§ Mr. Greg KnightTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department if he will make it his policy that, following deregulation, licences will not be granted to any radio station or consortium containing persons who have been convicted of broadcasting illegally during the 10 years prior to such a licence application being made.
§ Mr. HurdThere is a good case for a disqualification of this kind. Unlawful broadcasting causes interference to other users of the radio spectrum, including safety of life services, creates unfair competition to authorised broadcasters and imposes unnecessary additional costs on the industry. I have today announced, in reply to a question from my hon. Friend the Member for Surbiton (Mr. Tracey), my intention to make additional frequencies available to the IBA for community radio in advance of broadcasting legislation. It will be open to anyone previously but no longer involved in unlawful broadcasting to apply for such a contract. But it is not acceptable, especially when new broadcasting opportunities are being opened up, for those continuing to act outside the law to be able to compete in due course on equal terms for Radio Authority licences with those who have respected the law.
I accordingly propose to include in the legislative proposals I outlined on 19 January at columns 647–49 a provision making it a condition of all Radio Authority licences that the licensee neither has a conviction after 1 January 1989 for any offence under the Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 or the Marine and Broadcasting (Offences) Act 1967 connected with the operation or running of an unlicensed broadcasting station within five years of the date of an application for such a licence nor employs such a person in the activities covered by the licence.
§ Mr. TraceyTo ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he has yet reached any conclusion on the Independent Broadcasting Authority's proposals to establish 20 community radio stations under the Broadcasting Act 1981; and if he will make a statement.
§ Mr. HurdThe IBA's proposals are a positive step towards the new radio arrangements which I outlined on 19 January at columns647–49. They provide a way, in advance of new legislation, of broadening the choice available to radio listeners. I am therefore glad to make 649W frequencies available, and have asked the IBA to begin detailed planning, in consultation with my Department and the Department of Trade and Industry, for the introduction as soon as practicable of additional services.
Competition between the new community radio stations and the IBA's present contractors must be fair within the constraints of the Broadcasting Act 1981. In advertising additional contracts, the IBA will accordingly make clear its willingness to consider applications from existing contractors proposing to sub-contract or otherwise work in association with new entrant groups. This form of co-operation may provide useful experience for certain kinds of broadcasting under the supervision of the Radio Authority when it is established. Where additional services are established they will be expected to make a realistic contribution to regulatory costs with a corresponding reduction in present ILR rentals. The IBA will also take account of the programme output of additional services in considering the requirements on its present contractors.
With these safeguards I believe that the IBA's proposals will benefit the radio industry as a whole, provide valuable new broadcasting opportunities for minority communities and enhance listener choice as far as is practicable in advance of the major changes needing legislation which I outlined on 19 January.