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 Radio Australia to close at end of Jan
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 Return to top of page · Post #: 1 · Written at 8:19:40 PM on 18 January 2017.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2011

According to a "Letter to the editor" in this month's Silicon Chip magazine, all the shortwave outlets in Northern Territory and Shepparton will be closed down permanently on Jan 31. You're expected to listen online or to digital radio.

Well, we all know how useless digital radio is out of the big cities, and not everyone in the world is online yet. Plus, some countries don't allow certain discussions to be available on the net. Well done ABC...


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 2 · Written at 10:00:12 PM on 18 January 2017.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

The ABC has being losing the plot for years now. It's a left wing political outlet instead of an educational and informative news source these days. Radio Australia most likely was the one division that fell outside this description, hence it'd be the first to go under recent budget cuts.

Whilst I have always opposed governments selling the family silver I think in this day and age I do question the need for the Commonwealth to own a television and radio network. The problem the ABC has though is that because of its small market share it would not be a viable business in private hands.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 3 · Written at 10:47:14 PM on 18 January 2017.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2011

The only use I have for the ABC is for the cricket coverage.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 4 · Written at 6:13:57 PM on 19 January 2017.
Ian Robertson's Gravatar
 Location: Belrose, NSW
 Member since 31 December 2015
 Member #: 1844
 Postcount: 2363

Yes, ABC is a branch of the Labor Party.
RA is no use to them, killing it is a chance to make the govt look bad.
Last time I listened to SW from RA, the transmitter was in a bad way. Hum modulation of the high level modulator.
I doubt if much maintenance has been done for some time.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 5 · Written at 8:54:10 PM on 19 January 2017.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2011

I listened yesterday and it was fine.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 6 · Written at 10:07:22 PM on 19 January 2017.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

It's been some years but I don't even think that 2BL and Radio National have the same sound quality as other AM stations. It's been a long time since I listened to Radio Australia as I don't have a short wave radio handy.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 7 · Written at 11:09:20 AM on 20 January 2017.
Simplex's Gravatar
 Location: Bathurst, NSW
 Member since 7 August 2008
 Member #: 336
 Postcount: 391

I sent a letter of to the Minister for Communication and the Arts before Xmas on the closure of R. Australia.

All I got back was a glob letter of how everyone in the remote desert regions of Australia will be able to receive VHF FM or the satellite VAST Network.

They seem to think these services are available in Darwin so all's fine.

The satellite VAST receivers are only fixed installations, nothing about people in automobiles such as I was when 4WDing in the Simpson desert or other very remote areas.

And who can afford a VAST receiver, have a look at the costs http://www.accessantennas.com.au/perth-discount/satellite-kits-systems/caravan-satellite-kits2/

Digital radio is a sick joke.

Nothing said about the loss of Australian news and viewpoints to our neighbours in the Pacific Island region.

Yet the Chinese run very slick well presented shortwave transmitters so powerful they could be received on a crystal radio with a good aerial.

You can bet whom the Pacific Islanders will be listening to.

Agree with the comments that the ABC is nothing but a left wing propaganda organisation burbling on about clever young people in their early 20's developing mobile phone ap's.

Even though I have been a long fan of the ABC since childhood in recent years am more and more ceasing to listen to any ABC broadcasts.

Nothing but deading cricket and Labor Party propaganda.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 8 · Written at 12:29:50 PM on 20 January 2017.
Sue's avatar
 Sue
 Location: Daylesford, VIC
 Member since 13 January 2011
 Member #: 809
 Postcount: 326

For talk, ABC radio has too much slot-filling "tell us about your latest book" for my liking. It's usually quite dull stuff. I like their classical and jazz programs. Okay, community radio doesn't mind playing jazz or light music, but no-one else will touch classical. You're right though, shutting down Radio Australia is a bad move. Shortwave is still going strong in the Pacific region, but there won't be much more than Radio China and the BBC in English now, and the BBC is just too depressing to listen to.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 9 · Written at 1:13:26 PM on 20 January 2017.
Ian Robertson's Gravatar
 Location: Belrose, NSW
 Member since 31 December 2015
 Member #: 1844
 Postcount: 2363

"I listened yesterday and it was fine."

