Radio broadcast update June 2021

• Restricted Service Licensing
• Digital radio
• Community Radio Fund
• Analogue community radio

Restricted Service Licensing

Restricted coverage trial

Following our update on our work in this area, in April – we have now published details of the applicants who we have awarded limited coverage trial licences to.

Analogue commercial radio

Invitations to apply under fast-track

Ofcom has received one declaration for the following licence, from the current licensee. We are therefore inviting the incumbent licensee to re-apply for the licence under the ‘fast track’ procedure as set out in Ofcom’s guidelines:

Licence renewals granted in this period

A seven year renewal has been granted to the following:

Local radio licence transfers

Analogue station Format Changes

Each station has as part of its licence, a ‘Format’ which outlines what the essential nature of the service is and details any specific expectations of that service.
Any changes to a format can only be made by following the correct procedure and with the appropriate permission from Ofcom.

Lyca Dilse Radio (Greater London) (PDF, 177.8 KB)
Published 16|06|21

Digital radio

Digital sound programme service (DSPS) licences issued during in this period

DAB multiplex variations

The following multiplex variations were agreed during this period:

Community digital sound programme (C-DSP) licence applications received

Community digital sound programme licence applications received between 28 May and 30 June 2021 can be found on our website. Applications have been made for services in South Tyneside and Clevedon, Avonmouth and Fulton.

Analogue community radio

Community Radio split idents and commercials

Following confirmation to the Community Radio Network, as published by Radio Today, Ofcom confirmed that split idents and commercials can be implemented by existing community radio licensees, primarily because these changes should not impact the delivery of Key Commitments. There has never been a policy set out by Ofcom to prohibit the use of split idents and advertising, but we recognise the potential benefits this could offer to local communities following the work we have completed to approve extensions to existing Licensed Areas.

However, it is important to set out that this does not allow community radio licensees to split programming between their original Licensed Area and their extended area. Ofcom consider that any approval of a coverage extension to the existing Licensed Area of a community radio service should extend the existing service to an area outside of the existing locality and therefore, should not make any difference to the programming output – any output in the extended area should be identical to the rest of the Licensed Area, other than the split idents and split commercials. This is Ofcom’s provisional view on the matter, but we will take time to consider the question more thoroughly in the coming months.

Licences issued in this period

Licence extensions granted in this period

A five-year extension has been granted to the following: