Part 5: Regulation of radio services Section 44: Local news and information
This section amends section 314 of the CA 2003 in relation to the local content and character of local analogue radio services.
	Subsections (3) to (8) amend section 314 to reframe the localness requirements on local commercial radio services. Unless OFCOM consider that it would be appropriate not to do so in a particular case, licences for such services must include conditions that OFCOM consider appropriate to ensure the services include, and regularly broadcast, programmes consisting of or including local news and information (e.g. traffic / travel / weather / what’s on / local events), and to require that local news to include locally-gathered news.
	OFCOM is no longer required to secure that stations provide non-news local material (e.g. spoken material or music). This reflects the fundamental importance of news and information to listeners, as well as the part which radio plays in ensuring plurality within the local news sector. OFCOM is also no longer required to impose requirements to secure that stations provide a certain amount of programming from a studio within their coverage area. These changes will provide stations with increased flexibility in terms of where to produce their content.
	The provisions do not require stations to directly employ journalists to gather this local news, but allow for the possibility of, for example, a station entering into a relationship with a newspaper, agency or freelance journalist who gathers news in the local area.
	This section also inserts new section 315A into the CA 2003 giving the Secretary of State the power to make provisions, by regulations, to enable OFCOM to ensure that at least one local digital radio service in a local multiplex area carries local news and information. Currently, there are no localness requirements applying to local digital services though, in practice, many existing digital radio services will be simulcast versions of analogue stations carrying local news and information. As the market evolves, it is likely that increasing numbers of stations will decide to cease transmitting over analogue and provide a broadcast service solely over digital. In the event this results in a lack of local news and information, new section 315A allows the Secretary of State to extend localness requirements to digital radio. For example, OFCOM could be required to impose conditions in local radio multiplex licences requiring the multiplex operator to carry at least one digital radio service carrying local news and information, or to reserve capacity on the multiplex for a radio service carrying local news or information.