Ofcom blocks BBC plans for Radio 2 and Radio 5 extensions
However, it further allowed plans for new DAB+ stations Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, and Radio 3 Unwind to go ahead.
The watchdog is required to consider the effects of 'material' changes to the BBC's TV, radio and online public services on commercial competition.
READ MORE: 111 BBC journalists demand change at top as Israel-Palestine reporting 'crippled'
Ofcom's judgment said: 'Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, and Radio 3 Unwind can proceed. We found these stations would have a limited impact on fair and effective competition, which would be justified by the public value of the proposals.
'The BBC Radio 2 extension, which would broadcast music and archive content from the 50s, 60s and 70s, cannot go ahead. Although the proposal could provide some public value, this would not be enough to justify the significant impact on fair and effective competition, which includes the potential to reduce investment incentives for commercial radio operators.
'The BBC's plans to extend the broadcasting hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra may not proceed. While it could offer some public value, for example by broadening the amount of sport on linear radio, this wouldn't be sufficient to justify the significant impact it would have on fair and effective competition, in particular on the talkSPORT network.'
The National Union of Journalists (NUJ) welcomed the decisions.
Paul Siegert, NUJ national broadcasting organiser, said: "We welcome this decision by Ofcom. While a Radio 2 spin-off might have benefited audiences in terms of archive music performances, the BBC already has a network of 39 local radio stations which are perfectly placed to serve an older demographic.
'This would be an ideal time for the corporation to think again about how best to spend money from the licence fee, and perhaps channel the investment that had been earmarked for Radio 2 back into restoring some of the local programming already lost around the country."
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scottish Sun
31 minutes ago
- Scottish Sun
Another classic British comedy is slapped with woke trigger warning by the BBC over ‘discriminatory language'
Scroll to read the other shows have been flagged by the Beeb WOKE JOKE Another classic British comedy is slapped with woke trigger warning by the BBC over 'discriminatory language' BBC officials have slapped trigger warnings on another hit British comedy — The Royle Family. Regulators have flagged seven episodes for 'discriminatory language some viewers may find offensive'. 2 BBC officials have slapped trigger warnings on another hit British comedy — The Royle Family, pictured Ricky Tomlinson as Jim Royle Credit: BBC 2 The show followed the Royles for three series and ended in 2012 Credit: Alamy It does not specify which scenes in the Manchester-based sitcom it deems potentially dodgy in the alerts on iPlayer. The show ran for three series and followed couch potato family the Royles, led by Ricky Tomlinson's bone idle telly addict dad Jim — catchphrase 'my arse!' It attracted 12 million viewers in its heyday and also starred Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash [both writers], Sue Johnston, Ralf Little and Liz Smith. The final episode of 25 aired on Christmas Day 2012. In 2021, the BBC added a flag to episode two in series three for a scene where Jim describes real-life TV designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen as a 'nancy boy'. Now there are warnings for episodes one, three and six from series two, which went out in 1999. Episode one from series three, which aired in 2000, is also considered problematic, possibly for Anthony Royle (Little) calling a pal a 'batty boy'. The 2008 and 2009 The Royle Family specials are under scrutiny too. It comes after cautious BBC regulators warned viewers of supposedly contentious scenes in The Fast Show sketch show and The Office.
The Sun
32 minutes ago
- The Sun
Another classic British comedy is slapped with woke trigger warning by the BBC over ‘discriminatory language'
BBC officials have slapped trigger warnings on another hit British comedy — The Royle Family. Regulators have flagged seven episodes for 'discriminatory language some viewers may find offensive'. 2 2 It does not specify which scenes in the Manchester -based sitcom it deems potentially dodgy in the alerts on iPlayer. The show ran for three series and followed couch potato family the Royles, led by Ricky Tomlinson's bone idle telly addict dad Jim — catchphrase 'my arse!' It attracted 12 million viewers in its heyday and also starred Caroline Aherne, Craig Cash [both writers], Sue Johnston, Ralf Little and Liz Smith. The final episode of 25 aired on Christmas Day 2012. In 2021, the BBC added a flag to episode two in series three for a scene where Jim describes real-life TV designer Laurence Llewelyn-Bowen as a 'nancy boy'. Now there are warnings for episodes one, three and six from series two, which went out in 1999. Episode one from series three, which aired in 2000, is also considered problematic, possibly for Anthony Royle (Little) calling a pal a 'batty boy'. The 2008 and 2009 The Royle Family specials are under scrutiny too. It comes after cautious BBC regulators warned viewers of supposedly contentious scenes in The Fast Show sketch show and The Office.
The National
32 minutes ago
- The National
New Scot blends politics and patter in bold comedy fundraiser
He brought a revamped version of his hit Glasgow Comedy Festival show, Chips, Cheese and Curry, to Blackfriars on Thursday, performing a special charity gig in support of a family in Gaza. After calling himself 'Romesh Ranganathan from Temu' within the first five minutes of the set and comparing his hometown of Sirohi, India to Aberdeen, – both places where 'all you think about is leaving' – one would be forgiven if they assumed he was not proud of his roots. READ MORE: From Lewis Capaldi to a long-awaited apology – plenty to be positive about in June However, Rathore delivered a 50 minute gig that served as not just a charity fundraiser or a run of the mill comedy set, but a nuanced exploration of leaving home and finding it in a place that doesn't often know what to do with you. Since coming to Scotland, the comic has had a number of experiences – some good, some bad and some side-splittingly wild (looking at you, Falkirk dating scene). After being offered 'halal' class A drugs in a Dundee pub toilet, Rathore came to the astute conclusion that our wee island nation is 'racist but welcoming'. He explored the ramifications of the East India Company and the UK's troubled history of colonialism with slick observational humour and a fairly accurate impression of the beloved naturalist David Attenborough. A few of the technical issues he faced would have left any novice comic flailing on stage, but Rathore handled it with style, incorporating the hitches into the set and improvising with crowd work until problems with sound were resolved. READ MORE: 'Hold its head in shame': Gary Linker hits out at BBC for dropping Gaza documentary And shout-out to Rathore's dad, who has unknowingly become a Glasgow micro-celebrity with his accidental inclusion of Nigel Farage quotes in a Facebook eulogy for a friend who had passed away. Despite English being his fourth language, he shows an innate and witty understanding not just of Scottish culture but of the core pillar of our society too: our patter. From accidentally joining an Orange Walk to the bizarre parties our funerals often turn into, Chips, Cheese and Curry acts as a sneaky love letter to his hometown and the things that inadvertently tie it to Glasgow. Rathore has once again proven himself as one to watch on the Glasgow comedy scene. He will make his Edinburgh Fringe debut later this summer, performing at The Snug from July 31 – August 4. Verdict – four stars.
