Radio licence was appropriate

In response to your correspondent Richard Newby (Peninsula News, June 3), I would point out that 2CCC has a general community radio licence, that is, its programs are for the whole of the community, not just a specific few.

Therefore it was quite appropriate to issue a licence to Radio Five-0-Plus for the specific audience of the 50 and over.

The fact is that Radio Yesteryear's application to play music of the 1930s to 1960s meant that it targetted a similar audience, but for reasons to do with the detail provided in it's application, the ABA evidently gave preference to Five-0-Plus for this audience group.

Three applicants gave 93.93 FM as their first choice and since Five-0-Plus were the first station approved, they were given that frequency.

No matter what you or I may think of the broadcasts of Hits and Country, they are subject to the same conditions as any other community station, including the requirement to play not less than 20 per cent Australian content, and to have the support and involvement of the local community.

With regard to PCR-FM, according to their application, most of their funding came by way of government grants, which may or may not continue.

Therefore they were required to establish a case for private funding.

It would appear that they did not do that to the satisfaction of the ABA so they were refused.

Incidentally, they were not the only applicant to own their own equipment.

Quite correctly, the ABA were found to be in error in issuing a licence to Gosford Rhema in breach of the application conditions.

Mr Newby's call for the recall and re-allocation of all licences is quite spurious.

R Lambert, Umina