A round-up of Ofcom’s broadcast radio licensing activity in April 2025.
Digital Radio
Small-scale DAB multiplex licence awards
The following small-scale radio multiplex licence awards were made during this period:
Digital sound programme service (DSP) and digital additional sound (DAS) licences issued during this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Licence type (DSPS or DAS) |
| Media In and Out Ltd |
Polish Radio London (PRL) |
DSP (local) |
| Mearns Community Radio Ltd |
Mearns FM |
DSP (local) |
Digital sound programme service (DSP) and Digital additional sound (DAS) licences which have ceased to be licensed (handed back or revoked) in this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Licence type (DSPS or DAS) |
Reason |
| Frank McLaughlin |
Riverside 101 |
DSP (local) |
Surrendered |
| Duncan Barkes |
Pompey Sound |
DSP (local) |
Surrendered |
Community digital sound programme service (C-DSP) applications received during this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Area |
| Bath Hospital Radio |
Bath Sound |
Bath and Midsomer Norton |
| Hindu Sanskar Radio |
Hindu Sanskar Radio |
Leicester |
| UWE Students Union |
HUB Radio |
Bristol |
| Your Choice Radio |
Your Choice Radio |
Lanarkshire |
| Radio Diamond CIC |
Radio Diamond |
Manchester |
| Riverside Broadcasting C.I.C |
Riverside Radio |
South London |
Community digital sound programme service (C-DSP) licences issued during this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Area |
| Cultural Media Enterprise |
Unity 101 Community Radio |
Southampton |
| Boreham Wood & Elstree Community Radio Ltd |
Boreham Wood Radio (BWR) |
South Herfordshire |
| Express FM (Portsmouth) Limited |
Express FM |
Portsmouth |
| BFBS Colchester Limited |
BFBP Colchester |
Colchester and Clacton |
Community digital sound programme service (C-DSP) which have ceased to be licenced in this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Reason |
| More Muzic Radio |
More Muzic Radio |
Surrendered |
Analogue Commercial Radio
Licence renewals granted in this period
A five-year renewal has been granted to the following:
| Area |
Service name |
Previous Licensee |
New expiry date |
| Radio Network |
Radio Network Limited |
Newark on Trent |
1 May 2030 |
| Switch Radio |
Switch Radio |
Castle Vale |
29 April 2030 |
| Vibe 1 |
Stafford Radio Broadcasting Limited |
Stafford |
24 April 2030 |
| ABC's YourFM |
Portadown Community Radio Limited |
Portadown |
11 June 2030 |
| Belfast 89FM |
Belfast FM Limited |
Belfast |
29 June 2030 |
| Future Radio |
The NR5 Project |
Norwich |
1 July 2030 |
| Cross Counties Radio |
Cross Counties Radio |
Magna Park Lutterworth |
24 July 2030 |
| Inspiration FM |
Inspiration Radio Limited |
Northampton |
22 July 2030 |
| Coast and County Radio |
Scarborough Radio Ltd |
Scarborough |
20 October 2030 |
| RWSfm 103.3 |
Radio West Suffolk Limited |
Bury St Edmunds |
12 August 2030 |
| Cam FM |
Cambridge and Anglia Ruskin Student Radio Limited |
Cambridge |
1 October 2030 |
| Sound Radio |
Sound Radio CIC |
Towyn |
10 January 2031 |
| Coast FM - Causeway Coast's Blast 106 |
North West Student & Youth Community Radio Limited |
Coleraine |
20 July 2030 |
| Zetland FM |
East Cleveland Community Radio Limited |
Redcar and Clevehand |
30 August 2030 |
| Akash Radio Leeds |
Akash Radio Leeds Ltd |
Leeds |
22 August 2030 |
Coverage improvement and extension requests
During the last month the services listed below have had their requests for a coverage improvement 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:
| Service name |
Location |
| WCR |
Warminster |
| Y01 |
York |
Please note:
The success of an application is, amongst other things, dependent on frequency availability and whether there may be an increase in harmful outgoing interference to other stations. In every case we need to take account of other services (community, commercial and BBC) on the same frequency or an adjacent one to yours (or to a frequency that we may be considering for a relay). Please see the guidance document (PDF, 325.1 KB) for further information.
Restricted Service Licences
Licences issued during this period
| Licensee |
Service Name` |
| Outreach Radio Ltd |
Outreach Gold |
| Nicholas Millar |
Love (Warbler Remix) |
Licences which have ceased to be licenced in this period
| Licensee |
Service name |
Reason |
| Relevention Ltd (formerly known as German Events Ltd) |
Drive-in |
Surrendered |
