Local ‘TV guy’ Barry O’Mara was the driving force advocating for a tower to both state and federal governments last year. 

Over 1000 residents signed a petition stating that they were experiencing reception problems.  

Last year, Mr O’Mara approached the federal government with the prospect of attaining a localised transmitter and moving into the 21st century with communities such as Gunning, Harden and Young, which boast their own transmitters.

Last week, it was announced that residents across the Crookwell district will have improved access to commercial free-to-air broadcast television.

The channels, which include SBS, Southern Cross, Prime 7 and WIN TV, are available following substantial work to upgrade the Mt Wade transmission site.

Upper Lachlan Shire Council General Manager John Bell said the upgrades were a result of an agreement between council, the Federal Government and Regional Broadcasting Australia Holdings (RBAH).

“This is fantastic news that the Crookwell district’s residents will finally be able to access what many take for granted,” Mr Bell said.

“Crookwell district residents will now receive these channels from Canberra via the broadcaster’s Mt Gray transmission site in Goulburn.”

Hume MP Angus Taylor contacted the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) in March 2015 advising that many of his constituents in Yass were reporting television reception difficulties. The ACMA was also contacted by Mr O’Mara reporting widespread television reception difficulties across Yass.

Following these reports, they commenced an investigation into television reception in Yass, and as part of this investigation, performed television coverage and interference measurements across Yass in April until July 2015. 

The ACMA found that signal levels were comparable to those measured earlier as part of the digital switchover. They also uncovered an unusually widespread problem with power line interference that is highly intermittent, which affects many, though not all, households. 

Parts of Yass that receive weak signals from Black Mountain and are subjected to power line interference are likely to experience intermittent reception difficulties. This is exacerbated by a number of inadequate antenna installations in the town.

Mr Taylor said he will facilitate talks with Essential Energy to try and solve issues around electrical interference affecting TV reception in Yass.

Mr Taylor said a report by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) had found an ‘unusually widespread’ interference from power lines.

“There are some clear reasons for interference that have come out of a recent investigation by ACMA. It’s my understanding power poles in and around Yass need more maintenance work done to stop arcing from interfering with TV signals. If we can solve this part of the problem, we’re off to a start.

“ACMA also suggests inadequate antenna installations may be responsible for interference. From personal experience I know that changing the masthead amplifier and improving the antenna set-up can sometimes make a big difference.”

Mr Taylor said he was keen to help improve Yass TV reception.

“In the village of Crookwell, it took three and a half years to work through potential solutions to poor TV reception. In the end, I was able to secure funding for a TV transmitter, but it was a long, hard haul. If we can solve reception problems in Yass at an individual, local level, let’s try that first.” 

Mr O’Mara said that the issue is with the frequency that Yass receives.

“It’s because we’re low to the ground the VHF (Very High Frequency) band is more susceptible to interferences to power lines,” he explained. 

 “If we had our own tower we wouldn’t have the same issues. Their solutions, even though they are solutions, aren’t cheap options. VAST isn’t compensated, it’s viable but not economical for the average family.”

The ACMA also found some households had faulty masthead amplifiers that were emitting spurious signals and causing interference to their neighbours’ television.

In their final report the ACMA concluded that installing a local UHF broadcast (retransmission) site in Yass would provide a single, community-wide solution to the reception problems. 

“Even though broadcasters did not have any obligations to extend their coverage as part of the switchover to digital television, broadcasters have put in place a number of new broadcasting sites to address particular reception or coverage issues experienced in other areas,” the report stated. 

Despite its recommendations the ACMA does not have a role in mandating or in allocating funding for these types of services. 

“The ACMA’s role would be limited to providing assessment of a proposal for the new broadcasting site from the channel planning and licensing perspective,” ACMA stated in their report. 

“Retransmission services can be provided by third parties on a self-help basis, such as councils, mining companies and local community organisations; however, to date no one has emerged with the willingness or the means to install a retransmission site in Yass.”

Mr O’Mara is confident that with more pressure the Yass Valley can get the service they deserve. 

“We need for the shire to take up the reigns on behalf of the residents,” Mr O’Mara said.  

“This is too much of an important issue to let go, we will just keep lobbying for it.”