** AUSTRALIA. Hi Glen[n], There is a number of AM to FM conversions happening in
Australia. The following AM stations have already migrated - (sorry if some
station info is missing - I'm just giving basic details to let DXers know which
AM allocations are gone or are soon to go). Some conversions are just in the
preparation stage (ACMA submissions) e.g. for 6VA Albany, 2AD Armidale, 2TM
Tamworth (to name a few). Some will be just frequency swaps with the local TAB
horse racing outlets which will move their service to the AM frequency now in
use by the commercial broadcaster.
Many allocations will be a messy
affair due to the ACMA's poor spectrum planning from times past. It will require
shuffling a number of existing stations or translators. They just should have
stuck to the AM to FM conversion process they started in the late 80s instead of
giving stations supplementary commercial FM licenses & back when there were
plenty of FM frequencies available --- unlike now --- before all the community,
ABC & narrowcast licenses came on air.
WA -
(Spirit radio)
Karratha 1260 kHz now 102.5,
Exmouth 747 kHz now 102.9,
Paraburdoo 765 kHz
now 94.1,
Tom Price (Red-FM) 747 kHz now 96.1,
(1089 kHz Collie went a
couple of years ago & is now on 101.3)
VIC -
3YB Warnambool 882
kHz swapped with the 3RPH outlet on 94.5. So 882 kHz stays on air but is now
3RPH.
Other stations set for conversion from AM to FM in
2018/2019:
NSW -
2BS Bathurst (1503 kHz) most likely 95.1 FM,
2XL
Cooma (918 kHz), 2GN Goulburn (1368 kHz), 2LT Lithgow (900 kHz), 2LM Lismore
(900 kHz). [FM to be unknown?]
2BH Broken Hill was offered FM but
elected to stay on AM (567 kHz).
TAS - 7BU Burnie (558 kHz) to 100.9
FM,
7AD Devonport (900 kHz) to 98.9 FM.
7SD will also convert but will
keep 540 kHz.
Note that 837 kHz Queenstown TAS is long gone (92.1
FM).
WA -
6MM (1116 kHz) to 91.7 FM.
(Geoff Wolfe - Numeralla NSW
Australia, July 22, DX LISTENING DIGEST)
