Broadcasting Act 1990

Miscellaneous provisions relating to national and local services

106 Requirements as to character and coverage of national and local services

(1) A national or local licence shall include such conditions as appear to the Authority to be appropriate for securing that the character of the licensed service, as proposed by the licence holder when making his application, is maintained during the period for which the licence is in force, except to the extent that the Authority consent to any departure on the grounds—

(a) that it would not narrow the range of programmes available by way of independent radio services to persons living in the area or locality for which the service is licensed to be provided, or

(b) that it would not substantially alter the character of the service.

(2) A national or local licence shall include conditions requiring the licence holder to secure that the licensed service serves so much of the area or locality for which it is licensed to be provided as is for the time being reasonably practicable.

(3) A national licence shall include conditions enabling the Authority, where it appears to them to be reasonably practicable for the licensed service to be provided for any additional area falling outside the minimum area determined by them in accordance with section 98(2), to require the licence holder to provide the licensed service for any such additional area.

(4) Subject to subsection (5), the Authority may, if they think fit, authorise the holder of a local licence, by means of a variation of his licence to that effect, to provide the licensed service for any additional area or locality adjoining the area or locality for which that service has previously been licensed to be provided.

(5) The Authority shall only exercise the power conferred on them by subsection (4) if it appears to them that to do so would not result in a substantial increase in the area or locality for which the service in question is licensed to be provided.

(6) As soon as practicable after the Authority have exercised that power in relation to any service, they shall publish, in such manner as they consider appropriate, a notice—

(a) stating that they have exercised that power in relation to that service; and

(b) giving details of the additional area or locality for which that service is licensed to be provided.

107 Party political broadcasts

(1) A national licence shall include—

(a) conditions requiring the licence holder to include party political broadcasts in the licensed service; and

(b) conditions requiring the licence holder to observe such rules with respect to party political broadcasts as the Authority may determine.

(2) Without prejudice to the generality of paragraph (b) of subsection (1), the Authority may determine for the purposes of that subsection—

(a) the political parties on whose behalf party political broadcasts may be made; and

(b) in relation to any political party on whose behalf such broadcasts may be made, the length and frequency of such broadcasts.

(3) Any rules made by the Authority for the purposes of this section may make different provision for different cases or circumstances.

108 Promotion of equal opportunities in relation to employment by holder of national licence

(1) A national licence shall include conditions requiring the licence holder—

(a) to make arrangements for promoting, in relation to employment by him, equality of opportunity between men and women and between persons of different racial groups; and

(b) to review those arrangements from time to time.

(2) In subsection (1) “racial group” has the same meaning as in the [1976 c. 74.] Race Relations Act 1976.