Scores of smaller community radio stations could be left out of the digital future altogether.
As the big industry players move to digital broadcasting many stations may end up with no future and have to shut down.
Commercial radio, The ABC and the larger metro-wide community stations are currently making the transition to transmitting on digital radio.
About 30 large city based community stations can now be heard on both traditional radio (FM and AM) and also on digital radio.
But that’s only 30 stations out of a total of 350.
There is currently no plan for small suburban stations to get access to digital.
So, if in a few years time sales of digital radios take off, the small grassroots stations could be left stranded on the dying platforms of AM and FM.
This is unfair and would be a major blow to media diversity in Australia.
The Federal government has no answer to the problem and even the sectors own peak body the CBAA, has not articulated a strategy to avoid this.
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Theses are just a few of the Sydney stations facing a very uncertain future:
2GLF – Liverpool Community Radio
Eastside Radio – Eastern Sydney Community Radio
2RDJ – Burwood Community Radio
2RRR – Ryde Community Radio
Radio Skid Row – Inner Sydney Community Radio
A list of community stations already on digital: http://digital.radius.org.au/