Why 103.2 in Sydney for Hope FM

[Reverend]

As far as I can tell, pretty much every radio station in Australia follows the same channel raster as the USA (except for the low power stuff below 88 MHz). Most stations are separated by 200 kHz, starting from 88.1 (so 88.3, 88.5, 88.7 etc...)

Why then, is Hope FM in Sydney on 103.2 which doesn't follow this channel arrangement? Are there any other stations in the country that also have a 100 kHz offset from the normal plan (I couldn't see any in the major metros)?

 

[Mediafrog+]

Perusing FM listings for Australia in the 2025 World Radio TV Handbook I found Hope FM appears to be the only one in the country on an “even” frequency.

However checking FM listings from other countries in the region (New Zealand, Indonesia, PNG, Pacific Island nations) the use of both “even” and “odd” frequencies is widespread.

I assume FM radios available in Australia are capable of tuning in 100 kHz increments, in common with most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

 

[Reverend]

I presume that the Australian authorities plan around a 200 kHz raster (even though in the region others may use 100 kHz). So why only one station in the whole country on an 'even' frequency?

 

[Mediafrog+]

I presume that the Australian authorities plan around a 200 kHz raster (even though in the region others may use 100 kHz). So why only one station in the whole country on an 'even' frequency?

The station that is now Hope FM launched in 1979 and AFAICT has always been on 103.2. Remember that FM radio came very late to Australia, with the first stations on that band going on the air in the mid-1970s. Perhaps the broadcast regulators planned to have “even” frequencies in the mix going forward, but never followed through on that, while leaving 103.2 where it was.

 

[SomeRadioGuy]

I know a guy who knows the answer.. so I asked Stephen Wilkinson, Technical Operations Manager for Hope Media in Australia:

Australian freq assignments is on odd frequency except hope 103.2 and 88.0 narrowcast tourist 1w. Commercial radio didn't want FM, so it was assigned to government/public and community stations. Hope 103.2 was the 3rd station on FM. The first FM was a community classical station on 102.5 (dec 1974) and ABC classical nationally on 92.5 (Jan 1976),Hope was assigned 103.5, but during tests they found that there was an intermod issue caused with 92.5, some oscillation affecting the 10.7mhz crystal in receivers when tuning to 92.5. They tried 103.3 but the spacing wasn't enough, so they landed on 103.2, (march 1979) the above was over a couple of weeks. In thise days to change frequency in a TX wasnt easy. Once commercial stations realised the quality improvement for music they wanted licenses. The first commercial stations started on 104.1 & 104.9 (Aug 1980)

 

[Mediafrog+]

Once commercial stations realised the quality improvement for music they wanted licenses.

They probably also saw the explosive growth of FM radio that occurred in other developed countries during the 1970s.

 

[Miss Tuned]

Perusing FM listings for Australia in the 2025 World Radio TV Handbook I found Hope FM appears to be the only one in the country on an “even” frequency.

However checking FM listings from other countries in the region (New Zealand, Indonesia, PNG, Pacific Island nations) the use of both “even” and “odd” frequencies is widespread.

I assume FM radios available in Australia are capable of tuning in 100 kHz increments, in common with most of the Eastern Hemisphere.

Every digital-tuned radio I've had in the UK, including every car I've had, has been able to tune in 50kHz steps and is able to go to frequencies like 103.25. There have never been any stations (other than perhaps the occasional pirate) on these half-channel frequencies. I think they are in limited use in Italy, where the band is extremely crowded due to lax licensing.

 

[CentralFL]

I know a guy who knows the answer.. so I asked Stephen Wilkinson, Technical Operations Manager for Hope Media in Australia:

Australian freq assignments is on odd frequency except hope 103.2 and 88.0 narrowcast tourist 1w. Commercial radio didn't want FM, so it was assigned to government/public and community stations. Hope 103.2 was the 3rd station on FM. The first FM was a community classical station on 102.5 (dec 1974) and ABC classical nationally on 92.5 (Jan 1976),Hope was assigned 103.5, but during tests they found that there was an intermod issue caused with 92.5, some oscillation affecting the 10.7mhz crystal in receivers when tuning to 92.5. They tried 103.3 but the spacing wasn't enough, so they landed on 103.2, (march 1979) the above was over a couple of weeks. In thise days to change frequency in a TX wasnt easy. Once commercial stations realised the quality improvement for music they wanted licenses. The first commercial stations started on 104.1 & 104.9 (Aug 1980)

So Australia got their first commercial FM at about the same time that many major AM music stations were throwing in the towel in the US.

 

[Reverend]

I know a guy who knows the answer.. so I asked Stephen Wilkinson, Technical Operations Manager for Hope Media in Australia:

Australian freq assignments is on odd frequency except hope 103.2 and 88.0 narrowcast tourist 1w. Commercial radio didn't want FM, so it was assigned to government/public and community stations. Hope 103.2 was the 3rd station on FM. The first FM was a community classical station on 102.5 (dec 1974) and ABC classical nationally on 92.5 (Jan 1976),Hope was assigned 103.5, but during tests they found that there was an intermod issue caused with 92.5, some oscillation affecting the 10.7mhz crystal in receivers when tuning to 92.5. They tried 103.3 but the spacing wasn't enough, so they landed on 103.2, (march 1979) the above was over a couple of weeks. In thise days to change frequency in a TX wasnt easy. Once commercial stations realised the quality improvement for music they wanted licenses. The first commercial stations started on 104.1 & 104.9 (Aug 1980)

Brilliant explanation. Thank you. Does make you wonder why they had such a problem finding a frequency when there were only 3 stations on-air but it explains why Hope is the 'odd one out'.

 

[Reverend]

Every digital-tuned radio I've had in the UK, including every car I've had, has been able to tune in 50kHz steps and is able to go to frequencies like 103.25. There have never been any stations (other than perhaps the occasional pirate) on these half-channel frequencies. I think they are in limited use in Italy, where the band is extremely crowded due to lax licensing.

You are correct about Italy: Ciao Radio in Bologna, Italy, is on 93.25 MHz. Radio Bergamo is on 93.85 MHz - there are quite a few in Italy due to the overpopulation of the FM band.

In London, there were a number of pirates on 50 kHz channels back in the 80s. The most recent I can think of was Itch FM on 105.15 MHz which I think was last active in the late-90s when analogue tuners were around and 50 kHz offsets were less of a problem. Most car radio's I've had in the UK in the past 15 years only tuned in 100 kHz steps.

 

[Mediafrog+]

You are correct about Italy: Ciao Radio in Bologna, Italy, is on 93.25 MHz. Radio Bergamo is on 93.85 MHz - there are quite a few in Italy due to the overpopulation of the FM band.

In London, there were a number of pirates on 50 kHz channels back in the 80s. The most recent I can think of was Itch FM on 105.15 MHz which I think was last active in the late-90s when analogue tuners were around and 50 kHz offsets were less of a problem. Most car radio's I've had in the UK in the past 15 years only tuned in 100 kHz steps.

IIRC in the early days of FM there were some countries where the frequency assignments went three digits past the decimal point in a XX.xxx format. This would have been 60+ plus years ago.

 

[davideduardo]

They probably also saw the explosive growth of FM radio that occurred in other developed countries during the 1970s.

In many less developed nations, FM grew immensely in the 70's. I put my first (of 7) FMs on in Ecuador in around 1966, and two years later it was #2 in ratings with upper income listeners. In Mexico City, Radio Centro took its 5 FM channels, previously used as STLs with low power, to the top of the Torre Latinoamericana and immediately got good ratings that continued to grow over the next decade.

In a lot of Sub-Saharan Africa, where commercial radio had not been allowed (following the model of the European colonizers who set up radio in most nations), commercial FM was soon permitted and grew rapidly in many of the big cities.

