New technology will help the ABC bring local coverage directly to communities affected by natural disasters like floods and cyclones. Three fly-in transmitters have been purchased to allow local ABC stations to set up shop anywhere in Australia. The units were originally designed for the United States military to use in the Iraq war.
Mark Spurway, the head of Transmission Services with the ABC, says the transmitters will ensure affected communities are kept informed. “Its function is basically to look at flying it in once there’s been a disaster declared or we need to get additional information out to smaller based communities,” he says.
“These units are designed to be set up within an hour, as long as you’ve got access to a small generator or mains power, mainly a small generator, I think, in the case of following in a cyclone’s path. You can get it up and running and then you can start broadcasting.”
(Source: ABC Rural/R Netherlands media Network Weblog)