence was allocated to Lightning Ridge Community Radio Inc and the new service will broadcast on 89.7 MHz on the FM band.

The licensee has 12 months to get the new service up and running.

"The proposed service will add to the range and diversity of services in the Lightning Ridge region" said Professor David Flint, ABA Chairman. "The applicant satisfied the ABA it would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the general community in that area."

The ABA has allocated this licence after a process of consultation with the people of the local community to seek their views on what additional broadcasting services were needed in their area.

The new community radio licence was advertised in the Lightning Ridge News on 19 August 1999 and the one application received was assessed with particular regard to whether the proposed service would meet existing and future community needs.

Lightning Ridge Community Radio Inc currently operates a full time service under a temporary community broadcasting licence. The service features a wide range of programming which is intended to appeal to the general community.

To contact the new licensee, call Mr Bevin Brown, President/Station Manager, on
(02) 6829 2777.

BACKGROUNDER

Lightning Ridge region

Lightning Ridge is an opal-mining town in Walgett Shire, New South Wales, 763 kilometres by road north-west of Sydney off the Castlereagh Highway, and lies within the Bourke commercial radio and television licence areas.

The Lightning Ridge district is currently served by ABC and SBS television services, commercial television service QQQ, ABC radio services 2ABCRR and 2ABCRN and commercial radio services 2NOWand 2VM. Lightning Ridge also has a high powered open narrowcasting service broadcasting on 98.5 kHz.

In the radio licence area plan for the Bourke region, released on 9 October 1998, the ABA determined one new community FM radio broadcasting licence be made available for Lightning Ridge.

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:

(a) 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

(b) the nature and diversity of the interests of that community; and

(c) the nature and diversity of other broadcasting services (including national broadcasting services) available within that licence area; and

(d) the capacity of the applicant to provide the proposed service; and

(e) 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

(f) 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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