Planned timetable for the re-advertisement of local analogue commercial radio licences
| Licence area | Station name | Expiry date of existing licence | Licence 'pre-advertisement'1 | Licence re-advertisement (if required)2 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aylesbury | Mix 96 | 14 April 2021 | February 2020 | March 2020 |
| East Lancashire* | Asian Sound Radio | 2 June 2021 | April 2020 | May 2020 |
| Solent* | Wave 105 | 13 June 2021 | April 2020 | May 2020 |
| Harrogate | Stray FM | 3 July 2021 | May 2020 | June 2020 |
| Tyne and Wear* | Greatest Hits Radio | 14 July 2021 | May 2020 | June 2020 |
| Tyne and Wear* | Metro Radio | 14 July 2021 | May 2020 | June 2020 |
| Brighton/Eastbourne and Hastings* | Smooth Radio | 28 August 2021 | June 2020 | July 2020 |
| Brighton/Eastbourne and Hastings* | Heart | 28 August 2021 | June 2020 | July 2020 |
| Rugby | Rugby FM | 30 August 2021 | June 2020 | July 2020 |
| Stoke-on-Trent* | Signal 1 | 4 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| Stoke-on-Trent* | Signal 2 | 4 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| North West England* | Heart | 7 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| Swansea* | The Wave | 29 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| Swansea* | Swansea Sound | 29 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| South Yorkshire* | Hallam FM | 30 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| South Yorkshire* | Greatest Hits Radio | 30 September 2021 | July 2020 | August 2020 |
| Merseyside* | Radio City Talk | 20 October 2021 | August 2020 | September 2020 |
| Merseyside* | Radio City | 20 October 2021 | August 2020 | September 2020 |
* Each of these licences currently qualifies for renewal under the Broadcasting Act 1990 and thus may not be pre-advertised.
The dates in the above table (apart from the expiry date of the existing licence) are subject to revision, as circumstances dictate.
In accordance with Ofcom's published policy (PDF, 252.0 KB), any licence whose existing holder does not commit to maintaining its current Format will be fully re-advertised in accordance with the above timetable.
Footnotes:
1. Licence 'pre-advertisement' involves Ofcom inviting declarations of intent to apply for the licence. A declaration of intent must be accompanied by a cash deposit. If no declaration of intent is received from anyone except the existing licensee, Ofcom can proceed with a 'fast track' re-licensing of the existing licensee. If more than one declaration of intent is received, the licence will be re-advertised.
2. There will be at least a three month period between advertisement date and closing date for applications.
Introduction
1.1 This document provides guidance for those wishing to apply for re-advertised local analogue commercial radio licences. For both the existing holders of those licences and others who may wish to apply for them, it explains the licensing process that Ofcom will follow, the main statutory requirements we will consider and the licence conditions that will need to be met.
General disclaimer
1.2 Information is supplied on a wide range of matters in this document, many of which depend on interpretation of the law. The information given is not an exhaustive account of the statutory and licensing requirements and should not be regarded as a complete and authoritative statement of the law. Nor does any information issued by Ofcom, whether in this document or elsewhere, imply any judgement by Ofcom as to commercial prospects for licences, or that licensed services will be profitable.
1.3 Prospective applicants for local analogue commercial radio licences must make their own independent assessment after taking their own professional advice and making such further investigations as they deem necessary on all relevant matters. Ofcom makes no representation or warranty, express or implied, with respect to information contained in this document or with respect to any written or oral information made or to be made available to any potential applicant or its professional advisors. Any liability therefore is expressly disclaimed. Ofcom reserves the right to alter or correct any part of this document.
1.4 Prospective applicants should be aware that certain features of the licensing process, such as fees, sanctions procedures and the drafting of relevant content codes, may change in the future as various public consultations are carried out and their results assessed.