All that is available in the UK is the Radio Authority's 28 day RSL (Restricted Service Licence) facility. The heavy costs of this short term facility, (exceeding £4000 for licences and copyright fees alone) plus the premium rates charged by equipment companies for such short term hires available only at limited intervals, prohibit most groups from anything more than an annual month-long broadcast.
The Radio Authority's current working priority is the issue of small scale commercial city and regional licences, and the renewal of existing commercial licences held in the main by a handful of major radio operators who control the majority of UK stations, such as that held by GWR as Leicester Sound. Recent commercial licence applications show an increasing tendency to include some small element of community relevance and local issues in programming, though this is arguably a strategic stance as few opportunities exist for any form of community input to commercial stations, nor are there
any obligations on such operators to provide a public service to their community. The Community Radio Association has lobbied for many years for legislation to establish a preferential licensing tier for non commercial community radio in addition to the existing licence structure but this has not been forthcoming.
will embody the principles of community radio within a financially viable and well managed environment, to create a viable community business over the 8 year licence period offered for
the new small scale local commercial licence. Our campaign to win this licence will itself be a community venture, with charitable fund raising objectives. We have considerable support for this new style of "neighbourhood business" from previous advertisers and companies who can envisage properly managed and funded Community Radio providing the next generation of viable and profitable local radio stations. has already demonstrated how such support can be achieved with locally relevant programming and marketing, reflected in the letters and encouragement received after our RSL broadcasts.
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