Two new commercial DAB stations could launch if regulation is cut

Two new national commercial digital stations could launch if regulation in the sector is cut, according to a leaked report.

The report, by Ingenious Consulting and commissioned by the RadioCentre, suggests that commercial radio could launch a 24-hour national news and speech station and a national music-based entertainment service on the DAB platform, said MediaGuardian.co.uk.

However, for this to become a reality, the report calls on the government and Ofcom to cut the number of hours that small commercial stations are required to produce and allow more co-locating of small-scale broadcasters.

The Commercial Radio: The Drive to Digital report was based on interviews with representatives of the main commercial radio groups and handed to the government ahead of Lord Carter’s interim Digital Britain report, released last month (see Broadband for all by 2012).

The report says that two new national commercial DAB stations would be launched “and take on a number of commitments to promote DAB” adding that the government should “relax dated analogue localness regulations to make radio fit for purpose in a digital age”, said MediaGuardian.

Andrew Harrison, RadioCentre chief executive, told MediaGuardian: “[The Ingenious report] was one input into a range of conversations which RadioCentre had with ministers in the runup to the publication of Digital Britain, reflecting different inputs from across the sector.

“Now the next step is to read the detail of the Digital Britain report and come back with our proposed industry plan.”

The report also suggests that the amount of locally made programming could be cut to four hours a day during peak time for all stations, with no requirements for locally produced shows on regional stations, as well as the relaxation of rules on the co-location of stations broadcasting to a population of up to 750,000 people.

RadioCentre: www.radiocentre.org