Time to Rethink Small Scale DAB

Time to look at alternative models for the Evolution of Small-Scale DaB and look at empowering Town and Parish Councils to deliver a Small-Scale DAB’s Evolution.

In the dynamic realm of radio broadcasting, the emergence of Small-Scale Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) marks a promising avenue for localised content delivery. Yet, the journey of Small-Scale DAB, despite its relative novelty, has encountered its share of challenges and evolutions in a short span of about two years.

Small-Scale DAB: Bringing Community to the Airwaves

At its heart, Small-Scale DAB represents a grassroots movement in the radio landscape, aiming to empower local communities with a platform for their unique voices. Unlike traditional radio, it offers the potential for diverse, hyperlocal services tailored specifically to the interests and needs of local communities via stations that launch on the small-scale DaB multiplex.

Ofcom, the regulatory authority overseeing radio licensing in the UK, has conducted five licensing rounds in this short period. However, this journey hasn't been without hurdles. Some licenses were revoked, and others faced difficulties, raising questions about the sustainability of the current model.

In the last week Ofcom has revoked another Small-Scale DaB multiplex licence awarded in November 2022 for Wetherby and Harrogate as the company awarded the licence has said that the costs have made the launch of the small-scale multiplex unviable.

Other companies awarded small scale DaB multiplex licences have either not yet launched or of those that have some have failed already.

Options that need to be on the Table because it’s time to look at alternative models for Small Scale DaB’s future.

In reimagining the Small-Scale DAB landscape, one potential avenue to create a sustainable local focused platform lies in the involvement of town and parish councils. These councils are already deeply embedded within their communities, possess an innate understanding of local dynamics, and needs and are accountable to the communities they serve.

Town and Parish Councils are uniquely placed to deliver hyperlocal infrastructure that serves and support communities and many already do deliver varying levels of infrastructure from street lighting to playparks to community buildings and services.

I first proposed the role town and parish councils could play in local communications infrastructure for mobile networks as part of the shared rural infrastructure networks. Were town and parish councils could be empowered through licensing and legislation to build local mobile network infrastructure that the network operators could use to provide mobile services via in areas that have poor or no coverage and are commercially not viable for networks to deploy their own infrastructure.

The Small-Scale DaB Multiplex is no different in concept. The multiplex is the transmitter infrastructure that enables the service operator to operate on to serve the local community.

All digital radio stations that broadcast via a small-scale DaB multiplex are already separately licenced as broadcast radio stations by Ofcom with their own regulations, obligations, and accountability.

Making the actual DaB infrastructure a platform rather than the actual service the listener tunes into.

Enabling town and parish councils to hold Small-Scale DAB multiplex licenses requires regulatory adjustments, particularly within the framework of the Broadcasting Act of 1990. The legislation needs revisiting to accommodate the evolving landscape of local digital radio broadcasting.

Small Regulatory Changes Could Paving the Way for a Community-Driven Radio Evolution.

To facilitate the involvement of locally focused town and parish councils, regulatory changes would be necessary. This would involve amendments to empower town and parish councils to hold Small-Scale DAB licenses. Enabling a streamlined, accessible process for councils to participate in radio licensing would democratise access to the airwaves, fostering a more diverse and inclusive broadcasting environment.

Current legislation prevents town and parish councils from holding a small-scale DaB multiplex licence. As is the case for local and national radio multiplex licences, and many other classes of Ofcom licence, disqualified persons under Part II of Schedule 2 of the Broadcasting Act 1990 cannot hold a small-scale radio multiplex licence. This includes certain types of ‘political’ body (such as a local authority or political party), religious bodies, bodies receiving more than 50% of their income from public funds, the BBC and S4C, and advertising agencies. It also includes bodies in which such groups or individuals are participants.

The specific bits that prevent town and parish councils holding a licence is not as would first appear the ‘Local Authority’ exclusion as in most legislation local authority covers upper tiers councils not town and parish councils. The specific issue in the legislation is the reference to ‘bodies receiving more than 50% of their income from public funds’. As most funding of town and parish councils is via the precept that forms part of the council tax bill.

Just to complicate things in contrast the Communications act 2003 introduced some changes to section 142 of the Local Government Act 1972 that added:

A local authority may—

(a)for the purpose of broadcasting or distributing information falling within subsection (1AB), provide an electronic communications network or electronic communications service, or

(b)arrange with the provider of such a network or service for the broadcasting or distribution of such information by means of the network or service.

(1AB)Information falls within this subsection, in relation to a local authority, if it is one or both of the following—

(a)information concerning the services within the area of the authority that are provided either by the authority themselves or by other authorities mentioned in subsection (1B) below;

(b)information relating to the functions of the authority.

Given a Small-Scale DaB multiplex is in effect a communications network, it could be argued that provision already exists but has never made it into Ofcom policy on Small-Scale DaB multiplex licencing yet.

All town and parish councils have the potential to adopt powers called the General Power of Competence that enables them to do anything an individual or company can do legally as a council there are set criteria around this power been adopted like most the councillors been elected not coopted and a qualified clerk of the council.

However once adopted the council has the powers to do anything an individual or company could legally do if that does not override any set legislation that would prevent them from doing so.

The removal or amendment of the single line in the 1990 broadcasting act would open the potential for a sustainable evolution of local digital radio infrastructure that could deliver a renaissance of local radio stations using the local Small Scale DaB platforms created.

The established small scale multiplex platforms would also deliver a funding stream for the councils that could ben used to further benefit their local communities without a reliance on the council tax precept.

Embracing Community Voices

As we navigate the uncharted waters of Small-Scale DAB, the involvement of town and parish councils could emerge as a beacon of hope. Empowering these councils through regulatory adjustments would not only democratises access but enriches the radio landscape with the diverse, vibrant tapestry of local radio station that could emerge to use the platforms.

The essence of Small-Scale DAB lies in its ability to bring people together, fostering connections and amplifying community voices via the stations that operate on the multiplex. It's a journey where technology meets the human spirit, and in empowering local councils, government and regulators could champion the heartbeats of our towns and parishes.