Ofcom has made a ruling after the BBC proposed launching four new DAB+ radio stations last year - and there is both good news and bad news for the broadcaster.

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The BBC had proposed launching Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems, a Radio 2 spin-off channel, and Radio 3 Unwind, as well as expanding the broadcasting hours of Radio 5 Sports Extra.

The BBC and Ofcom are required to consider the effects on competition of material changes to its TV, radio and online public services, so Ofcom carried out full Competition Assessments, examining whether the public value justified the likely impact on fair and effective competition.

The regulator has now determined that the BBC can proceed with plans for the Radio 1 Dance, Radio 1 Anthems and Radio 3 Unwind stations, but not its proposals for the BBC Radio 2 spin-off or the expansion of Radio 5 Sports Extra's hours.

Danny Howard in front of a grey background
Danny Howard. BBC/James Watkins

Ofcom stated that the new stations which have been approved would have "limited impact on fair and effective competition," which would be justified by the public value of the proposals. These will be covered by existing operating licence conditions.

However, the Radio 2 extension, which would broadcast music and archive content from the '50s, '60s and '70s, was deemed to not have enough public value to outweigh the potential to reduce investment incentives for commercial radio operators.

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A similar judgement was made regarding the expansion of Radio 5 Sports Extra's hours, a proposal which Ofcom said would have a significant impact, particularly on the talkSPORT network.

A BBC spokesperson said: "We are pleased that Ofcom has approved Radio 1 Anthems, Radio 1 Dance and Radio 3 Unwind. The extensions with their brilliant programming have already proved popular on BBC Sounds and will now reach even more listeners on DAB+.

"However, we are disappointed that in a thriving audio market, we are not able to launch the new Radio 2 extension or expand the content offer on Radio 5 Sports Extra. They would have provided audiences with a unique BBC take on the music, stories and archive performances from 1950s, 60s and 70s, and helped more listeners across the UK discover our diverse sports podcasts.

"We believe our plans for Radio 2 and Radio 5 Sports Extra were distinctive and formed an important way for us to reach those audiences who currently get less from the BBC. We significantly redeveloped the proposals following an extensive consultation with the industry, so that they would complement the offer across the market for the benefit of listeners."

When the proposals were first unveiled back in November 2024, a spokesman for Radio Centre, which represents commercial radio stations, said that they were an attempt "to directly imitate the recent success of commercial stations that already provide these genre stations following years of significant investment made by our sector".

When it comes to the newly approved stations, BBC Radio 1 Dance have already been available on BBC Sounds since 2020, but will now be coming to DAB, while Radio 1 Anthems has been available on Sounds as a genre-based stream.

Meanwhile, Radio 3 Unwind will offer ambient classical music and mood programming.

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Authors

James HibbsDrama Writer

James Hibbs is a Drama Writer for Radio Times, covering programmes across both streaming platforms and linear channels. He previously worked in PR, first for a B2B agency and subsequently for international TV production company Fremantle. He possesses a BA in English and Theatre Studies and an NCTJ Level 5 Diploma in Journalism.

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