RA Fines Huddersfield FM For Eight Promise Breaches

Huddersfield FM has been fined £5,000 by the Radio Authority (RA) for breaching its Promise of Performance eight separate times.

The watchdog found that the station had not broadcast, amongst other things, two separate weekly hour-long arts and entertainment features, education features or satisfactory sports coverage, after pledging to do so.

Peter Gibbings, chairman of the RA, commented: “When the licence was awarded to Huddersfield FM a number of factors were taken into account. These included undertakings to broadcast speech-related items which would be of particular appeal to their community, many of which they failed to broadcast. The Authority is determined that the content of an application shall not be disregarded in this way.”

At the end of last month, the radio regulator announced that it was replacing Promises of Performance with Formats (see Newsline). However, although the RA acknowledged that the new Formats leant towards a slighter lighter touch approach to radio content regulation, its chairman stressed: “This fine should send a message to the industry that light-touch regulation does not mean radio stations can breach the undertakings they made at the time of being awarded their licence.”

Radio Authority: 0171 405 7062