Spotlight on Mt Tassie

22 Jun 2011

Now transmitting digital TV and FM radio services to a large area of country Victoria, Broadcast Australia’s Mt Tassie site remains a key element of the company’s broadcast infrastructure network.

Broadcast Australia's Mt Tassie transmission site—located at Traralgon in Gippsland, Victoria—broadcasts radio and TV to audiences in the La Trobe Valley and south/central Gippsland. With a coverage area extending to the NSW border in the north, Red Hill to the west, and the Bass Straits coast to the south and east, this is an important transmission facility for the company.

According to Broadcast Australia Melbourne District Team Leader, Ross Taylor, the site was originally owned by Telstra, before being bought by the company in the late 1990s. "Today, Mt Tassie is one of the company's larger facilities in terms of its population coverage," he said. "Telstra still uses the site, but now only leases space from us."

Suite of services

When the site first came into service with the company, it was employed solely for broadcasting analog TV, and—until recently—transmitted analog services for the ABC, SBS, WIN and Prime. "However, as part of the ongoing digital switchover program, the analog TV services were switched off on 5th May this year," said Ross. "These services have been replaced by the digital channels from the ABC and SBS, which have been introduced progressively from 2000 onwards."

The radio services began transmission in the 1980s, and now encompass ABC Local Radio, ABC Classical, Triple J and—the most recent addition—Parliamentary News Radio. "These programs are all FM services," said Ross. "The ABC Local Radio service also doubles-up as the disaster radio network for local communities."

Back from the brink

Mt Tassie is itself no stranger to disaster. On Black Saturday, a fire-front came right over the top of the mountain and passed through the broadcast site. "We were lucky in some respects as—although this is normally an unmanned site—that particular day we actually had a technician on site," said Ross. "He was able to shut down the transmitters to stop embers getting inside, and this action probably ensured we didn't lose the whole facility."

In spite of extensive damage, it was possible to get local radio service back in operation within 48 hours. The TV transmissions took slightly longer to reinstate, partly due to the 9km of power lines that were in the fires.

"We feel as though we managed to withstand the worst nature could throw at us that day, and are now more committed than ever to continue serving the community into the future," said Ross. "There are plans for Mt Tassie to play a key role in the future rollout of digital radio in country Victoria, and this will herald a new chapter in the site's history."

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