Tory media spokesman suggests Radio 1 sale

Ed Vaizey has proposed the forced sale of Radio 1 by the BBC to reduce the dominance of the broadcaster in the radio sector.

The Conservative spokesperson for media and the arts told The Sunday Times that the licence for the station should be put up for auction, while also suggesting a possible freeze on public funding for the BBC.

The shadow minister attacked the "unfair disparity" between the BBC, which owns four of the five national FM licences, and its commercial rivals, which own only Classic FM.

Vaizey said: "Radio 1 is not fulfilling its obligation to its audience. Its median age is those in their thirties when it should aim much more at teenagers and [those in] their twenties.

"There is then a good argument for the BBC to be rid of Radio 1 and give the commercial sector a chance to use the frequency."

Regarding the licence fee, he added: "We reserve the right to freeze it and will also revisit its terms and conditions in 2011 - the midway period of its current ten-year deal."

A BBC spokesman said: "In policy discussions with any government, what's most important is safeguarding our independence and guaranteeing all audiences high-quality programmes."

Despite Vaizey's position as shadow minister for broadcasting, a Conservative spokesman told the newspaper that the sale of Radio 1 is not official party policy.