Olympic radio stations restricted to DAB

Radio stations established for the London 2012 Olympic Games will have to operate on digital-only platforms after Ofcom ruled out the availability of short-term FM or AM capacity.

Last week, the regulator said that there was insufficient space available on the analogue spectrum in London to support temporary radio stations for the Olympics.

However, it indicated that capacity could be offered on the digital audio broadcasting platform in preparation for the "particularly high" demand for media services in the capital.

Short-term licences on DAB are usually issued on a "first come, first served" basis, but Ofcom may instead draw lots for the licences in response to the higher demand. It has now called for "preliminary expressions of interest" from organisations wishing to broadcast on radio during the Games and the Paralympic Games.

"These preliminary expressions of interest will help Ofcom both gauge the level of demand for radio services during this period and will inform the design of any possible licensing process, should this be implemented," said the watchdog.

"We anticipate that demand for additional broadcast radio stations may be particularly high in this area during or around the period of the London 2012 games. Within the M25 London orbital motorway, the availability of FM spectrum in particular is likely to be minimal. Some limited AM frequency resources may be available, although coverage is likely to be limited to a few kilometres radius, depending upon transmitter location etc."

The regulator added: "Digital (DAB etc) coverage may be more widely available, but the scale of achievable coverage will depend upon the location of transmitters and the nature of the geographical area to be served. Furthermore, additional secondary legislation may be required to allow for the licensing of short-term digital radio multiplex services.

"With the above in mind, Ofcom takes the view that it will not be possible to license wide-area analogue (FM or AM) services during or around the period of the London 2012 games and is therefore inviting preliminary expressions of interest for digital broadcasting services only."

In January, the BBC revealed that it is considering ways to increase the availability of mobile broadcast coverage for the London 2012 Olympics.