36-544: Swansea Bay Radio is an Independent Local Radio station that broadcasts to Swansea , Neath Port Talbot and South Carmarthenshire . It is owned and operated by Nation Broadcasting and broadcasts on 102.1 FM and DAB from studios near the St Hilary transmitter in the Vale of Glamorgan . The station plays easy listening pop music from the past and present, alongside local news, travel and community information. As of December 2023,
72-663: A Post Office licence. Manx Radio is funded by a mixture of commercial advertising and a yearly £860,000 Manx Government subvention. Broadcasting Act 1990 The Broadcasting Act 1990 is an Act of the Parliament of the United Kingdom , which aimed to liberalise and deregulate the British broadcasting industry by promoting competition; an example being ITV , in particular, which had earlier been described by Margaret Thatcher as "the last bastion of restrictive practices". The Act
108-549: A key enabling force for Rupert Murdoch 's ambitions in Britain. It reformed the system of awarding ITV franchises, which proved controversial when Thames Television was replaced by Carlton Television , for what some felt were political reasons (see Death on the Rock ), and when TV-am , admired by Thatcher for its management's defiance of the trade unions, lost its franchise to GMTV (the now-former Prime Minister personally apologised to
144-575: A second tranche of contracts were awarded. All stations were awarded an AM and an FM frequency, on which they broadcast the same service. In July 1981, the Home Secretary approved proposals for the creation of Independent Local Radio services in 25 more areas. However some of these areas were not licensed during the IBA's time as the regulator and did not receive a commercial station until after its successor, The Radio Authority, came into being in 1991. In
180-447: A specific section of the community or for smaller areas than ILR stations cover. 22 stations went on air, most of which were eventually acquired by the large radio groups and absorbed into their networks. As of 2024 only a few remain independently owned and operated. The regulatory model these stations were under was a precursor to commercial radio stations licensed by the incoming Radio Authority. The Broadcasting Act 1990 provided for
216-523: A term of praise, while supporters of the Act would use it against them as a term of abuse. During Tony Blair 's tenure as leader, the Labour Party's broadcasting policy generally shifted much more towards that expounded in the Act. The then Home Secretary , David Waddington , described the Act as heralding "a massive expansion in choice", and supporters of the multichannel age in British broadcasting have praised
252-551: A year – and to reduce the criteria for a "viable service area" with the introduction of Small Scale Local Licences (SALLIES) for villages, special interest groups and small communities. By this time the medium wave band had become unpopular with radio groups and the majority of new stations were awarded an FM licence only, even when an AM licence was jointly available. In 1994 the Radio Authority introduced regional stations (Independent Regional Radio, again usually grouped under
288-559: Is produced and broadcast from the remote studios of Nation Broadcasting's presenters and shared across its sister stations Bridge FM , Radio Carmarthenshire and Radio Pembrokeshire . Presenter-led shows air from 6am to midnight seven days a week. Local news bulletins air hourly from 6am - 7pm on weekdays and 8am - 1pm at weekends, produced in-house by the Nation Network News service. National news bulletins from Sky News Radio air hourly at other times. As Swansea Bay Radio,
324-580: The BBC ) nor local with all of the frequencies now used by Bauer or Global , and almost all of them are now relays of one of either company's national brands, with all remaining locality reduced to a weekday regional programme and localised news, weather and peak-time travel information. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland . Until the early 1970s, the BBC had a legal monopoly on radio broadcasting in
360-479: The BBC , and the other on FM using frequencies formerly used by the emergency services. It set out plans for many more local and regional commercial radio stations, generally using parts of the FM band not previously used for broadcasting, which have since come to fruition. Its plans for expanding community radio were only really developed in the 2000s. The Act passed through Parliament despite opposition from much of
396-591: The Home Office sanctioned in principle the idea that different services could be broadcast on each station's FM and AM frequency and six experiments of split programming on Independent Local Radio of up to ten hours a week took place, although the first experimental part-time split service had taken place two years earlier when Radio Forth created Festival City Radio for the duration of the Edinburgh Festival . The first station to permanently split their frequencies
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#1732897867277432-492: The Labour Party and from some members of the ruling Conservative Party , who saw it as representative of a decline in standards, and on occasions saw it as enabling what was, for them, an unwelcome Americanisation . Notably, Douglas Hurd has since criticised the Act's after-effects, describing it as "one of the less successful reforms of those years". These Conservatives would have described their position as paternalistic as
468-512: The Act, and later regulation influenced by it, for such reasons. Supporters of the previous, more regulated system have strongly criticised the Act, and some have blamed it for what they see as a " dumbing down " of British television and radio. Like many other reforms of the Thatcher years, it has a tendency to polarise opinion very strongly. One initially less-obvious effect of the Act was that technical standards ceased to be monitored and enforced by
504-558: The IBA which only regulated ITV , Channel 4 and British Satellite Broadcasting . Meanwhile, the Radio Authority siphoned off radio broadcasting from the IBA. It allowed for the creation of a fifth analogue terrestrial television channel in the United Kingdom , and stipulated that the BBC , which had previously produced the vast majority of its television programming in-house , was now obliged to source at least 25% of its output from independent production companies. Additionally, in
540-488: The UK. Despite competition from the commercial Radio Luxembourg and, for a period in the mid-1960s, the off-shore " pirate " broadcasters, it had remained the policy of both major political parties that radio was to remain under the BBC. This policy changed after the election of Edward Heath 's government in 1970 . It is possible that Heath's victory was partly due to younger voters upset by Harold Wilson 's government closing down
