32. This part of the guidelines applies to a licensee or an authorised person who intends to implement, or change the technical operating specification of, an FM radio broadcasting service occupying a channel in the 87.5 to 108 MHz band of the radiofrequency spectrum.
33. The transmitter site shall be located within the licence area of the related licence, unless otherwise stated in the technical specifications of the LAP.
Required field strength between adjacent frequencies
34. If:
a transmitter (the ‘first transmitter’) is not sited at the nominal location; and
the frequency specified in the LAP for the transmitter is separated by 800 kHz from a frequency specified for use by another transmitter at the nominal location of the first transmitter,
then, unless otherwise specified in the LAP or transmitter licence conditions, the licensee must ensure that the difference in received field strength between signals from the transmitters does not exceed 24 dB in any urban centre or locality that is within the licence area of either service.
36. Regardless of the location of the transmitter site, the ERP of the transmission in any given direction shall not exceed the maximum ERP specified in the LAP.
37. If there is no technical specification specified in a LAP for a transmitter, the ERP of the transmission in any given direction shall not exceed that specified in the technical conditions of the transmitter licence.
Note Guideline 37 does not preclude a licensee seeking a variation of the relevant licence condition.
38. Unless otherwise specified in the LAP or transmitter licence conditions, a licensee is required to provide a minimum level of service within the licence area. If a transmitter is sited at the nominal location and an omnidirectional pattern is specified for the transmitter in the LAP, the ERP of the transmission is to be no more than 5 dB below the maximum ERP specified in the LAP. If a transmitter is sited at the nominal location and a directional radiation pattern is specified for the transmitter in the LAP, the ERP of the transmission is to be no more than 5 dB below the maximum ERP specified in the LAP, over at least 60 per cent of each defined arc. The licensee must ensure that the ERP of the transmission in the direction of any urban centre within the licence area is no more than 5 dB below the maximum ERP specified in the LAP.
Note The ABA in considering whether to exercise its discretion in relation to the minimum power of a service will have regard to the fact that operation at power levels below that planned for the service may result in interference to the service. The ABA’s planning framework will not generally protect services from interference in these circumstances.
39. If a transmitter is not sited at the nominal location, the licensee shall provide at least a minimum level of service to those urban centres in the licence area that would have received a service from a transmitter operating from the nominal location at the minimum ERP requirements specified in guideline 38.
40. For the purpose of application of guideline 39, the minimum level of service in an urban centre is achieved if the received median field strength is equal to, or greater than, the planned minimum field strength.
Maximum antenna height
41. If a transmitter is sited at the nominal location, the licensee shall ensure that the height of the electrical centre of the transmitting antenna above ground does not exceed the maximum height specified in the LAP.
42. If there is no technical specification specified in a LAP for a transmitter, the height of the electrical centre of the transmitting antenna above ground shall not exceed that specified in the technical conditions of the transmitter licence.
Note Guideline 42 does not preclude a licensee seeking a variation of the relevant licence condition.
43. If a transmitter is sited at a location other than the nominal location, the licensee shall ensure that the height of the electrical centre of the transmitting antenna above Australian Height Datum does not exceed the maximum antenna height above Australian Height Datum at the nominal location permitted by the LAP.
Note The LAP specifies the maximum antenna height above ground at the nominal location. To determine the equivalent antenna height above Australian Height Datum, the maximum antenna height specified in the LAP must be added to the height above Australian Height Datum of the nominal location.
44. A transmitter shall be sited so that not more than 1 per cent of the total population of the licence area reside in areas with received field strengths greater than 110 dBµV/m.
45. A transmitter shall not be sited so that a significant part of the population of the licence area resides in areas with received field strengths greater than 120 dBµV/m (1 V/m). For the purpose of this guideline, 0.1 per cent of the population or 100 persons, whichever is less, constitutes a ‘significant part’.
Note 1 Guidelines 44 and 45 deal with potential interference and/or degradation in receiver performance due to excessive signal levels at the input terminals of the FM radio receiver.
Note 2 Subject to guidelines 41 to 43, the height of the antenna above ground level and/or the vertical radiation pattern may be altered to assist in complying with guidelines 44 and 45.
46. If a transmitter is sited at a location other than the nominal location, the licensee must ensure that the median field strength of the transmission in any urban centre beyond the licence area boundary does not exceed the greater of:
54 dBV/m.
47. If there is no technical specification specified in a LAP for a transmitter, the median field strength of the transmission in any urban centre beyond the licence area boundary must not exceed 54 dBV/m unless otherwise specified in the transmitter licence conditions.
48. If the operation of a transmitter causes interference to an FM radio service, analog television service, digital television service or datacasting service, the licensee must (at the licensee’s own expense) adjust, or fit devices to, the transmitter or the affected receivers, or undertake other measures in order to eliminate or minimise the interference.
49. For the purpose of application of guideline 48, an FM radio service, analog television service, digital television service or datacasting service will be afforded protection against interference if:
operating within the terms of the relevant LAP, DCP (or approved implementation plan) or transmitter licence conditions, as appropriate; and
is being received within its licence area, national signal reception area, narrowcasting service area or datacasting service area, as applicable; and
is being received with median field strengths equal to, or greater than, the planned minimum field strength.
50. In addition to guidelines 48 and 49 (which relate to FM radio services, analog television services, digital television services and datacasting services), a licensee shall, in consultation with affected parties, resolve complaints of interference to other radiocommunication services where that interference is caused by operation of the transmitter pursuant to the licensee’s FM radio broadcasting service.
51. The radiated signal characteristics of a transmitter shall comply with the Emission Standard for the Australian Frequency Modulation Sound Broadcasting Service (see appendix 2).
Part Part 4 - Technical Planning Guidelines (December 2003) - FM RADIO | Zoe