Absolute Radio – proposals to reduce AM coverage

Following a public consultation, Ofcom has decided to approve proposals from Absolute Radio to reduce by 5% the transmission coverage of its AM national commercial licence. The document
summarises the responses Ofcom received to the consultation and explains our decision, and the reasons for it.

Absolute Radio Limited holds a national commercial radio licence to broadcast a rock oriented service across the UK on the AM (medium wave) band. Under its broadcasting licence, Absolute Radio must secure that its service serves so much of the UK “as is for the time being reasonably practicable”.

Absolute Radio made a request to Ofcom in January 2018 to reduce the coverage of its AM network from 90.5% of the UK adult population to 85.4%. It proposed to do this through a combination of closing some transmitter sites and reducing the transmitting power at others. It planned that these changes, which it estimated would affect 19,000 of its current 428,000 AM listeners1, would be implemented from May 2018.

Absolute Radio made these proposals in the context of declining listening to AM radio and increasing transmission costs and stated that, if it was not able to make these changes, it may have to consider shutting down its entire AM network and surrendering its licence.

Source: Ofcom

Read the full statement: Absolute Radio – proposals to reduce AM coverage (PDF)