<div dir="ltr"><div><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">The DCMS response has now been published:</span></div><div><br></div><div><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/commercial-radio-deregulation-consultation" target="_blank" style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">https://www.gov.uk/government/<wbr>consultations/commercial-<wbr>radio-deregulation-<wbr>consultation</a><span style="font-family:arial,helvetica,sans-serif">.</span><br></div><div><br></div><div><div><b>Community Radio</b></div><div><br></div></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><div>Q20. We would welcome views on whether the same arrangements for extending</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><div>the duration of analogue commercial radio licences (see Q13) in the run up to a</div></div></blockquote><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><div>future radio switchover should also apply to community radio.</div></div></blockquote><div><div><b><br></b></div><div><b>Summary of consultation responses</b></div><div>109. The majority of respondents agreed that a flexible period should be introduced</div><div>for analogue licences leading up to switchover and this includes extending</div><div>licence durations. A small number of respondents did not agree with this</div><div>proposal, and a further small number of respondents offered additional</div><div>recommendations. Of those who supported the proposal, the respondents</div><div>consisted of service providers and organisations. Respondents said that</div><div>community radio should be treated equally and that these services should</div><div>also be given certainty leading up to a digital switchover.</div><div><br></div><div>110. The Community Media Association, the representative body for the</div><div>community radio industry, welcomed the proposals to extend licences and</div><div>also argued for a longer fixed period in order to preserve resources:</div><div>“Licence renewal places a huge administrative burden on stations that</div><div>are already underfunded and diverts resources away from delivering</div><div>the business of the station. It is therefore only reasonable that the</div><div>length of community radio licences is extended to at least 8 years and</div><div>possibly up to the full 12 years permitted for local commercial analogue</div><div>radio stations.” [The Community Media Association]</div><div><br></div><div>111. However, some respondents disagreed with this proposal and said that the</div><div>current licensing system based on five year terms should remain for</div><div>community radio. The respondents included service providers and members</div><div>of the public. One respondent, citing the differences between commercial and</div><div>community radio, explained that licence extensions would not be appropriate</div><div>for community radio due to funding arrangements and their reliance on</div><div>volunteers. Some respondents also said that there should be a clear</div><div>distinction between commercial and community radio and therefore the<br></div><div>licensing system should not change.</div><div><br></div><div>112. A further number of respondents suggested additional recommendations,</div><div>such as: community radio should be able to take up DAB carriage on the</div><div>relevant local multiplex, community radio licences should be synchronised by</div><div>area so that they expire at the same time, and community stations should be</div><div>free to be licensed as commercial services.</div><div><br></div><div>113. While Radiocentre did not oppose further licence renewals for community</div><div>services, they did warn that:</div></div><blockquote style="margin:0 0 0 40px;border:none;padding:0px"><div><div>“this should be on the requirement that community radio stations are</div></div><div><div>required to provide social gain and are compliant with the regulatory</div></div><div><div>framework and key commitments they are obliged to deliver”.</div></div></blockquote><div><div><br></div><div><b>Government response</b></div><div>114. The government will support all service providers leading up to a digital<br></div><div>switchover, and respondents have demonstrated that a flexible period in the</div><div>transition up to a switchover will be a welcome measure to the radio industry.</div><div><br></div><div>115. Community radio has a different objective to commercial radio and offers a</div><div>meaningful contribution to the communities that they serve. While community</div><div>services are currently able to take up DAB carriage if they wish, the</div><div>introduction of small scale DAB will increase accessibility to the platform for</div><div>these services.</div><div><br></div><div>116. We therefore believe it would be useful for Ofcom to be able to set flexible</div><div>periods for all analogue licences in the run up to a future switchover (subject</div><div>to the two-year notice period in s97A of the Broadcasting Act 1990), and</div><div>intend to introduce powers to be able to extend similar arrangements for</div><div>community radio services services in order to be able to smooth the process</div><div>of licenses expiring in the run up to a future radio switchover.</div></div><div><br></div><div>\\</div><br clear="all"><div><div class="gmail_signature"><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div><div dir="ltr"><div>Community Media Association</div><div>-- <br><a href="http://www.commedia.org.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.commedia.org.uk/</a><br><a href="http://twitter.com/community_media" target="_blank">http://twitter.com/community_media</a><br><a href="https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation" target="_blank">https://www.facebook.com/CommunityMediaAssociation</a><br><br>Canstream Internet Radio & Video<br><a href="http://www.canstream.co.uk/" target="_blank">http://www.canstream.co.uk/</a><br><a href="https://twitter.com/canstream" target="_blank">https://twitter.com/canstream</a></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>
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