Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, if she will make an assessment of the potential impact of the sale of Time 107.5 FM to Nation Broadcasting on the provision of (a) local news and (b) community programming in Romford constituency.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Local radio is an integral part of the communities it exists within, and local commercial and community radio services can bring localities together by reflecting local experiences and delivering local news and information.
Changes made by the Media Act 2024 remove some regulatory burdens on commercial radio operating on FM licenses, including requirements for commercial stations to deliver particular types of content or to target specific groups. This gives commercial radio stations the freedom to organise its programmes to meet the changing needs of its audiences, particularly as listening increasingly shifts to digital.
At the same time, Part 5 of the Media Act now strengthens protections for the regular broadcast of local news and local information. For example stations will be specifically required to provide news which has been gathered within the locality and the area to which they broadcast. The detailed requirements have been set out in new guidance that Ofcom has published on 1 July.
Ofcom is currently running a consultation on the implementation of these changes to local news provision (closing 22 September), and will in due course publish a new Code of Practice that will set out the detailed requirements for commercial radio stations in delivering local news relevant to their local communities.
Any assessment of compliance with licensing requirements, including the requirements to provide local news, and in light of the changes proposed by Nation Radio following its acquisition of Time 107.5, is a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.
Asked by: Andrew Rosindell (Reform UK - Romford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to help ensure that local radio stations continue to meet their commitments to locally produced content under the Media Act 2024.
Answered by Ian Murray - Minister of State (Department for Science, Innovation and Technology)
Local radio is an integral part of the communities it exists within, and local commercial and community radio services can bring localities together by reflecting local experiences and delivering local news and information.
Changes made by the Media Act 2024 remove some regulatory burdens on commercial radio operating on FM licenses, including requirements for commercial stations to deliver particular types of content or to target specific groups. This gives commercial radio stations the freedom to organise its programmes to meet the changing needs of its audiences, particularly as listening increasingly shifts to digital.
At the same time, Part 5 of the Media Act now strengthens protections for the regular broadcast of local news and local information. For example stations will be specifically required to provide news which has been gathered within the locality and the area to which they broadcast. The detailed requirements have been set out in new guidance that Ofcom has published on 1 July.
Ofcom is currently running a consultation on the implementation of these changes to local news provision (closing 22 September), and will in due course publish a new Code of Practice that will set out the detailed requirements for commercial radio stations in delivering local news relevant to their local communities.
Any assessment of compliance with licensing requirements, including the requirements to provide local news, and in light of the changes proposed by Nation Radio following its acquisition of Time 107.5, is a matter for Ofcom as the independent regulator.
Asked by: Kevin Hollinrake (Conservative - Thirsk and Malton)
Question to the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government:
To ask the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, with reference to her Department's publication entitled MHCLG: spending over £25,000, March 2025, published on 28 April 2025, what the specific goods or services commissioned from MANNING GOTTLIEB OMD were entitled (a) Social housing- Traditional broadcast ra and (b) StreetLink Rough sleeping campaign.
Answered by Alex Norris - Minister of State (Home Office)
The Department engages Manning Gottlieb OMD as the government's mandated media buying agency in line with Crown Commercial Service agreements.
The 'Social housing- Traditional broadcast ra' expenditure covered commercial radio advertisements on stations including Capital FM and Kiss. These advertisements were part of our Make Things Right campaign, which encourages social housing tenants experiencing issues with their accommodation to engage effectively with the complaints process. Radio advertising effectively reaches tenants at scale and directs them to our campaign website for comprehensive support on gov.uk here.
The 'StreetLink Rough sleeping campaign' expenditure funded print advertisements in the Metro newspaper alongside digital advertising across multiple social media platforms including Meta, Reddit, WeAre8 and LinkedIn. This campaign promoted the StreetLink service and educated the public about essential information needed when reporting people sleeping rough, to improve the quality of referrals through the service.
Asked by: Liz Jarvis (Liberal Democrat - Eastleigh)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to support access to spectrum for (a) new entrants and (b) underrepresented groups under the Community Radio Order 2025.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The community radio sector is a key part of the UK radio landscape – there are now around 320 analogue (AM / FM) services, plus a further 75 unique community digital services that exclusively broadcast on small-scale DAB to local communities across the UK.
The changes made by the Community Radio Order 2025 will enable Ofcom to extend the duration of community radio licences for a fourth time and to remove restrictions that limit the amount of income a community radio licence can receive from advertisements and sponsorship, except for a small number community radio stations whose coverage area overlaps with small independent commercial stations.
The Order does not include measures that deal with access to spectrum for community groups wanting to establish new services. Ofcom has a wide range of powers to license new community radio stations on analogue or on DAB digital radio, including specific requirements to roll out new small-scale DAB services, which remains its stated priority for the time being. The timing of any new licence awards is a matter for Ofcom.
