Radiocommunications Agency Publishes Report on the Potential for more Radio Services in the FM Band

RA Press Release - 6 June 2000

The Radiocommunications Agency has published today a report on the possibility of finding space in the congested FM Frequency band for more radio stations.

The report, by AEGIS Systems Ltd., commissioned jointly by the Agency, the BBC and the Radio Authority, concluded that:

• On the basis of case studies of the London and Leeds areas, it is possible to find frequencies to provide a number of new services, with limited coverage, without impacting on existing services. In London, at least 6 new localised services, with an aggregate coverage of ½ million people could be accommodated. Similarly, the availability of spectrum for new services in Leeds was confirmed by planning a service with a coverage of more than 100,000 people.

• It is not possible to find frequencies for services giving a higher coverage without causing significant disruption to existing services. In both London and Leeds this would involve not only the need for a number of existing stations to change their transmission frequencies but also for some existing services to suffer major loss of population coverage.

Commenting on the Report, the Chief Executive of the Radiocommunications Agency, David Hendon said:-

" Alongside the exciting developments in digital radio, analogue FM radio continues to thrive. This Report aims to deal with the fact that over the next few years the spectrum available to cater for new services, particularly in the metropolitan areas, is running out. It also serves as part of the Government’s response to last year’s Review of Regulating Communications to identify the scope to meet the further expansion of analogue radio including the demand from specialist and experimental broadcasters"

"I am delighted that the Report confirms the efficiency with which the Radio Authority and the BBC plan the spectrum according to their distinctive roles and obligations. My colleagues in the Department for Culture Media and Sport and I are grateful also for the contribution of the Commercial Radio Companies Association and the Community Media Association to the progress of the work. The use of the FM Band has increased dramatically over the last 10 years and now accommodates over 200 national and local services as well as restricted radio services and I am keen to see the spectrum worked even harder. I hope the report will further contribute to efficient spectrum planning and will help also to inform the wider policy discussions. I hope the Report also gives a flavour of the horrendous complexities involved in spectrum planning that we tend to take for granted when we switch on our radios or TVs".

Tony Stoller, Chief Executive of the Radio Authority, commented:-

"This is a valuable report which gives some pointers to the way that the analogue radio landscape could be developed further. While we hope that digital radio will ultimately develop to be the cornerstone of radio listening, the analogue industry is growing and will remain the main source of listening for a good many years to come."

"In this context, the Report will help us to understand how best to use the scarce spectrum supply and also points to the need for further work, particularly on receiver performance and the public’s expectations of reception quality, as means of potentially squeezing even more out of the resource."

"The possibility of planning for some additional small-scale services, including within the national bands is well illustrated in the Report. This is very helpful, particularly in the context of the strong demand for Restricted Service Licences for which spectrum is proving very difficult to find in many areas. Among the policy issues flowing from the Report is the trade-off between universal coverage at a high level of reception quality, and the opportunities to broaden choice for a large number of people in individual areas."

Philip Langsdale, Director of Distribution and Technology at the BBC said:-

"We welcome the study which recognises the effective way in which FM services have been planned by the BBC and the Radio Authority, and which highlights in a constructive way the challenges faced in trying to offer new city-wide services in the areas considered. The BBC will continue to play an active part in contributing to any further work arising from this Report."

Any press queries re BBC comments should be directed to the BBC Press Office on tel: 020 8576 1865.

 Notes for Editors  

1. An Executive Summary of the Report is attached.
   
2. The full Report can be viewed on the Radiocommunications Agency’s web site:

www.radio.gov.uk/document/misc/vhfreplan/index.htm

3. The Radiocommunications Agency, supported by the BBC and the Radio Authority, commissioned work from Aegis Systems Ltd. to survey the current use of the FM Band, the efficiency with which it has been planned and the scope for planning additional services. The totality of the spectrum set aside for sound broadcasting is allocated by the Government to the BBC (under the terms of the BBC Charter and Agreement) and the Radio Authority (under the terms of the Broadcasting Act). It is the responsibility of the BBC and the Radio Authority to plan the use of the spectrum in accordance with their duties and obligations under the Charter and the legislation respectively.
   
4. The Radiocommunications Agency is an Executive Agency of the Department of Trade and Industry and is responsible for the management of the whole civil radio spectrum including the regulation of the spectrum under the terms of the Wireless Telegraphy Acts. In this context, the Agency is responsible for the allocation of spectrum to the Broadcasting planners and for ensuring its efficient use.
   
5. The Radio Authority is responsible for planning the spectrum used by, and for regulating and licensing, all commercial radio services under the terms of the Broadcasting Acts.
   
6. The BBC is a public corporation established under Royal Charter whose principal object is to provide public sound and television broadcast services including planning the relevant spectrum used by these services.