Ofcom Inundated With Community Radio Requests
Media super-regulator Ofcom has revealed a staggering response to its community radio proposals, with over 190 applications flooding in from groups wishing to operate small-scale broadcasting services.
The majority of licence requests were made by groups in the capital, with 34 requests by London-based organisations, 23 requests by community groups in the South East of England and 20 applications from groups in Yorkshire and Humberside.
Due to the large number of requests, Ofcom now intends to prioritise the licence selection process by considering those applications received from the fourteen pilot community services first, judging the applicants against those from competing services in the same area.
The existing pilot stations have been broadcasting since 2002 but will not be given any preferential treatment besides prioritisation, which Ofcom claims will minimise disruption to listeners.
Following selection of stations in priority areas, the watchdog will deal with uncontested applications, for example in those areas where only one application has been made or where there are sufficient free frequencies to accommodate all applications.
Lastly Ofcom will deal with applications which are hotly contested in relation to the amount of available radio spectrum.
Commenting on the influx of applications Ofcom chief executive, Stephen Carter, said: “Judging from the high number of applications, there is a considerable enthusiasm for community radio in this country. The new services will be a third tier of radio adding further variety to the rich mix of services already provided by the BBC and commercial radio.”
For those successful applications the award of a community licence will typically be granted for five years, with each application judged against specific statutory criteria governing the benefits of a station to its local community.
However, the new licences’ creation has sparked fury amongst some quarters, with several commercial broadcasters and industry bodies alike claiming that the new advertiser-funded stations could cannibalise revenues of small commercial operations, potentially distorting the local advertising landscape (see Ofcom Out Of Tune Over Community Radio Proposals.
Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk
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