"major Pacific powers"

I was thinking of Voice of America and the Chinese.

Re Panama the Chinese have been splashing money around in their campaign against Taiwan and the Panama Canal has been upgraded. First ship through - Chinese.

Getting back to the subject of Aussie SW we can only hope for expansion in any way that it comes.

Yes, I agree. I don't know if ACMA is just shorted-sighted or what, but I think they should hand out free shortwave licences to all the commercial stations and let them at it.

I am not quite sure what ACMA's agenda really is as they seem to be more intent on closing down frequencies than they do allocating them.

It takes ages to get things through their long winded processes and small community groups are frequently let out in nthe cold.

Lindsay

ACMA, by its own policy, is supposed to announce intentions to review/change regulations:

https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/About/Corporate/Responsibilities/acma-evidenceinformed-regulation-and-effective-consultation

-- and invite "consultations" thereon:

https://www.acma.gov.au/theACMA/upcoming-consultations

Latest update as to Aussie shortwave stations...

The station at Gunnedah had been on 5045 LSB for a while, quite audible. Then it went to USB, then vanished soon after.

Last night I heard a station on 3215 AM, but I couldn't make out the words due to high levels of hash.

Due to the hash levels, I couldn't even hear 4KZ, 5055, but I suppose they are still there.

And, would you believe, that's the grand total - 2.

I heard NZ on 5945 broadcasting in Pidgin and so on to the local Pacific Nations, doing what Radio Australia used to do (and still should be).

UPDATE RE OZY Radio: It's with deep regret that I inform you that this station is now no more due to it's owner who passed away suddenly last year.

We will hear Jack-o or the Radio Australia interval signal no more. :"(

Guys, you can't seriously expect the ACMA to be any more efficient than any other government department. If it takes less than five years to get done, it won't be done by a government department.

Daro: thanks for that sad news. I always wondered why the station just disappeared.

Latest update: the station I mentioned on 3215 is still there, but still buried in the hash. It isn't listed on ACMA's listings, so therefore not Australian and therefore not worth worrying about.

5045USB is still used by Unique Radio from time to time.
5055AM is still used by 4KZ.

Daytime listening on shortwave shows Radio New Zealand as the only station of any strength. Even the Chinese have mostly vanished. Radio NZ can be heard on 13840 most of the day.

Latest update - there is only one SW station in Australia.

Unique Radio closed down "due to relocation", and 4KZ is the only one left. I have trouble hearing it though, due to the enormous amount of NBN hash.

Update for today.

5035 USB, Unique Radio, some nights. Based in Gunnedah.
5045 AM, Bay Island Radio, strongest of all the stations, Sunday night only from what I can tell. Based off the Gold Coast. Plays loud music.
5055 AM, 4KZ translator, FNQ. Every night for a few hours.


I bet the powers that be regret getting rid of Radio Australia. I rather suspect some chinese whispers went into the ears of the bean counters at the time, and now they are too proud to admit their mistake.

Latest update.

A new station on 2310 and 4835, based in Neilborough, VIC, about 20km north of Bendigo.

The 4835 frequency is pretty strong, about 9. The 2310 frequency isn't currently audible here due to massive hash. Plays prerecorded old American top 40 shows, with a frequency announcement by an Indian lady every so often.


As for the others, nothing more heard from Unique Radio, but perhaps I'm listening on the wrong nights.

5045 only transmits occasionally, perhaps once a month. They had a pretty strong signal last night, but it was just a dead carrier - I assume someone forgot to press a button.

5055 4KZ is still there every night, they go off at around 9pm without an announcement - they just switch off.

Still nothing heard from Unique Radio - a note on their site says that they've ceased shortwave broadcasting due to "security concerns". Whatever.

But since they only do podcasts (which I think is just someone waffling on about their favourite subject), I can't really see why I'd listen.

The stations on 4835, 5045, 5055 are still heard from time to time.

Yay new station... 4970 kHz, plays oldies music. They call themselves Radio 567, but after I did some investigation found they are really called Station X. The licensee is allowed to broadcast on over a dozen frequencies, most of which are far too noisy for me to receive anything.

They also have 2 websites: https://xrn.com.au/ and http://stationx.com.au/

According to the site, they are currently on air 1611 AM, 88.0 FM and 4970kHz AM from Wee Waa, NSW. The station is also conducting tests on 2325kHz from the same location. Because of the noise, only 4970 can be heard here.

They also have live streaming but I didn't try it.