Community radio: future licensing and technical policy

Statement published 28 April 2017

There are 250 Ofcom-licensed community radio stations broadcasting in locations across the UK. These stations are small, not-for-profit services which bring a range of benefits to their target communities, and are run with the help of volunteers.

This statement sets out our decision to conduct a fourth licensing round for community radio services, and how we will seek to ensure that our processes for awarding licences are quicker and more focused than in previous rounds.

We have also made revisions to our technical policy in relation to the frequencies and coverage areas for these services to take account of individual station requirements, which may differ.

Finally, this statement sets out our position on the prioritisation of our future community radio work.