Radio broadcast update April 2020

• Analogue Commercial Radio
• Digital radio
• Analogue Community Radio

Analogue Commercial Radio

Re-awards

Ofcom has announced that it has re-awarded the following local FM commercial radio licence to the current licensee. The licence has been re-awarded under Ofcom’s ‘fast-track’ process, as set out in published guidelines, and will be for a period of 12 years from the current expiry date:

Licence renewals granted in this period

A seven year renewal has been granted to the following:

A five year renewal has been granted to the following:

Coverage improvement and extension requests

During the last month the service below had its request for an improvement to its existing coverage provisionally agreed, subject to the new technical arrangements going through our usual formal clearance process (this includes Ofcom liaising with a number of outside agencies before changes can be implemented).

Coverage improvement agreed:

Coverage extension agreed:

Change of Control Reviews

Whenever a local radio licence undergoes a ‘change of control’ (for example when it is sold), Ofcom is required under section 355 of the Communications Act 2003 to undertake a review of its programme output.

Specifically, Ofcom must review the likely effect of the change of control on:
The quality and range of programmes included in the service;

The character of the service, and;

The extent to which local material and locally-made programmes are included in the service.

When the review has been completed, Ofcom may amend the content requirements of the licence.

Trax FM (Doncaster and Bassetlaw) (PDF, 288.1 KB)
Published 16|04|20

Dearne FM (Barnsley) (PDF, 270.7 KB)
Published 16|04|20

Eagle Radio (Surrey & North East Hampshire (PDF, 290.9 KB))
Published 16|04|20

Minster FM (York and Northallerton) (PDF, 225.5 KB)
Published 30|04|20

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:

Analogue Community Radio

Community Radio Fund

Emergency funding due to the coronavirus (Covid-19) outbreak

For 2020-21, grants will be provided as emergency cash funding to support stations facing severe financial difficulty due to the coronavirus (“Covid-19”) outbreak.
We expect to only hold one funding round in 2020-21. This is to ensure that emergency funding can be accessed as soon as possible.

The window for applications opens on 4 May 2020 and closes 5pm on 11 May 2020. The awarding Panel will meet in May 2020 to consider the applications.

Grants can only be made to community radio licensees in the UK, who are broadcasting under a community radio licence. Applications from eligible licence-holders may be submitted in Welsh. Any application submitted in Welsh will be treated no less favourably than an application submitted in English.

For further information, please contact Ofcom's Community Radio team at communityradiofund@ofcom.org.uk

Licence extensions granted in this period

A five year extension has been granted to the following:

Key Commitments changes

Each station has as part of its licence, ‘Key Commitments’ which outline what the essential nature of the service is and details any specific expectations of that service. Licensees may request changes to a station’s Key Commitments. Information about the process, as well as an application form, are on our website.

Changes to Key Commitments agreed in this period:

Insanity Radio (PDF, 182.2 KB)
Published 28|04|20

Siren FM (PDF, 210.8 KB)
Published 21|04|20

Coverage improvement and extension requests

During 2018, Ofcom invited community radio stations to submit requests for coverage improvements and extensions if they wished. During the last month the services listed below have had their requests provisionally agreed, subject to the new technical arrangements going through our usual formal clearance process (this includes Ofcom liaising with a number of outside agencies before changes can be implemented). We have considered the following requests to constitute coverage improvements.

Coverage improvements agreed: