ABC Upper Hunter

Radio station


name = 1044 ABC Upper Hunter
callsigns = 2UH, 2HVR
airdate = 1964 (as relay of 2NC) 1990 (local programs commenced)
frequency = 1044 kHz AM and 105.7 mHz FM Upper Hunter 101.9 mHz FM Merriwa 96.9 mHz FM Murrurundi
area = Upper Hunter
owner = Australian Broadcasting Corporation
format = Talk
website = [http://www.abc.net.au/upperhunter/ ABC Upper Hunter]

ABC Upper Hunter (call sign: 2UH) is an Australian radio station. It is the Upper Hunter service of the ABC Local Radio network, and serves Muswellbrook and surrounding areas.

History

ABC Upper Hunter commenced as a local relay of Newcastle's 2NC (now 1233 ABC Newcastle) in 1964. While there was some local information on the station, the reporter responsible was based in Newcastle. It wans't until 1990 when a local office of the ABC was established in the Upper Hunter, basing itself in Market Lane Muswellbrook. Mike Pritchard joined the broadcaster from the "Scone Advocate" newspaper, and has been the station's rural reporter ever since, even acting as the lone employee in the region on occasion. In 1997, the station moved to its current facilities in Brook Street.

Frequencies

ABC Upper Hunter transmits on AM and FM bands. The AM station, with the callsign 2UH (as in Upper Hunter), is on 1044 kHz and reaches most, if not all of the Upper Hunter. In addition to the AM service, three FM repeater stations with the callsign 2HVR (as in Hunter Valley Radio) carry programming in Merriwa on 101.9 mHz, Murrurundi on 96.9 mHz and Muswellbrook, Scone, Aberdeen and Singleton on 105.7 mHz.

Programming

The station produces local programming for both its local frequencies and for Newcastle's ABC Radio National frequency.

Two rural reports are produced, one for the Lower Hunter and transmitted on the Radio National frequency at 5.30am weekday mornings and infrequently [http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nsw/upperhunter/ podcast] online. The second is a Upper Hunter-focused report, and airs at 6.35am on ABC Upper Hunter's local frequencies following a news bulletin from the Muswellbrook studios.

A local breakfast program follows at 7.00am with another news bulletin transmitted at 7.30am before crossing to the network for the national news and "AM".

The station opts out of lunchtime programming from 1233 ABC Newcastle to carry "The Country Hour" at 12.00pm, followed by "The World Today" on a one-hour delay at 1.00pm. A Hunter-based news bulletin is aired during the Country Hour at 12.30pm from the Newcastle studios.

Outside of these times, the station carries ABC Newcastle and national programming, including Newcastle Knights and Newcastle Jets games, provided other sports coverage (such as cricket) does not force local sports coverage onto the Newcastle ABC NewsRadio frequency (incidentally, the former frequency of fellow Muswellbrook station 2NM).

On-Air Staff

*Mike Pritchard - Hunter Rural and Resources Report and breakfast presenter.

ee also

*1233 ABC Newcastle

ources

* [http://www.abc.net.au/upperhunter/ ABC Upper Hunter]
*ACMA technical documents

External links

* [http://www.abc.net.au/upperhunter/ ABC Upper Hunter]
* [http://www.abc.net.au/rural/nsw/upperhunter/ Hunter Rural and Resources Report]