Consultation: Ofcom review of BBC's proposed new DAB+ radio services and extending the hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra

This document is an invitation to comment on Ofcom's review of BBC's proposed new DAB+ radio services and extending the hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra.

Following consultations in February 2024 the BBC has undertaken public interest tests (“PITs”) for each of the following:

• Four proposed new DAB+ music radio stations, comprising a relaunch of the existing Radio 1 Dance Sounds-only stream as a radio station on DAB+ and three new DAB+ extensions of Radio 1, Radio 2 and Radio 3. The stations would also be available online via BBC Sounds, in line with the BBC’s approach to its existing national radio stations.  
• An extension of the broadcasting hours of the BBC’s existing part time radio station, Radio 5 Sports Extra.

The BBC Board has concluded that both proposals meet the PITs.

The BBC Charter and Agreement require Ofcom to examine any “material” changes to its services which the BBC has decided meet the PIT and it wishes to implement. Our initial task is to decide whether we also consider that the relevant changes are material and, if so, what form of assessment we will carry out.

The BBC Charter and Agreement provide that the introduction of a new public service will always be material. We consider that the launch of the four new DAB+ radio stations would involve the creation of new public services, and we therefore propose to find this change to be material.

In its PIT, the BBC states that the proposed change to Radio 5 Sports Extra from a part-time to an extended hours station is material, due to the nature of the change and as there is only one competitor in the UK sports radio market, talkSPORT. We agree with the BBC and therefore propose to find this change to be material.

We also recognise that these proposals raise a number of contentious issues that could affect a range of interested parties. As such, we intend to proceed with a more detailed second phase competition assessment (“BCA”) for both proposals rather than a Shorter Assessment.  

In this document, we are providing stakeholders with an opportunity to comment on this initial assessment and seek initial views to understand how stakeholders consider the launch of the new DAB+ stations and the changes to Radio 5 Sports Extra could affect them if they go ahead. Stakeholders will have an opportunity to comment on our draft conclusions for both proposals before we reach a final decision.

Responding to this consultation

Please submit responses using the response form no later than 5pm 5 December 2024.