TAMWORTH Broadcasting Society's plan to expand its listening area to the Liverpool Plains is still up in the air.
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Operating Tamworth's only public radio station, 88.9 FM, the organisation has long held ambitions of establishing a broadcast base in Quirindi to service the Liverpool Plains.
At Liverpool Plains Shire Council's recent meeting, councillors discussed updating the memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the two parties, which had stood in place since 2015.
However, it was resolved the council advise the society that it would not enter into a revised MOU, but would encourage the society to put in a request for funding through the council's community funding program.
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Councillor Ian Lobsey said he was in favour of the project, citing the community benefits of having a public broadcaster in Quirindi.
"I understand they have promised that they would be willing to advertise, highlight the community functions and events that are going to take place," Cr Lobsey said.
"There's an opportunity to get school students involved as well, so I think it is a very good thing."
Councillor Paul Moules also threw his support behind the project, saying it would be a benefit to the community.
"The feeling I get is that we are in favour of going into an agreement with these people to try and make it happen," Cr Moules said.
Society chief executive George Frame said while years of waiting to get the project up and running was frustrating, he hadn't given up hope.
"We first started broadcasting in Tamworth in 1983 and ever since we have been committed to delivering quality public radio to the community," Mr Frame said.
"In 2015 we first settled on a MOU with Liverpool Plains Shire Council, while we obtained the necessary license to expand into the region.
"Since then, we have obtained the license and we are really eager to see the project move forward and we will keep doing whatever we need to do to make that happen."
Mr Frame said the project would offer a variety of different benefits to the community.
"Initially the project was designed to have a studio at the Quirindi library," he said.
"While that will no longer be the case, there is still a great opportunity for local students to get some experience in media.
"Radio is consistently changing, so any chance to help teach the next generation is very beneficial.
"As well as covering local issues and events, there is the chance to really include the community as a whole, so it's really a win all around.
"It has been a long time coming, so we are prepared to do whatever we need to do to make this project a reality."
Billy Jupp
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
Billy is a Senior Livestock Journalist for the Queensland Country Life based in Toowoomba. He has worked for a variety of different ACM mastheads during the past five years including the Namoi Valley Independent, Northern Daily Leader and The Land.
