2MIA broadcasts from Wiradjuri Country in the Murrumbidgee Irrigation Area (MIA), in Griffith NSW. On-air full time since 1993, Griffith Community FM Association, also known as 2MIA 95.1FM, began broadcasting in 1988.
In response to a Quick Response grant, we awarded $70,000 to 2MIA to purchase and rebuild a new transmission tower after a set of unexpected circumstances left them unable to replace it.
On 21 January this year, the 30 metre 2MIA transmission tower collapsed during a violent windstorm. Volunteers immediately got to work and secured a temporary on-air signal while coordinating stakeholders including Griffith City Council, NSW Crown Lands and the 2MIA FM Technical Team to plan a long-term solution.
That long-term solution required a new tower, communications hut, broadcast antennas, and other related infrastructure and equipment. Existing cash reserves were not able to fully fund the tower replacement, and the tower was under insured due to an oversight from stakeholders involved which 2MIA will remedy going forward.
Although the proposed new tower is located on land that isn’t owned by 2MIA, they have approval of Griffith City Council to rebuild on the land. 2MIA and Griffith City Council will enter into an MOU for the future use of the land and the new tower will be owned, operated and insured by 2MIA.
2MIA Secretary Lynda Lane told of a silver lining to the tower incident: “While it was an unfortunate event, we’ve been really humbled and astounded with the amount of calls from listeners saying that they miss us dearly and they cannot wait for the tower to be rebuilt so they can hear us again. Seriously, the volume of phone calls, messages and in person conversations our presenters have had with our listeners lately is off the charts!”
“We are so grateful to be able to progress the tower replacement project, and feel great knowing it will hopefully last us another fifty or so years.
“Thanks particularly to the CBF for funding this project so we can get back to broadcasting at full power, and back to being an important part of the lives of so many local listeners. Bless your hearts CBF, from 2MIA FM 95.1, we truly appreciate this grant so very much!!
All the best with the project 2MIA!