Consultation on analogue community radio licensing

Analogue community radio licences will begin to expire from October 2025, and given the need for stations - and Ofcom, who are responsible for managing these licences - to have clarity well in advance of this date, it is now time to review the legislative framework for analogue community radio licensing.

To date, analogue community radio licences have been issued for an initial five years in accordance with the provisions of the Broadcasting Act 1990 and the Community Radio Order 2004, with subsequent Orders amending the relevant provisions such as to enable Ofcom to extend these licences for a further five years on three occasions. These incremental changes to the legislation have balanced both the relative scarcity of analogue spectrum (which has acted as a counter-argument against longer, or indeed perpetual licences), and a desire to ensure that stations have the stability and certainty to develop their services. We are seeking views in this consultation on whether - and if so, for how long - to legislate to enable licences to be extended again.

We would also welcome views on the current restrictions on the capacity of stations to raise money through advertising and sponsorship.