One of the advantages was that an FM could be put on the air for far less money, so lots of entrepreneurs built stations.

 

[Mediafrog+]

In many less developed nations, FM grew immensely in the 70's.

Quite true, and that was one of the reasons a lot of domestic shortwave stations started to disappear at the same time. Better to put money into a superior technology with widely available receivers than replace a vintage SW transmitter.

Was always interesting perusing new issues of the WRTH and other sources in that era and learning about all those changes being implemented.

One thing that delayed FM in Australia was that one (two?) of their TV channel allocations was right in the middle of the CCIR FM band!

 

[MrCrumpets]

Perusing FM listings for Australia in the 2025 World Radio TV Handbook I found Hope FM appears to be the only one in the country on an “even” frequency.

There are/were others in Oz.

In Melbourne, community radio station Plenty Valley FM is on 88.6 FM.

There was also in Melbourne 3WRB 97.4 FM - branded as "Stereo 974". They folded in suspicious circumstances.

 

[Reverend]

Other than the stations below 88 MHz, I found one more...

100.6 The Breeze (Gold Coast)

 

[radiofan2023]

There was also in Melbourne 3WRB 97.4 FM - branded as "Stereo 974". They folded in suspicious circumstances.

What do you mean?

 

[Miss Tuned]

You are correct about Italy: Ciao Radio in Bologna, Italy, is on 93.25 MHz. Radio Bergamo is on 93.85 MHz - there are quite a few in Italy due to the overpopulation of the FM band.

In London, there were a number of pirates on 50 kHz channels back in the 80s. The most recent I can think of was Itch FM on 105.15 MHz which I think was last active in the late-90s when analogue tuners were around and 50 kHz offsets were less of a problem. Most car radio's I've had in the UK in the past 15 years only tuned in 100 kHz steps.

105.15 was the one I remembered in London, but couldn't remember the station name. It was sandwiched between full-power stations on 104.9 and 105.4. My Toyota still has the 50kHz steps, I always assume it's because it's going to be the same radio model used across Europe, so has to accommodate those Italian stations.

 

[Mediafrog+]

My Toyota still has the 50kHz steps,

I have an Eton portable multiband radio that has “fast” and “slow” settings for tuning. On FM the “fast” setting uses 100 kHz steps, while the “slow” setting tunes in 25 kHz steps. So using the “slow” setting it is possible to accurately tune stations on, say, 94.65 as well as 98.425 or 101.875.

On mediumwave the “fast” setting tunes in 10 kHz steps, and 1 kHz steps in “slow” mode. The “fast” setting can be changed to 9 kHz increments.

On shortwave the steps are 5 and 1 kHz respectively.

 

[MrCrumpets]

What do you mean?

When Stereo 974 was originally 3WRB it was very much a public access format community radio station.

Then, when the new Station Manager took over in the (late?) 90s, a lot of programs were shown the door.
It became a middle of the road (and later country) music format during the day, with ethnic programing after 6pm.

Through the CBF, the ethnic programs brought in a fair chunk of cash... enough to pay the Station Manager.
Word is pretty much ruled the place with an iron fist and the small board was stacked with his people.

Anyway, near the end of the station's existence, the CBF rules/funding changed for ethnic programming. A lot less money to be had (also affacted 94.7 The Pulse in Geelong).
Around this time, the was an article saying 'due to lack of community support' the station would be shutting down.

Leading up to this point, there was never a mention on their Facebook page or website or on-air that there were struggling and needed the community's help. Any other community station facing this situation normally shouts from the tree tops they need help.

Instead, they quietly switched off the FM transmitter, while the ethnic broadcasters at the station (who didn't know this was going on) continued to broadcast via the station website for another two days before that stream was switched off.

Now, when the station equipment got sold afterwards, someone might have to do some research and find out where the money for that ended up.