Ofcom has published the provisional conclusions of its assessments of the BBC’s plans to launch four new DAB+ stations and extend the hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra.

In November 2024, the BBC published proposals to launch four new DAB+ stations: Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, a Radio 2 extension, and Radio 3 Unwind. The Corporation also published proposals to extend the broadcasting hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra to a service broadcasting daily from 9am-7pm.

In line with the process set out in the BBC Charter and Agreement, the BBC and then Ofcom are required to consider the effects on competition of ‘material’ changes to its TV, radio and online public services.

Ofcom agreed with the BBC that its proposals were ‘material’, and decided to carry out full Competition Assessments. These assessments ultimately look at whether the public value of the proposals justify the likely impact on fair and effective competition.

Provisional conclusions

For the BBC’s planned Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind stations, Ofcom found these stations would have a limited impact on fair and effective competition, which would be justified by the public value of the proposals. Therefore, the media regulator provisionally concluded that the BBC could proceed with its plans for these stations.

The Corporation also proposed a BBC Radio 2 extension, which would focus on music and archive content from the 50s, 60s and 70s. Ofcom found that this station would offer some public value, but would likely have an impact on commercial operators, of particular significance on the independent Boom Radio.

The new Radio 2 extension could also deter entry and reduce investment incentives for commercial radio operators more generally, especially for independent radio stations and those that intend to serve audiences that the BBC has moved away from, said Ofcom. This would create a significant adverse impact on fair and effective competition which would not be justified by the public value of the proposal, and Ofcom provisionally concluded that the BBC may not carry out the change.

Separately, the BBC plans to extend the broadcasting hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra. Ofcom found that there could be some public value in showing the BBC’s sports content to a wider audience, but that the BBC had not presented sufficient evidence that the changes would especially appeal to its target younger and working-class audiences, nor had it committed to give significant exposure to sports that currently receive less radio coverage.

The station’s expansion could also have a significant impact on commercial sports radio, specifically the talkSPORT Network. Ofcom therefore provisionally concluded that this would create a significant adverse impact on fair and effective competition which would not be justified by the public value of the proposal, and that the BBC may not proceed with its plans in this area.

Ofcom is now welcoming feedback on its provisional conclusions by May 14th, and will issue its final decisions by July 4th.