Talk:Hot 100 (Darwin radio station)

8DN and Hot 100 FM reference:

"Hot 100 was previously known as 8DN which started broadcasting on the AM band in 1960" is an untrue statement as they were separate radio stations. As stated in the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal report of 1991:

"In November 1989 the Tribunal decided to grant a commercial FM radio licence to Northern Territory FM (NTFM) to serve the Darwin and Katherine areas of the Northern Territory. Subsequently, in September 1990, NTFM and a 100% owned subsidary Greenwich Pty Ltd acquired Darwin Broadcasters (8DN). Of concern to the Tribunal was whether the issue of a new licence to NTFM would cause a breach of the Broadcasting Act. In November 1990, NTFM assured the Tribunal of its intention to dispose of 85% of its interest in 8DN before the issuing of the FM licence" In October 1991, a proposed sale of 8HOT to Territory Broadcasters was refused on the grounds that the terms of the sale (including an interest-free loan from NTFM) would still give NTFM undue influence over the market across two radio stations, not permitted under the rules at the time.

In the same Annual Report, 8DN is shown as a separate entity to the 8HOT (NTFM) licence. So one did not become the other, as the 8DN licence was revoked in February 1992, 7 months after 8HOT had begun. Presumably the 8DN relay service in Katherine was handed over to 8HOT in order to maintain continuity of a commercial service to the Katherine region as at the time of the Australian Broadcasting Tribunal Annual Report 1991, 8HOT did not have a Katherine-based translator service. Andjb (talk) 12:05, 10 January 2010 (UTC)