Ofcom To Review Radio Industry Regulation

Ofcom will review the way it regulates the radio industry in order to address challenges facing the sector, with the potential for ownership rules to be adjusted and programming formats scrapped.

Issues such as the lack of growth in advertising and the pressure on local stations from digital radio have forced the communications regulator to act. The regulatory body has given the industry until December 14 to set out its concerns and suggestions and has promised to publish detailed proposals next year.

Ofcom noted that advertisers are switching out of radio to the internet, while listeners are attracted by other technologies such as podcasting. It also linked the increasing popularity of digital radio listening to the commercial pressures on local stations, which have generally suffered more than the national stations.

The media body identified five areas it will look at, which include the programming format system and the ownership rules. The other three areas are: how to carve up any spectrum free by the re-licensing process for analogue commercial radio licences; the potential to replace existing AM services with new digital radio technology Digital Radio Mondiale; and whether steps need to be taken to ensure local radio services can move onto local DAB multiplexes.

These issues will undoubtedly come up for debate at MediaTel Group’s forthcoming seminar, ‘The Future Of Radio’, to be held in London on 29 November.

Panellist include Ralph Bernard, chief executive of GCap Media, whose company results will have been released the previous day; Simon Cole, chief executive of UBC Media; Nathalie Schwarz, director of radio at Channel 4 and Ray Snoddy, media journalist. To book your place at the seminar, click here.

Ofcom: 020 7981 3040 www.ofcom.org.uk MediaTel Group: 020 7439 7575 www.mediatelgroup.co.uk