Radio Blue Mountains off the air following lightning strike

President Ron Green told The Blue Mountains Gazette the lightning strike on Thursday afternoon November 9 had happened at about 2.30pm and has put the radio station off the air for the first time in 30 years. There is now only static.

Secretary Robyn Catchlove said "as the secondary emergency radio broadcaster (after the ABC) between Bathurst and Penrith, it's crucial that we are on the air all the time".

Mr Green said the worst case scenario is they may need to replace their $26,000 console, which he admitted may be fried. The console is only two years old. He said previously the station had been hit by lightning, but it had never put them off the air. The TAFE building is also affected by the lightning strike.

The radio volunteers are waiting for the NBN early next week and are working with the company Broadcast Components, which services community radio stations across Australia. Mr Green said if the console is unusable they would need the help of grants and the business community to buy another one.

"There was a massive clap of thunder ... now it's just silence, it's very sad," Ms Catchlove said.

Radio Blue Mountains broadcasts at 89.1FM. It is a not-for-profit, volunteer community radio station that has been serving the Mountains since 1993. The station broadcasts 24 hours a day from its studio in Katoomba across the Blue Mountains and to a much wider national and international audience through internet streaming.

Information is available at rbm.org.au