§ Mr. Liddell-GraingerTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport (1) what assistance the Government will give to Access Radio stations to set up; and whether they will be eligible for lottery funding; [76943]
(2) what controls will be placed on Access Radio stations to prevent competition with small local radio stations; [76942]
(3) what level of profit Access Radio stations will be permitted to make; [76945]
(4) what rules will govern the running of Access Radio stations. [76946]
§ Dr. HowellsThe Government announced in the Communications White Paper in December 2000 that they were considering establishing a new tier of access radio to allow the provision of very local and very niche services.
It was agreed with the Radio Authority that it should pilot this idea and in August 2001 the Radio Authority invited 15 groups to participate in the pilot scheme during 2002. The purpose of the pilot scheme is to establish whether access radio is viable and how it might be licensed, regulated, funded, promoted and organised. 594W The completed evaluation is expected to be published next spring. The Communications Bill, when enacted, will allow the Secretary of State to introduce access radio, and any decisions will be informed by the outcome of the current pilot study.
If the Government decide to introduce access radio, it is anticipated that future access radio stations would:
- demonstrate evidence of social gain and/or public service aims;
- be small-scale neighbourhood schemes, or be designed to serve a community of interest;
- be funded either through non-commercial funding or by a mixture of commercial and non-commercial funding (for which limits may be specified);
- be not-for-profit or non-profit distributing;
- be ring-fenced in terms of ownership and operation from Independent Local Radio, and distinct from Independent Local Radio (ILR) (eg ILR licensees will be proscribed from equity participation to any extent in an Access Radio licensee); and
- provide opportunities to allow access among those within the target group to the operation of the service.
In drawing up arrangement for licensing and regulating access radio stations, the Government and OFCOM will take full account of the possible impact of access radio on the local broadcasting ecology in each potential locality.
The Government are considering the creating of an access radio fund which could support access radio stations. No decisions have yet been taken on such a fund. It will be for the lottery distributing bodies to decide whether access radio stations will be eligible for grants.