HC Deb 24 October 1978 vol 955 cc861-2W
Mr. Tierney

asked the Secretary of State for the Home Department whether he is yet able to announce the names of additional local radio stations.

Mr. Merlyn Rees

Yes. Following the publication of the White Paper on Broadcasting—Cmnd. 7294—in July, I set up a working party under Home Office chairmanship with the following terms of referenceTaking account of Chapter 4 of the White Paper on Broadcasting (Cmnd. 7294), and in particular the criteria set out in paragraph 33, to prepare proposals for the consideration of the Secretary of State for the Home Department

  1. (i) for a number of additional local radio stations to be established as an immediate start of the expansion of local radio; and
  2. (ii) for the further development of local radio, by stages, over the United Kingdom as a whole and to publish reports on the possibilities from time to time."

The B.B.C. and I.B.A. are represented on the working party.

I asked the working party to submit to me, as a matter of urgency, its proposals for a number of additional local radio stations to be established as an immediate start to the expansion of local radio. The Working Party reported on 18th October and I have given my approval in principle for additional local radio stations in the following 18 locations recommended by the working party. B.B.C. Barrow-in-Furness, Cambridge, Lincoln, Northampton, Norwich, Shrewsbury, Taunton, Truro, York. I.B.A. Aberdeen/Inverness*, Bournemouth, Cardiff, Chelmsford/Southend*, Coventry, Dundee/Perth*, Exeter/Torbay*, Gloucester, Peterborough.

The locations marked with an asterisk may be suitable for associate or twinned stations.

Further detailed consideration will need to be given to the frequencies to be assigned to the 18 stations, to the transmitter characteristics and to the editorial areas to be covered.

These services might be expected to come on the air in 1980 and 1981.

Copies of the working party's Report are being placed in the Library of the House.

The working party will continue its consideration of the future development of the respective services to fulfil the Government's intention that local radio services should be available to as much of the population of the United Kingdom as possible, as soon as possible.