UGFM – Radio Murrindindi has received a $15,540 grant for transmitter replacements from Emergency Management Victoria as part of the Emergency Services Volunteer Sustainability (ESVS) Grant Program. As a designated emergency broadcaster in Victoria, UGFM is replacing the three transmitters, two of which helped to save many lives by relaying vital information to listeners in the fire effected areas of Flowerdale, Kinglake and Marysville areas during the 2009 Victorian Bushfires.
This is great news for the station as the three transmitters had become unreliable due to the effects of the fires and temporary replacement transmitters were in place, we have spent conciderable funds to establish back up mains power generators to ensure our transmitters and Alexandra studio stay on-air at all times especially during times when listeners are in need of information in emergencies.
In conjunction with the transmitter replacement UGFM – Radio Murrindindi is funding through its own reserves the implementation of the Radio Data System (RDS) with Alternate Frequency (AF) data on all of our 5 transmitters located across our licenced broadcast area, being the Murrindindi Shire and surrounds.
Each UGFM transmitter will transmit the ‘UGFM’ station ID and ‘Radio Murrindindi – Community Radio’ Data stream and will also transmit information that will assist radios with RDS to find and move automatically to one our adjusent alternate frequencies as listeners move around within the UGFM broadcast area.
RDS is included in most recent car radio receivers and this addition to the UGFM network of transmitters should help listeners stay tuned to UGFM without touching the car radio to change frequencies as they move in and out of the service area of each UGFM transmitter.
RDS encoders are being fitted to the two existing transmitters that sevice Alexandra & Lake Eildon on 106.9 FM and Yea & Highlands 88.9 FM and also includes the three new replacement transmitters for Flowerdale 98.9 FM, Kinglake Ranges 94.5 FM, Marysville & Lake Mountain 98.5 FM funded through the grant from Emergency Management Victoria.
