New Lithgow station begins broadcasting with permanent licence

Community radio station, EZY-FM, Lithgow, has started broadcasting with its new permanent licence.

Lithgow Community Broadcasters Inc is broadcasting on 90.5 FM.

ABA General Manager, Giles Tanner, says: “The service will add to the range and diversity of services in the Lithgow area. The applicant satisfied the ABA that it would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the community in the licence area.”

The ABA made this licence available after a consultation process. EZY-FM was the only applicant. Its application was assessed with particular regard to whether the proposed service would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the general community in the Lithgow area, appealing to the mature/senior citizen community in Lithgow.

On 30 January 2003, the ABA decided not to allocate the Lithgow licence to EZY-FM, on the basis that the station “failed to demonstrate adequate financial capacity to establish and maintain a permanent community radio service and failed to demonstrate that the proposed service would meet the existing and perceived future needs of the Lithgow area.”

In the past year, EZY has shown its ability to meet these corporate governance requirements.