ABC Radio gears up for another bushfire season
The national broadcaster has upgraded its emergency services in preparation for this year’s emergency summer season.
The upgrade includes an Emergency website which aggregates information from key national and state emergency services, as well as replacing ABC Local Radio’s transmission mast on the NSW south coast.
The old mast was destroyed on New Year’s Eve last year. The new one at Mt Wandera near Mogo will provide stronger ABC Television and Radio coverage to the greater Batemans Bay region, the ABC said.
The ABC’s managing director David Anderson said last summer’s horrific bushfire season showed that Australians turned to the ABC in record numbers to stay informed and keep safe.
“The ABC was named the nation’s most trusted source of emergency information and as we move towards summer we have directed every available resource to our emergency services,” he said.
“We understand the advice that cyclones and floods may be greater risks than fires this summer and we have been working with emergency agencies to give Australians the best information possible.”
The ABC also noted the particular importance of radio.
“ABC Local Radio remains the remains the single most important means of delivering emergency information and warnings to local communities, particularly as an emergency event is developing,” it said.