The Department for Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) has today published its response to the consultation on analogue community radio licensing. This has elicited varied reactions from stakeholders within the radio industry and from campaigners who want to see greater democratic accountability for media in the UK:
Better Media has raised concerns about the consultation process, highlighting that DCMS primarily engaged with established trade associations, potentially marginalising smaller, unlicensed, and minority-focused stations. We have argued that this limited engagement fails to capture the sector’s diversity and advocate for:
- Delaying the implementation of the Community Radio Order.
- Expanding consultations to include a broader range of community radio voices.
- Ensuring that spectrum allocation serves local communities effectively.
Better Media also questions Ofcom’s resource management, suggesting that current application fees may not adequately support effective sector oversight.
Radiocentre, representing commercial radio interests, acknowledges the valuable role of community radio in the UK’s media landscape. However, it expresses reservations about the potential removal of advertising and sponsorship restrictions for community stations. Radiocentre suggests that such changes could adversely affect small commercial stations operating in overlapping areas. To mitigate this, they propose implementing safeguards, including:
- Enhanced transparency and accountability for community radio licensees, ensuring adherence to social gain commitments.
- Stronger oversight by Ofcom to maintain the distinctiveness of community radio from commercial counterparts.
Radiocentre also recommends that DCMS engage further with smaller commercial operators to fully understand the potential market impacts of the proposed changes.
The joint submission by the Community Media Association (CMA) and the UK Community Radio Network (UKCRN) to the consultation on analogue community radio licensing has been met with both support and critical feedback from various stakeholders.
The CMA and UKCRN’s collaborative response reflect a concerted effort to represent the interests of the community radio sector. Their recommendations include extending analogue community radio licences beyond the current 20-year limit, while initiating new licensing to accommodate additional stations, and reviewing restrictions on income generation to enhance sector sustainability. They also call for a reassessment of how social gain is monitored and regulated, aiming to ensure that community radio continues to serve its intended purpose of benefiting local communities.
Despite the positive aspects of the joint submission, several critical comments have been raised:
- Inclusivity of Consultation Process: Organisations such as Better Media have expressed concerns that the consultation process primarily engaged established trade associations like the CMA and UKCRN, potentially marginalising smaller, unlicensed, and minority-focused stations. This approach may have excluded a diverse range of voices within the community radio sector, leading to a less comprehensive understanding of the sector’s needs and challenges:
- Potential for Homogenisation: There is apprehension that the removal of specific content requirements, as discussed in related consultations, could lead to a homogenisation of content across community radio stations. This could result in stations becoming more similar to commercial radio, thereby diluting the unique, community-focused nature of these services. Radiocentre, representing commercial radio interests, has echoed this concern, suggesting that such changes could lead to ‘mission drift’ within the community radio sector.
- Impact on Small Commercial Stations: Radiocentre has also raised concerns that relaxing advertising and sponsorship restrictions for community radio stations could negatively impact small commercial stations operating in overlapping areas. They advocate for safeguards to ensure that community radio maintains its distinctiveness and continues to focus on delivering social gain rather than competing directly with commercial entities.
- Resource Allocation and Regulation: Questions have been raised regarding Ofcom’s resource management and its ability to effectively oversee the community radio sector, especially if current application fees do not adequately cover operational costs. This could hinder the regulator’s capacity to ensure that community radio stations adhere to their commitments to social gain and community engagement.
The Voice of the Listener and Viewer (VLV) has also expressed concerns regarding the consultation on analogue community radio licensing. VLV’s response highlights several key issues:
- Licence Renewal and Spectrum Allocation: VLV opposes automatic licence renewals for stations operating for 20 years, arguing that this practice hinders new entrants due to limited FM spectrum availability. They advocate for a re-advertisement of licences after two decades to ensure optimal use of the spectrum and to foster competition and innovation within the sector.
- Assessment of Social Gain: Emphasising the importance of social gain as a primary purpose of community radio, VLV calls for a review of how social gain is assessed and regulated. They suggest that current evaluations may overly focus on quantitative metrics, such as original and local hours, rather than qualitative outcomes that reflect the actual social benefits provided to communities.
- Revenue Generation Restrictions: VLV supports reviewing and potentially relaxing restrictions on community radio stations’ ability to generate revenue through advertising and sponsorship. They note that the existing £15,000 cap may be outdated and advocate for adjustments to enhance the financial sustainability of community stations while ensuring they remain distinct from commercial broadcasters.
VLV’s response underscores the need for a balanced approach that promotes inclusivity, competition, and the core mission of community radio to deliver social gain. They urge DCMS to consider these factors carefully to ensure the community radio sector continues to thrive and serve the diverse needs of listeners across the UK.
Overall, the primary concerns raised by stakeholders include:
- Market Impact: Potential negative effects on small commercial stations due to changes in advertising and sponsorship restrictions for community radio.
- Consultation Inclusivity: The need for a more inclusive consultation process that represents the full spectrum of community radio operators.
- Regulatory Oversight: Ensuring that community radio stations adhere to their social gain commitments and maintain distinctiveness from commercial stations.
- Resource Allocation: Addressing whether Ofcom has sufficient resources to effectively oversee the community radio sector.
These reactions underscore the importance of a balanced approach that supports the growth of community radio while considering the interests of all stakeholders, especially non-media services, who have a potential role to play in the UK’s diverse community-focussed media ecosystem.
Better Media and Decentered Media have articulated several concerns regarding the regulation of community radio in the UK, focusing on the preservation of community radio’s unique role and the implications of regulatory changes.
Preservation of Social Gain and Community Focus: Both organisations emphasise that community radio should prioritise social gain and community engagement over commercial interests. They caution that deregulation could lead to the “mainstreaming” of content, potentially diminishing the distinct community-oriented nature of these stations. This shift might result in reduced service to local and minority groups, thereby undermining the core mission of community radio.
Concerns About Deregulation: Decentered Media has expressed apprehension that proposed deregulation could erode the unique value of community radio. They argue that without stringent regulatory frameworks, community radio stations may lose their focus on delivering social gain and community-specific content, which are essential to their identity and purpose.
Recommendations for Regulatory Framework: To address these concerns, both organisations advocate for a regulatory framework that:
- Ensures Accountability: Mandates community radio stations to adhere to their commitments to social gain and community engagement.
- Promotes Diversity: Encourages the inclusion of diverse voices, particularly from minority and underrepresented communities.
- Facilitates Access: Supports new entrants into the community radio sector to foster innovation and prevent monopolisation by established entities.
By implementing such measures, Better Media and Decentered Media believe that community radio can continue to serve as a vital platform for local expression and democratic participation.
While the joint submission by the CMA and UKCRN represents a step towards addressing the future of analogue community radio licensing, it is essential to consider that the issues raised in this consultation do not address any wider or more general social problems and challenges. This is because the consultation process has been narrowed, resulting in a self-affirming protection for operators who are already active within the broadcast radio field.
If these amendments go through unchanged, it will prove difficult to maintain the unique character of community radio, and to safeguard the interests of community stations that find it difficult to operate in a commercial manner, such as faith-based radio stations, cultural heritage stations, and arts stations. There will also be a knock on to small commercial stations, as subsidised community radio will eat into their advertising, making them less viable. Addressing the regulatory resources available to Ofcom is a crucial factor in shaping a vibrant and sustainable community radio sector.