Spotlight on Dooen

18 Mar 2011

Broadcast Australia’s Dooen transmission site broadcasts ABC Local Radio to almost two million listeners across the western sector of Victoria. The facility delivers a reliable source of local information, and provides a vital link as part of the disaster radio network in times of trouble.

Broadcast Australia's unmanned transmission site at Dooen—located between Horsham and Warracknabeal in the Wimmera region of Victoria—provides the primary source of ABC Local Radio for the western sector of the state. This 18-hectare site currently broadcasts a single AM service—ABC Local Radio—on 594kHz.

The site's 50kW transmitter gives a broadcasting range of up to 150km, reaching to Arrarat in the east, the ocean to the south, into South Australia to the west, and almost to Mildura in the north. In total, the programs transmitted from this facility reach almost two million listeners.

Local lifeline

According to Broadcast Australia District Supervisor, Darren Wright, the most noticeable feature of the site is its 200m main tower, complete with top-loaded antenna. "This omnidirectional antenna is fairly unusual," he said. "It acts as if it is electrically taller than it actually is, which has the effect of making the antenna more efficient and giving maximum coverage."

A second standby antenna—standing 78m tall—provides backup in the event of damage to the primary antenna. "As the ABC Local Radio doubles as the local disaster radio network, it is imperative that it remains on-air at all times," said Darren. "During the recent floods in Horsham, this service was used as the primary means of disseminating crucial information to the population of Horsham and the surrounding flood-affected areas."

The site takes its feeds from a local studio in Horsham—from where the Horsham Breakfast Program is produced—and via IP feeds from the main ABC South Bank Studios in Melbourne. "During the floods, the Horsham studio was extremely active," said Darren. "When the studio itself was at risk of losing power, local radio was produced at South Bank to ensure there was no interruption to the service."

FM for the future

While the role of the Dooen site has remained largely unchanged since its inception in 1937, the equipment on site has changed significantly during the intervening time. Looking to the future, there are plans to broadcast a new FM service from late 2011 onwards. "This will be the ABC News Radio program," said Darren. "With an expected range of 50 to 80km, this will provide a service primarily to the Horsham area."

However, the mainstay of Dooen's operational function—that of transmitting ABC Local Radio—is expected to continue long into the future. Together, the ABC's network of AM transmitter sites nationwide is able to reach 80 per cent of the country's population.

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