A round-up of Ofcom’s broadcast radio licensing activity in February 2025.
Digital Radio
Small-scale DAB multiplex licence awards
The following small-scale radio multiplex licence awards were made during this period:
Grant of small-scale DAB multiplex licences
The following small-scale radio multiplex licences were granted during this period:
Licence area |
Licensee |
Transmitters licensed |
Date from |
Alnwick & Morpeth |
Northumberland Community Digital C.I.C |
Alnwick - Longhoughton Quarry; Morpeth – Shotton. |
18 February 2025 |
Digital sound programme service (DSP) and digital additional sound (DAS) licences issued during this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Licence type (DSPS or DAS) |
Lets Groove Media Ltd |
Divine Radio London |
DSPS |
Mission Radio Love Music Love Life Ltd |
Mission Radio 90.6 |
DSPS |
Cultural Media Enterprise |
Unity 101 Community Radio |
DSPS |
Craig Watts |
Cyndicut Radio |
DSPS |
Mohammad Naseer |
Radio Ramadhan Bristol |
DSPS |
Digital sound programme service (DSP) and Digital additional sound (DAS) licences which have ceased to be licensed (handed back or revoked) in this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Licence type (DSPS or DAS) |
Reason |
Outreach FM Ltd |
Skylinegold Radio |
DSPS |
Surrendered |
Launchpad One Ltd |
Strawberry Radio |
DSPS |
Surrendered |
Community digital sound programme service (C-DSP) applications received during this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Area |
Boreham Wood & Elstree Community Radio Ltd |
Boreham Wood Radio |
South Hertfordshire |
Koast Radio Limited |
Koast Radio |
Alnwick and Morpeth |
BFBS Colchester Limited |
BFBS Colchester |
Colchester and Clacton |
Community digital sound programme service (C-DSP) licences issued during this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Area |
Cheshire Media and Arts CIC |
Strawberry Radio |
Stockport |
Welwyn Hatfield Radio LTD |
Welwyn Hatfield Radio |
South Hertfordshire |
Radio Chelmsford CIC |
City Sound |
Chelmsford |
Community Action Dacorum |
Radio Dacorum |
South Hertfordshire |
Analogue Commercial Radio
Licence renewals granted in this period
A seven-year renewal has been granted to the following:
Area |
Service name |
Current Licensee |
East Midlands |
Smooth Radio |
Smooth Radio Midlands Limited |
Chester |
Chester’s Dee Radio |
Dee 106.3 Limited |
A five-year renewal has been granted to the following:
Area |
Service name |
Current Licensee |
Yorkshire |
Capital |
Galaxy Radio Yorkshire Limited |
Analogue commercial radio licences which have ceased to be licensed in this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Reason |
Oban FM Community Radio Ltd |
Oban FM |
Surrendered |
Analogue Community Radio
Community Radio Fund – Round 2, 2024-25
Ofcom’s Community Radio Fund Panel (‘the Panel’) met on Tuesday 28 January 2025 to consider applications in the second round of funding for the 2024-2025 financial year.
The Panel considered each application and awarded funding based on the information provided, and with reference to the Community Radio Fund (‘the Fund’) guidance notes. For each grant bid the Panel decided whether to make a full award, a partial award or not to award any funding.
At the meeting:
- 80 applications for grants were considered;
- The total amount of funding requested in these applications was £1,852,282;
- 15 applicants were awarded grants which totaled £261,476;
- 65 applicants were not awarded a grant; and,
- The grants awarded ranged from £5,752 up to £30,000 for individual positions, with an average of £17,432. A summary of the awards is at the end of this statement.
Licence extensions granted this period
A five year extension has been granted to the following:
Service name |
Licensee |
Location |
New expiry date |
Radio Newark |
Radio Newark Limited |
Newark on Trent |
1 May 2030 |
Restricted service licences
Licences which have ceased to be licensed in this period
Licensee |
Service name |
Reason |
UWE Students Union |
Hub Radio |
Surrendered |
Trustees of Radio Glangwili |
Radio Glangwili |
Surrendered |