Broadcasting Act 1996

54 Conditions attached to national or local radio multiplex licence. U.K.

(1) A radio multiplex licence shall include such conditions as appear to [F1 OFCOM] to be appropriate for securing—

(a) that the licensed service is established by the licence holder in accordance with the timetable and other proposals indicated in the technical plan submitted under section 46(4)(b) or 50(4)(b),

F2 (b) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

(c) that all digital sound programme services broadcast under the licence are provided—

(i) in the case of a national radio multiplex licence, by the holder of a national digital sound programme licence under section 60, and

(ii) in the case of a local radio multiplex licence, by the BBC or the holder of a local digital sound programme licence under that section,

[F3 (ca) that all television licensable content services broadcast under the licence are provided by the holder of a licence under Part 1 of the 1990 Act to provide such a service or by [F4 a CTT broadcaster] (within the meaning given by section 12(3A));]

(d) that all digital additional services broadcast under the licence are provided by the holder of a licence under section 64,

(e) that in the terms on which the holder of the licence contracts, or offers to contract, for the broadcasting of digital sound programme services [F5 , television licensable content services] or digital additional services, he does not show undue discrimination either against or in favour of a particular person providing such a service or a class of such persons,

(f) that the holder of the licence does not, in any agreement with a person providing a digital sound programme service [F6 , television licensable content service] or digital additional services which entitles that person to use a specified amount of digital capacity on the frequency or frequencies to which the licence relates, restrict that person’s freedom to make arrangements with some other person as to the use of any of that digital capacity (except to the extent that the restriction is reasonably required for the purpose of ensuring the technical quality of the broadcasts or for the purpose of securing compliance with any other condition of the licence),

(g) that the signals carrying the radio multiplex service attain high standards in terms of technical quality and reliability throughout so much of the area or locality for which the service is provided as is for the time being reasonably practicable, F7 ...

[F8 (h) that, while the licence is in force, at least the required percentage of the digital capacity on the frequency or frequencies on which the service is broadcast is used, or left available to be used, for the broadcasting of services falling within subsection (1A);]

[F9 (i) that the holder of the licence publishes information, in such manner as OFCOM consider appropriate, as to the payments to be made by the holders of community, local and national digital sound programme licences for the broadcasting of their services under the licence, and

(j) that the holder of the licence provides to OFCOM information, in such manner as OFCOM consider appropriate, on the community, local and national digital sound programme services provided for broadcasting by means of the service.]

[F10 (1A) The services falling within this subsection are—

(a) digital sound programme services;

(b) simulcast radio services;

(c) programme-related services; and

(d) relevant technical services.]

(2) In [F11 subsection (1A)] —

(a) “programme-related service” means any digital additional service consisting in the provision of services (apart from advertising) which—

(i) are ancillary to the programmes included in one or more digital sound programme services, simulcast radio services or local or national services [F12 (within the meaning of section 245 of the Communications Act 2003)] and are directly related to the contents of those programmes, or

(ii) relate to the promotion or listing of such programmes, and

(b) “relevant technical service” means any technical service which relates to one or more digital sound programme services.

[F13 (2A) In subsection (1)(h), the reference to the required percentage is a reference to such percentage equal to or more than [F14 70 per cent.] as OFCOM—

(a) consider appropriate; and

(b) specify in the condition.]

(3) The Secretary of State may, after consulting [F1 OFCOM] , by order amend [F15 subsection (2A)] by substituting a different percentage for the percentage for the time being specified in [F16 that subsection] .

(4) No order under subsection (3) shall be made unless a draft of the order has been laid before and approved by a resolution of each House of Parliament.

(5) Any conditions imposed in pursuance of subsection (1)(a) F17 ... may be varied by [F1 OFCOM] with the consent of the licence holder (and [F18 section 42(3)] shall accordingly not apply to any such variation).

F19 (6) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19 (6A) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F19 (6B) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

F20 (7) . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Textual Amendments

F1 Words in s. 54 substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 15 para. 113 (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F2 S. 54(1)(b) omitted (17.10.2024) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(a)(i), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F3 S. 54(1)(ca) inserted (25.7.2006) by The Television Licensable Content Services Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2131), arts. 1(1), 5(8)(a)

F4 Words in s. 54(1)(ca) substituted (31.12.2020) by The Broadcasting (Amendment) (EU Exit) Regulations 2019 (S.I. 2019/224), reg. 1(2), Sch. 1 para. 8 (with reg. 6) (as amended by S.I. 2020/1536, reg. 5(2)(3)); 2020 c. 1, Sch. 5 para. 1(1)

F5 Words in s. 54(1)(e) inserted (25.7.2006) by The Television Licensable Content Services Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2131), arts. 1(1), 5(8)(b)

F6 Words in s. 54(1)(f) inserted (25.7.2006) by The Television Licensable Content Services Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2131), arts. 1(1), 5(8)(c)

F7 Word in s. 54(1) omitted (17.10.2024) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(a)(ii), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F8 S. 54(1)(h) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(2), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F9 S. 54(1)(i)(j) inserted (17.10.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(a)(iii), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F10 S. 54(1A) inserted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(3), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F11 Words in s. 54(2) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(4)(a), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F12 Words in s. 54(2)(i) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(4)(b), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F13 S. 54(2A) inserted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(5), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F14 Words in s. 54(2A) substituted (25.7.2006) by The Radio Multiplex Services (Required Percentage of Digital Capacity) Order 2006 (S.I. 2006/2130), arts. 1(1), 2

F15 Words in s. 54(3) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(6)(a), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F16 Words in s. 54(3) substituted (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), ss. 259(6)(b), 411(2) (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)

F17 Words in s. 54(5) omitted (17.10.2024) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(b)(i), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F18 Words in s. 54(5) substituted (17.10.2024) by Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(b)(ii), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F19 S. 54(6)-(6B) omitted (17.10.2024) by virtue of Media Act 2024 (c. 15), ss. 47(6)(c), 55(3)(e); S.I. 2024/1033, reg. 3(g) (with reg. 5(2))

F20 S. 54(7) repealed (29.12.2003) by Communications Act 2003 (c. 21), s. 411(2), Sch. 19(1) Note 1 (with Sch. 18); S.I. 2003/3142, art. 3(1), Sch. 1 (with art. 11)