Asked by: Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru - Life peer)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask His Majesty's Government what discussions they have had with representatives of commercial radio companies regarding reduction of their presence in Wales.
Answered by Baroness Twycross - Baroness in Waiting (HM Household) (Whip)
The Media Act 2024 gives commercial radio greater flexibility to organise its programmes to meet the changing needs of its audiences. While decisions on changes to local radio services are ultimately matters for commercial radio companies, we are disappointed in recent decisions which have resulted in the end of Welsh language programmes.
The Government is a strong supporter of Welsh language broadcasting and will consider the wider implications on Welsh language radio with the Welsh Government and other stakeholders in Wales. Neither I nor any DCMS Ministers have had any direct discussions on this matter with Global.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to help ensure that all communities have access to local radio stations.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
There are a wide range of local commercial and community radio services across the UK operating on analogue (FM/AM) and on digital radio. In addition, there are increasing numbers of commercial and community radio stations which are digital-only and have been able to take advantage of DAB and small-scale DAB, allowing more local radio stations to reach their audiences.
Ofcom’s progress report on small-scale DAB published on 22 October 2024 announced that Ofcom was planning to run two additional rounds of SS-DAB licensing in the near future, enabling more communities and prospective businesses to develop new stations and get on air.
Local stations continue to make a significant contribution to local media plurality and choice, providing communities with access to news and local information. We are also considering the role that local commercial and community radio can make in helping to strengthen local media more generally as part of our comprehensive review of local media.
Asked by: Melanie Ward (Labour - Cowdenbeath and Kirkcaldy)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to support community radio.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
In December 2024, the Community Radio Order 2025 was laid in draft in Parliament. It enables Ofcom to extend community radio licences for a fourth time and to remove restrictions that limit the amount of income a community radio licence can receive from advertisements and sponsorship, except for community radio stations whose coverage area overlaps with small independent commercial stations. These changes are designed to secure the long-term success and financial sustainability of the UK’s community radio stations and, subject to Parliamentary approval, are due to come into force in April 2025.
The Ofcom-administered Community Radio Fund also allows community radio stations to bid for funding to meet their core costs and seeks to support the sector towards self-sustainability. The current annual budget for the Community Radio Fund was set at £400,000 in 2015. We are currently looking at whether there is scope to increase funding as part of the Spending Review.
Asked by: John Hayes (Conservative - South Holland and The Deepings)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to support new FM licences for radio stations in (a) South Holland and the Deepings constituency and (b) Lincolnshire.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The growth and development of digital radio and changes in listener behaviour have resulted in a clear shift away from analogue listening – digital listening now accounts for 74% of all radio listening (RAJAR Q3 2024). Although AM/FM platforms remain important for smaller commercial and community stations, significant numbers of listeners are migrating to digital platforms.
The licensing of AM/FM radio services is a matter for Ofcom, and in October Ofcom set out its current approach to licensing in a progress report on the rollout of small-scale DAB (SSDAB) technology. This report set out Ofcom’s current view that SSDAB offers audiences a wider range of services and makes a more efficient use of spectrum than FM, and committed to at least two further rounds of SSDAB licensing before considering the possibility of any further analogue licensing in the future.
Asked by: Alicia Kearns (Conservative - Rutland and Stamford)
Question to the Department for Digital, Culture, Media & Sport:
To ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, whether she plans to support new FM licences for radio stations in (a) Rutland, (b) Mid-Wales and (c) other rural areas.
Answered by Stephanie Peacock - Parliamentary Under Secretary of State (Department for Culture, Media and Sport)
The growth and development of digital radio and changes in listener behaviour have resulted in a clear shift away from analogue listening – digital listening now accounts for 74% of all radio listening (RAJAR Q3 2024). Although AM/FM platforms remain important for smaller commercial and community stations, significant numbers of listeners are migrating to digital platforms.
The licensing of AM/FM radio services is a matter for Ofcom, and in October Ofcom set out its current approach to licensing in a progress report on the rollout of small-scale DAB (SSDAB) technology. This report set out Ofcom’s current view that SSDAB offers audiences a wider range of services and makes a more efficient use of spectrum than FM, and committed to at least two further rounds of SSDAB licensing before considering the possibility of any further analogue licensing in the future.
Asked by: Lord Wasserman (Non-affiliated - Life peer)
Question to the Home Office:
To ask His Majesty's Government when they expect to complete the procurement of a new supplier for mobile radio and data services for the emergency services; and when they estimate it will be possible to shut down the Airwave service.
Answered by Lord Hanson of Flint - Minister of State (Home Office)
Any relevant information concerning this procurement process will be met in due course via the government commercial disclosure portal Contracts Finder and in the Accounting Officer Assessments published routinely on the Home Office website.
With respect to the estimated shutdown date of Airwave, the current National Shutdown Target Date is 31 December 2029.