Hawkesbury Radio

Hawkesbury Radio 89.9 FM
Broadcast area Hawkesbury, Sydney, NSW, Australia
Frequency 89.9 mHz FM
First air date circa 1978
Format Mixed
Class Community radio
Owner Hawkesbury Radio Communications Cooperative Society Limited
Website Official website

Hawkesbury Radio (call sign: 2VTR) was a fully licensed community radio station. Its primary purpose is to serve the residents of the Australian City of Hawkesbury. Hawkesbury Radio broadcasts on the frequency 89.9 FM. The station is staffed by volunteers and broadcasts live non-stop. Hawkesbury Radio was the only Community Radio Station in Australia to have Broadcast rights of NRL which featured Penrith Panthers NRL matches, from 1997 to 2009. In 2016 the station gained broadcast rights to Western Sydney Wanderers A-League matches as well as W-League, National Youth League and FFA Cup matches involving the Wanderers[1]


Hawkesbury Radio began in 1978 with a test broadcast, gaining its full licence in 1982, one of the first local community radio licences granted. The station broadcast out of a tiny condemned building, which housed the studio and transmitter in Fitzgerald Street Windsor for many years, before moving to its current site in 1992 in an adjacent building. Hawkesbury Radio originally broadcast on 89.7 MHz, but moved to its current frequency of 89.9 MHz in December 1999.[2]

Programming

Hawkesbury Radio keeps to a mainly AOR mix during the daytime hours. Outside of these hours, there are specialist programmes such as bluegrass, country and western music. The station also has sports programmes [3] on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.[4]

Sports coverage

For 20 years it has broadcast various live events from calling Penrith Panthers NRL Matches from 1997-2009[5] and the clubs reserve grade matches, to covering Windsor Wolves Ron Massey Cup Matches. Plus finals matches in NSWRL Competitions.

From 2016, the station has become the community radio partner of the Western Sydney Wanderers, with all A-League games covered on radio and all home games of the W-League and Youth League games online. The station also broadcasts the National Premier Leagues NSW competition each week in divisions 1, 2 & 3.[6]

In addition the station became the first in Australia to broadcast a World Rugby Sevens Series event in broadcasting all three days of the 2017 Sydney Sevens,[7] and the station also broadcasts at least one game a week in the Shute Shield Sydney club rugby competition[8] after previously broadcasting Penrith Emus games from 2001-2003.[9]

Controversy

In October 2015, The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) found Hawkesbury Radio in violation of its licence as a community broadcaster for failing to encourage community participation in the operations of the station[10]. Following a lack of improvement by the station, the ACMA revoked Hawkesbury Radio's licence as a community broadcaster with the licence expiring on 3rd October 2017.[11]

Licence

After having its broadcasting licence revoked by the ACMA, Hawkesbury Radio was given a 12-month temporary licence which it had to time-share with two other organisations.[12]

See Also

  • Hawkesbury Gold

References

  1. ↑ "Local radio to cover every Wanderers match". Retrieved 2016-09-08.
  2. ↑ "Around the station". Hawkesbury Radio. 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  3. ↑ "Call to Arms". Penrith Swans. 2008. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  4. ↑ "Hawkesbury Radio at Careflight" (PDF). Careflight. 2007. Retrieved 2008-08-01.
  5. ↑ "Hawkesbury Radio's sports coverage | radioinfo.com.au". www.radioinfo.com.au. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  6. ↑ "Hawkesbury Radio to stream live PS4 NPL matches weekly". nswpl.com.au. March 2017. Archived from the original on April 2017.
  7. ↑ "Sydney Sevens coverage on Hawkesbury Radio | radioinfo.com.au". www.radioinfo.com.au. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  8. ↑ "2017 Shute Shield matches to be broadcast live on radio | Rugby News". www.rugbynews.net.au. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  9. ↑ "Hawkesbury Radio's sports coverage | radioinfo.com.au". www.radioinfo.com.au. Retrieved 2017-04-13.
  10. ↑ "ACMA finds 2VTR not doing enough to encourage community participation | radioinfo". www.radioinfo.com.au. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  11. ↑ Doherty, Justine (2017-08-28). "Radio station licence chopped". Hawkesbury Gazette. Retrieved 2018-06-18.
  12. ↑ Doherty, Justine (2017-10-17). "Radio's future in turmoil". Hawkesbury Gazette. Retrieved 2018-06-18.


Official website


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