Hills Radio

Hills Radio 88.9 FM is a formerly licenced community radio broadcasting station based in Mount Barker, South Australia. Hills Radio began broadcasting in the Adelaide Hills region under a Temporary Community Broadcasting Licence (TCBL) in August 2014 issued by the Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA).

From late 2016, an exodus of many volunteer on-air presenters and other staff from Hills Radio led to a number of this group banding together and forming Lofty Community Media Inc, in early May 2017. This group began an internet radio streaming service in June 2018 and, following the allocation of a community radio TCBL by the ACMA in November 2018, began free-to-air broadcasting services as 'Lofty 88.9' on a time-share arrangement with Hills Radio on the 88.9 FM frequency.

In late 2019, the ACMA called for applications for a full-time, five-year community broadcasting licence for the 88.9 FM frequency in the Adelaide Hills. Both Lofty FM and Hills Radio applied for the licence. Settlement of the licence allocation was due in April 2020, but was subsequently delayed to September 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Hills Radio were unsuccessful in their application for the permanent community broadcasting licence, with the full-time, five-year, community broadcasting licence awarded to Lofty FM from 1st October 2020. Hills Radio ceased all free-to-air broadcasting transmission on 30 September, and have reverted to an internet only streaming service.

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