Technical

Technical

6EBA-FM holds a Community radio broadcast licence from The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) to broadcast ethnic programming to the whole of the Perth metropolitan area. Our licence allows 16 Kilowatts of peak effective radiated power to be broadcast on 95.3 mHz from the Broadcast Australia site in Television Road on the Darling Scarp at Bickley WA. The station operates a NEC5kW single tube FM transmitter with a EAV 5kW solid state FM transmitter in standby mode.

An NEC coaxial switch is employed to delegate the transmitters to antenna or dummy load and is remotely controlled by a Burke status and control system. The transmitting antenna consists of a bank of four phased circular-polarised dipoles with a gain of 5 dbi.

Our main studio complex is in Fitzgerald Street North Perth and boasts two state-of-the-art on-air studios, a production studio, a listening booth, internet booth and master control room.

Our Four studios have been recently totally refurbished and converted to the Axia system. Axia is the latest innovation in radio station construction that allows complete flexibility of operation and control using audio over multibroadcast I/P networks. During March 2011, the Station will commence DAB+ digital broadcasting throughout our service area. The anolgue FM signal is conveyed to Broadcast Australia`s site in Bickley using an RVR 850 mHz transmitter link (STL) and a Mitec 10.5 GHz microwave dish for backup. The digital program signal is carried to TX Australia`s Lesmurdie site via the Telstra data network where it is digitally transmitted.

Technical History of the Station

Ethnic broadcasting in Perth began in 1977 as an access user group broadcasting evenings for 16 hours a week on the AM Community station 6NR. This arrangement endured until 1989 when the Australian Broadcasting Authority (ABA– now ACMA) called for expressions of interest in a community licence on 95.3mHz FM.

Our governing body the Multicultural Radio and Television Association of WA Inc. (MRTA) was successful in applying for that licence and then set about raising funds and finding suitable studio and transmitter locations.

An old fibro house in View Street North Perth was peppercorn rented from the City of Perth in 1989. We began to fit-out the building into two studios including sound proofing and constructing our own consoles using volunteer labour.

Finding a transmission site was a real challenge but we eventually pulled some strings in Canberra resulting in the ABC television tower at Bickley being offered to us at a reasonable rental.

The first test transmissions went to air in December 1989 and the Station officially opened on Australia Day 1990 with a grand opening party attended by all the ethnic groups.

In 1993 the station bought the premises it currently occupies at 386 Fitzgerald Street North Perth giving us a huge improvement in location and spaciousness while reducing recurring costs. The technical equipment move was completed and we were broadcasting from the new location in September 1993.