§ Mr. DhandaTo ask the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport what assessment her Department has made of the impact of community radio on small commercial radio stations. [176210]
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§ Estelle MorrisThis issue was considered in Anthony Everitt's independent evaluation of community radio, particularly in section 5.7 of "New Voices", copies of which are available from Ofcom. The report concluded that community radio stations should usually be able to receive up to half their income from advertising sales and sponsorship but that small commercial stations should be given some protection in certain circumstances. In addition, this Department is considering the representations made on this issue as part of the consultation on the draft Community Radio Order. We are also proposing to ask Ofcom to review the impact of the community radio sector two years after the first community radio licence is awarded.
We expect to lay the Community Radio Order in June.