Australia: Cattle stations want ABC to give them better reception

Brad and Amanda Murphy on Kalala Station. (Carl Curtain)

A group of Northern Territory cattle producers has signed a petition calling for expanded and improved ABC Radio coverage in remote areas. 

The Murphy family, from Kalala Station at Daly Waters, 270 kilometres south of Katherine, will today present the petition to the ABC's managing director Mark Scott at a community forum in Tennant Creek. 

Amanda Murphy says she has gathered more than 100 signatures from local residents who cannot hear ABC Local Radio on a standard receiver.

"We can only hope that Mark Scott looks at these and there's plenty of comments supporting the ABC to be broadcast in our area. 

"All we can do is take it to Mark, have a yarn to him, say a few things of what we think and go from there."

Mr Scott says he's happy to meet with the pastoralists today and will work through technical solutions which might be available.

However, he says broadcast services are limited by what government funding is available. 

"Our role really is an advocacy role because finally the funding comes from Canberra for the services that are currently provided," he said.

"So what we would have to do is seek that funding, seek contractual changes with Broadcast Australia and to make sure the spectrum and the frequencies are available. 

"I'm looking forward to meet with [the petition organisers] and certainly take that petition seriously.

"We will go back and re-group and think through, are there techical solutions to this and if there are techical solutions, who do we pursue to enable that to happen." 

Mr Scott says ABC Radio is also currently available in remote areas via HF radio services and via Viewer Access Satellite Television (VAST).

(Source : ABC Rural)