Politics

Radio Authority welcomes extension to Access Radio Pilot Scheme

The Radio Authority is delighted that Government has agreed to extend the period of the Access Radio pilot scheme. This will help to inform Parliament, Government, and Ofcom further about how to introduce this exciting new third tier of radio services.
Licence extensions will be subject to frequency availability, and to the Authority being satisfied that the licensees have the ability to continue and are able to meet their promises of delivery.

Commenting on this announcement, Thomas Prag, the Authority’s Member for Scotland and Chair of the Access Radio Sub Committee, said:
“We are so pleased that this pioneering experiment of not-for-profit radio is making such encouraging progress. An extension to the period of this pilot scheme gives us the opportunity to learn more about how Access Radio might operate in the future.
“We will be writing to our fifteen Access Radio licensees setting out the basis on which the Authority would be prepared to extend their existing licences and asking them to provide information about their ability to continue. We are also undertaking the necessary work regarding the frequencies currently used.”
The Radio Authority anticipates being able to extend these experimental licences up to the end of its statutory life. We will recommend to Ofcom that, once the experimental scheme ends, it should introduce a competitive process for all Access Radio licences as a matter of high priority.

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There are a total of fifteen projects taking part in the Access Radio experiment. These are: Angel Radio (Havant, Hampshire); Awaz FM (central Glasgow); Bradford Community Broadcasting (Bradford inner-city); Cross Rhythms City Radio (Stoke-on-Trent); Desi Radio (Southall, West London); Radio Faza (within Nottingham); Forest of Dean Community Radio (Forest of Dean, Gloucestershire); GTFM (Pontypridd); Manchester Community Radio Group - providers of two services: Wythenshawe FM (Wythenshawe, Greater Manchester) and ALL FM (South Central Manchester); New Style Radio (within central Birmingham); Northern Visions Radio (Belfast); Resonance FM (Southbank & Bankside in London); Shine FM (Banbridge, Co. Down); Sound Radio (East London); and Takeover Radio (Leicester).
The Radio Authority selected fifteen groups from a field of two hundred that submitted letters of intent. The aim of the experiment is to provide guidance on how Access Radio could be introduced once the Communications Bill receives Royal Assent.
Access Radio was initially suggested to Government by the Radio Authority (in its submission to Government on Radio Regulation for the 21st Century, June 2000) as an initiative to provide opportunities for a new tier of radio services to be used in innovative, creative and socially and educationally constructive ways. This project aims to evaluate different approaches to the concept and to inform the future communications regulator, Ofcom, about how Access Radio might be licensed, regulated, funded, promoted and organised.
An Executive Summary of the interim evaluation of the Access Radio project by Professor Anthony Everitt is available on the Authority’s website or from its Press and Information Office. The full report is due to be published in February/March 2003.
The Radio Authority is responsible for licensing and regulating Independent Radio in accordance with the statutory requirements of the Broadcasting Acts 1990 and 1996. It plans frequencies, awards licences, regulates programming and advertising, and plays an active role in the discussion and formulation of policies which affect the Independent Radio industry and its listeners.

Contact:
Press enquiries:
Tel: 020 7887 4292 / 020 7887 4290

Connate Entries

• April 17, 2007 -- Ofcom consults on future of radio regulation and licensing
• June 14, 2006 -- The next community radio licensing round
• August 10, 2003 -- Community Radio
• September 7, 2004 -- Draft Community Radio Order 2004
• September 6, 2007 -- OFCOM Broadcast Bulletin - Issue number 91 - 20|08|07

© 2002 An Unevenly Distributed Future.