Ofcom deregulates commercial local radio

Ofcom is introducing new measures allowing local stations to co-locate and share all of their programming.

The regulator said it is bringing in the measures as new provisions in the Digital Economy Act 2010 allow it to ease pressures from “declining advertising revenue combined with regulatory constraints”

It said that “the measures will still ensure that local stations stay local providing the locally focused content listeners want and which is protected by the legislation governing radio but in a more flexible way”.

It added that although stations will be allowed to share programming, they “must continue to meet their licence obligations to provide local material relevant to the listeners in their licensed areas”.

From June, local FM stations will be able to apply to Ofcom to co-locate and share all of their programming within approved areas, allowing them to merge and form larger, more financially viable stations.

Ofcom will let stations reduce the number of locally made programme hours from 10 a day to 7 a day, but only if they provide local news bulletins throughout weekday daytime.

Large regional analogue stations can drop their regional programming, said Ofcom, although if they do they will have to provide a national version of their programmes on DAB digital radio.

This move is intended to encourage competition and choice in national services, as well as give greater choice to consumers and maximise the potential for investment in programming.

Local AM stations can also cut locally made programming, apart from the existing licence requirement to produce 10 hours a day of daytime programming on weekdays from  their home nation. “This will protect the nation-specific content on services in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland so ensuring coverage of issues of particular interest to the relevant nation,” said Ofcom.