Radio stuff in the UK now, and media regulator OfCom has said it will loosen the regulations that govern smaller radio stations. Broadcasters will be given more of a free range on what they broadcast, and will be allowed to own more stations, in a move to help analogue stations better compete with new digital and online services, which are already less regulated.
The proposals follow the previously reported decision by the owners of Stroud station Star Radio, who, in an unprecedented move, handed back its licence to OfCom in protest at the restrictions put on smaller radio stations by the regulator. Scottish station River FM also returned its licence after it failed to find a buyer - again arguably because regulator restrictions affected the commercial viability of the station.
The deregulation proposals are included in the same report that we reported on yesterday, which also proposes setting dates for reviewing when analogue radio signals - AM and FM - should be turned off. The radio industry now has until 29 Jun to respond to all the recommendations in the report, before OfCom starts making decisions regarding both deregulation and analogue switch off.