Department for Culture Media and Sport

community media

We are keen to support local news and programming, which helps foster communities and can also contribute to local economies.

The independent Office of Communications (Ofcom) is responsible for licensing and regulating local television and radio.

Local television
For practical reasons, at present there are only a small number of local television services. The switch to digital television could allow for many more such services, and we are currently working on the policy options.

Community radio
Community radio adds to the rich mix of services that the BBC and commercial radio already provide.

Ofcom have awarded more than 170 community radio licences and more are expected to be announced over the course of the next few months. Given this remarkable growth, we undertook research into the social and economic impacts the sector has made to date.

Community radio adds to the rich mix of services that the BBC and commercial radio already provide.

We have made £500,000 available for community radio licensees every year (currently until 2010-11). Ofcom handle all applications to this Community Radio Fund. On 31 March, DCMS opened a consultation seeking views on the future scope of community radio funding.  This consultation closes on 6 June 2008

The Community Media Association promotes local access to broadcast media. It helps establish and develop community-based media for information and entertainment, as well as for local people’s empowerment and cultural expression.

Local press
Magazines and newspapers – both local and national – are self-regulated by the Press Complaints Commission, whose main role is to deal with complaints from the public about editorial content.

The Newspaper Society promotes the interests of Britain's regional and local press – some 1,300 daily and weekly, paid-for and free titles. It provides legal advice and lobbying services, promotes the regional press as a medium to national advertisers and agencies, holds conferences and seminars, and runs the annual Local Newspaper Week.

Broadband and ICT
We believe that the huge range of services provided by information communications technology (ICT) has a crucial role to play in supporting communities. The UK has the most extensive broadband network in the G7 group of countries – more than 97% of households are able to receive it.

The Department for Trade and Industry (DTI) – responsible for this area – recently worked with the Prime Minister’s Strategy Unit on “Connecting the UK: the Digital Strategy” (PDF 352kb). In particular, this strategy seeks to address the digital divide that currently excludes some groups from benefiting from access to the Internet.

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