Ofcom brings Part 5 of the Media Act 2024 into force with Commencement Regulations

United Kingdom

The Secretary of State of Culture, Media and Sport has made commencement regulations which brought Part 5 of the Media Act 2024 into force on 17 October 2024. The regulations are accessible here.

Part 5 of the Media Act 2024 regulates commercial radio, amending the rules for both national and local analogue radio, and scaling back the application requirements for local radio licences and multiplex licences.

Ofcom will now be able to continue its implementation of this part of the Act, including consulting on new local news and information requirements for analogue commercial radio stations and new information requirements for DAB multiplex providers, streamlining content requirements from certain local and music-related analogue licences, and granting DAB multiplex providers more control over the digital radio stations they carry.

Ofcom’s press release can be found here.

Aside from this, Ofcom are still working towards the timelines set out in the Media Act roadmap. Ofcom will also shortly launch a dedicated “Media Act Implementation Hub” which will update stakeholders on how the implementation is progressing.

We are staying up to date on the Government’s and Ofcom’s implementations of various aspects of the Media Act. To get our updates and stay informed, make sure to follow our Media Act Tracker

#MediaAct2024