It figures! I bet they did the usual govt department move and overhauled/replaced the transmitters just before closing them down.

Have you heard the self-advertise spot they play on Newsradio that actually says they are "without bias or agenda"!


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 10 · Written at 10:34:01 PM on 20 January 2017.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

without bias or agenda

It's a laugh, isn't it...


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 11 · Written at 12:06:37 AM on 21 January 2017.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
 Member since 21 February 2009
 Member #: 438
 Postcount: 5239

On the other side of the not worth listening to prattle is commercial talk back radio, I am convinced that one in particular coming out of Melbourne and syndicated to a lot of rural stations, is blissfully unaware that there is more of Victoria North of "Pretty Sally".

Marc


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 12 · Written at 8:01:07 AM on 21 January 2017.
Brad's avatar
 Administrator
 Location: Naremburn, NSW
 Member since 15 November 2005
 Member #: 1
 Postcount: 7290

I agree. I've never really liked Ray Hadley's narcissism and even though I've listened to Alan Jones in the past, he is now is losing the plot. How these two blokes are keeping 2GB at the top of the nation's ratings is something I cant work out. If I was John Singleton I'd be preparing some new blood for these two key roles.

The difference between commercial radio and the ABC though, is that we can choose not to pay for commercial radio. We are stuck with paying for the rot the ABC dish out.


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A valve a day keeps the transistor away...

 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 13 · Written at 9:44:56 AM on 21 January 2017.
Robbbert's avatar
 Location: Hill Top, NSW
 Member since 18 September 2015
 Member #: 1801
 Postcount: 2011

If the ABC really wanted to reduce their costs, they could shut down between midnight and 6am like how it was in the 70s.

They could get rid of the radio transmissions that are piggybacked onto the digital TV signals, I bet most people don't even know they exist, and I'm pretty sure nobody listens to them.

They have multitudes of DAB channels, most of which are useless talkfests. Give them the chop.

Get rid of Radio National, it's a left-winger's paradise.

Get rid of ABC-FM, the remaining audience for classical music is dying off, literally. Same for jazz.

They spend way too much of our money on an audience that could fit into a phone booth. Enough already!


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 14 · Written at 10:58:08 AM on 21 January 2017.
Marcc's avatar
 Location: Wangaratta, VIC
 Member since 21 February 2009
 Member #: 438
 Postcount: 5239

They set up 3RN a few Km from me, I often wonder at 10K, or so, how much per head it costs to service the likely 13 or so people that listen to it?

They stuffed up 2CO Corowa, which is historically significant being opened in 1925, I believe was the first country station and playing apart in the landing of the DC2 Uiver that got lost in the Air Race in the 1930's.

It could get from Corowa (NSW Vic border) to Broadford (Melbourne) in daylight. It had an Alexanderson Antenna, that I believe in true Australian style, was destroyed (probably for beer money) rather than rebuilt.

This seems to be part of the continuing trend of destroying or running into the dirt, everything Australia achieved prior to the end of the Menzies era.


 
 Return to top of page · Post #: 15 · Written at 11:30:51 AM on 21 January 2017.
Sue's avatar
 Sue
 Location: Daylesford, VIC
 Member since 13 January 2011
 Member #: 809
 Postcount: 326

Dying off? I'm only in my fifties! Anyway, being a publicly-funded broadcaster supposedly for all Australians (internal opinions on this varied even when I worked for them in the 80's), ideally all shades of opinion and tastes in music should be represented on ABC Radio (again, internally controversial). I suppose there's a lean towards the lefty and minority tastes, and that might be "demographics"; those people who still listen to ABC Radio do so because they don't like what they hear on commercial radio. And here's the eternal problem. Give people what commercial radio doesn't give them because there's no money-spinning audience grab in it, and there's complaints from those who have paid their taxes and don't want to hear it; give people what commercial radio already gives them, and there's complaints from people who have paid their taxes for a service that's been duplicated for no reason.


 
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