Ofcom confirms local radio deregulation

Ofcom has confirmed it is deregulating local commercial radio - though it will not go as far as the industry would like.

The regulator has made three main changes to licences.

Firstly, the minimum amount of local content for commercial analogue stations has been lowered. For FM it is now ten hours on weekdays and four at weekends. For AM stations it is four hours every day except in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland, where another six hours of daily national programming is required.

Ofcom will also now allow small neighbouring stations, with coverage of fewer than 250,000 adults, to co-locate and share programmes. They will have to provide at least four hours of individual programming per day, however.

Finally, DAB stations will now need to get permission from Ofcom to change from stereo to mono. It said the move was needed to protect quality.

The regulator has also stuck by its rule that new stations will not be allowed to change their formats for two years after launching, despite demands from the industry to drop it.

The changes are deregulatory but do not go as far as radio broadcasters asked.

In submissions to Ofcom they "broadly considered that the amount of locally-made programming should either not be regulated at all, or should be part of a co-regulatory approach". They added that if demands remained they should be seven hours on weekdays "to allow stations maximum flexibility".

The industry also said medium-sized stations with a coverage up to 500,000 should be allowed to co-locate and programme share as they "were also facing financial challenges". Broadcasters opposed the DAB change and wanted stations to be allowed to change their format earlier, too.

Ofcom disagreed with the further demands and said other groups such as the National Union of Journalists had backed regulation.

Chief executive Ed Richards said: "Ofcom recognises the industry need for flexibility which is why we are continuing to take measures to simplify regulation whilst ensuring listeners still receive the local content that they value highly."

He acknowledged change would continue through the Digital Radio Working Group which is looking at change "at a time when the industry faces significant commercial challenges".

Its decisions follow a number of consultations.