For years, Decentered Media has advocated for a robust and meaningful approach to social gain in community media. From the early days of Ofcom’s licensing of community radio in the UK, the social gain principle—enshrined in law—was intended to ensure that community radio stations delivered tangible benefits to their communities. This went beyond broadcasting and into areas like civic participation, media literacy, community development, and social inclusion. However, the opportunity to embed social gain evaluation and development principles into policy and practice has never been fully realised.
Instead of strengthening the role of community radio as a pillar of social value media, Ofcom has weakened the requirement for detailed social gain reporting, watering down the Key Commitments process for Analogue Community Radio services. The justification for this appears to be one of administrative simplicity, but in practice, it represents a major step back for the recognition and accountability of community media as a tool for social change. The removal of rigorous Key Commitments reporting is part of a wider trend of neglecting the fundamental purpose of community radio—at precisely the time when its social role is more crucial than ever.
The Erosion of Social Gain as a Policy Principle
When community radio was first established in the UK, it was not merely about expanding broadcasting opportunities. It was about fostering civic engagement, social learning, and empowerment. Stations were expected to document their impact, demonstrating how they facilitated community cohesion, inclusion, and empowerment.
Decentered Media has long argued that social gain evaluation should be embedded into policy frameworks—not as an afterthought but as a core function of community media. The challenge has never been a lack of will from community radio stations; rather, it has been the failure of policy and regulatory frameworks to offer structured support and recognition for the social value that community radio delivers.
Despite research—including our work with Internews Europe in 2019 on resilient local media models—community radio’s role in the social economy has never been fully appreciated within broader media and civic policy discussions. The prevailing assumption has been that community radio can be evaluated purely in terms of content output, rather than its transformative social impact. This has led to the stripping away of regulatory requirements that once ensured stations were accountable to their communities—not just in terms of broadcasting, but in terms of their contribution to social well-being.
Why Social Gain Matters More Than Ever
The dilution of Key Commitments reporting comes at a time when UK society is increasingly fragmented and polarised. In the past decade, we have seen:
- The decline of local journalism, reducing access to trusted community news.
- Rising misinformation, eroding confidence in mainstream media.
- Social isolation and fragmentation, exacerbated by economic uncertainty and digital disconnection.
- A crisis in civic participation, where many feel disengaged from public life.
Community radio has never been just about music or entertainment—it is a platform for civic dialogue, representation, and social connection. The lack of a meaningful policy framework for social gain ignores the vital role these stations play in tackling misinformation, fostering discussion, and giving voice to communities that are otherwise ignored.
The Need for a Renewed Social Gain Framework
Instead of abandoning social gain as a core principle, we need to:
- Reinstate meaningful social gain reporting—ensuring stations can document their impact without excessive bureaucracy, but with enough structure to ensure accountability and development.
- Embed community media in wider civic policy—recognising its role in health, well-being, education, and civic participation.
- Establish funding mechanisms linked to social value outcomes—so that community radio is supported based on its contributions to social cohesion, not just audience size or advertising revenue.
- Develop training and resources for social gain evaluation—ensuring stations have the tools to demonstrate their impact in ways that influence policy and funding decisions.
Holding the Line on Social Value Media
Decentered Media has been advocating for over fourteen years for community media to be understood as social value media—part of the broader social economy, and integral to civic life. The weakening of Key Commitments reporting is not just a minor regulatory change—it represents the erosion of the very foundation that distinguishes community media from commercial and public service broadcasting.
In a time of increasing social division, community radio is one of the few remaining spaces where civic dialogue can take place locally. But for this to be meaningful, we need a policy environment that supports, values, and strengthens the principles of social gain. Without this, the sector risks becoming just another marginalised corner of the media landscape—underfunded, undervalued, and ultimately unable to fulfil its original purpose.
It’s time to reverse this trend and push for stronger recognition of social gain as a fundamental principle of community media.