Part 5Requirements for broadcasting and datacasting services

Part 5—Requirements for broadcasting and datacasting services

20 Application of Part 5

This Part applies to a licensee or an authorised person who operates: (a) a transmitter for the transmission of an AM radio service; (b) a transmitter for the transmission of an FM radio service; (c) a transmitter for the transmission of a television broadcasting service or datacasting service using a channel in the 174 to 230 MHz band, or the 520 to 694 MHz band, of the radiofrequency spectrum; or (d) a transmitter under a digital radio multiplex transmitter licence that is occupying a frequency block in the 174 to 230 MHz band of the radiofrequency spectrum.

21 Maximum field strength within the licence area

AM radio band (1) A transmitter operated to transmit an AM radio service must not be located at a site if operation from that site would result in more than 1 per cent of the total population of the transmitter’s coverage area within the licence area receiving that AM radio service at field strengths greater than 120 dBµV/m (1 V/m).

Note: Subguideline (1) deals with potential interference and/or degradation in receiver performance due to excessive signal levels at the input terminals of the AM radio receiver.

FM radio band, digital radio, television and datacasting services (2) A transmitter operated to transmit a service other than an AM radio service must not be located at a site if operation from that site would result in more than 1 per cent of the total population of the transmitter’s coverage area within the licence area receiving that service at field strengths greater than 110 dBµV/m (316 mV/m). (3) A transmitter operated to transmit a service other than an AM radio service must not be located at a site if operation from that site would result in the lesser of: (a) 0.1 per cent of the population of; or (b) 100 persons within; the transmitter’s coverage area within the licence area receiving that service at field strengths greater than 120 dBµV/m (1 V/m).

Note: Subguidelines (2) and (3) deal with potential interference and/or degradation in receiver performance due to excessive signal levels at the input terminals of the broadcasting or datacasting receiver.

(4) In this guideline:

Census means a census taken under the Census and Statistics Act 1905.

coverage area, for a transmitter, means the area in which the median field strength is equal to, or greater than, the planned minimum field strength.

population, for an area, means:

(a) in relation to a transmitter authorised to operate under a transmitter licence issued before the commencement of these guidelines, other than a transmitter mentioned in paragraph (b) – the population specified for the area at the most recent Census taken before the transmitter was first authorised to operate;
(b) in relation to a transmitter authorised to operate under a transmitter licence issued before the commencement of these guidelines, if a nominal transmission parameter specified in the LAP or DRCP that relates to the transmitter licence was varied before the commencement of these guidelines – the population specified for the area at the most recent Census taken before the most recent variation of a nominal transmission parameter before the commencement of these guidelines;
(c) in any other case – the population specified for the area at the 2011 Census.