576-940: The abolition of the IBA and its replacement by the Independent Television Commission . The IBA continued to regulate radio under the new name of the Radio Authority, but with a different remit. As a "light-touch" regulator (although heavier than the ITC), the Radio Authority was to issue licences to the highest bidder and promote the development of commercial radio choice. This led to the awarding of three national contracts, known as Independent National Radio to Classic FM , Virgin 1215 (later Virgin Radio and then rebranded Absolute Radio ) and Talk Radio (later Talksport ). The Radio Authority also began to license Restricted Service Licence (RSL) stations – low-power temporary radio stations for special events, operating for up to 28 days
612-706: The banner "ILR" by most commentators) and began to license the commercial Digital Audio Broadcasting (DAB) multiplexes in October 1998. The Radio Authority was replaced by the Office of Communications ( Ofcom ) in 2004, which also replaced the ITC, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Radio Communications Agency and the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel). Ofcom has stated that they plan to continue
648-607: The classic-hits format of the earlier incarnation. As of 2022, both these stations are transmitted on the Mid & West Wales DAB multiplex, with Nation Hits having replaced Nation Radio UK on the multiplex in December 2021. On 21 April 2022, the station relaunched as Breezy Radio, with its own dedicated easy listening playlist and schedule, and ceased sharing programmes with Nation's network of local stations. In addition to taking over from Swansea Bay Radio on FM and on DAB in mid & West Wales,
684-876: The development of Independent Local Radio, with an emphasis on digital broadcasting, and to "ensure the character" of local stations, following the mergers and loss of local identities that followed the 1990 Act. In 2005, there were 217 licensed analogue ILR and IRR services in England; 16 in Wales; 34 in Scotland; eight in Northern Ireland; and two in the Channel Islands . These are licences rather than franchises . Some licences are grouped nationally, regionally or by format to provide one service; other licences cover two or more services. There were three national analogue services. There
720-831: The four national BBC services). The Sound Broadcasting Act received royal assent on 12 July 1972 and the Independent Television Authority (ITA) accordingly changed its name to the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) that same day. The IBA immediately began to plan the new service, placing advertisements encouraging interested groups to apply for medium-term contracts to provide programmes in given areas. The first major areas to be advertised were London and Glasgow , with two contracts available in London, one for "news and information", one for "general and entertainment". The London news contract
756-463: The frequencies previously used by Hits Radio South Coast , with a localised service featuring news/weather/travel for the region. On 12 February 2024, Nation Broadcasting announced that Swansea Bay Radio would be once again returning replacing Easy Radio, in response to Bauer Radio announcing the rebrand of rival station The Wave to Hits Radio South Wales. The rebrand took place at midnight on 1st March 2024. As with Nation's other stations, output
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#1732897867277792-660: The late 1980s, the expansion of ILR continued at a similar rate. Under the Broadcasting Acts, the IBA had a duty to ensure that any area it licensed for radio could support a station with the available advertising revenue. Therefore, many areas were not included in the IBA's ILR plans as it was felt that they were not viable. This did not prevent Radio West in Bristol getting into financial trouble and having to merge with Wiltshire Radio on 1 October 1985; nor did it prevent Centre Radio going into receivership on 6 October 1983. In 1986
828-430: The letter of the law, the television or radio companies rather than the regulator became the broadcasters as had been the case with the IBA before 1964, when it had fewer regulatory powers than it would later assume. In television, the Act paved the way for the establishment of Channel 5 , enabling the growth of multichannel satellite television. The Act has sometimes been described, both as praise and as criticism, as
864-470: The new station was also added to the South-East Wales and North-East Wales/West Cheshire DAB multiplexes. A version of the station for broadcast outside Wales, Breezy Radio UK was launched in late June 2022 - officially the 27th, though online streaming began several days prior - as a DAB+ station in London and Birmingham, and online. It was initially announced that the new Breezy station would also serve
900-399: The popular pirate radio stations. The new Minister of Post and Telecommunications and former ITN newscaster, Christopher Chataway , announced a bill to allow for the introduction of commercial radio in the United Kingdom. This service would be planned and regulated similarly to the existing ITV service and would compete with the recently developed BBC Local Radio services (rather than
936-417: The senior TV-am executive Bruce Gyngell ). It also allowed companies holding ITV franchises to merge with each other starting in 1994, beginning the process which eventually led to all franchises in England and Wales coming under the control of ITV plc in 2004. In radio, it allowed for the launch of three Independent National Radio stations, two of them on medium wave using frequencies formerly used by
972-617: The south of England - including the areas served by the Nation-run Hits Radio South Coast and Greatest Hits Radio South Coast ; however, this plan was subsequently amended, with Nation Radio UK taking the slot instead. On 1 September 2022, Easy Radio and Easy Radio UK were launched in place of the two previous Breezy channels and DAB coverage to other parts of the UK was also increased. Meanwhile, Easy Radio expanded further on FM in Hampshire on 19 September 2022, taking over
1008-499: The station broadcasts to a weekly audience of 16,000, according to RAJAR . Swansea Bay Radio launched on 5 November 2006 from studios in Neath , with a soft Adult Contemporary and easy listening music format, before switching to playing only 1980s music in March 2012. The station was rebranded as Nation 80s on 1 June 2012, and on 16 January 2013, rebranded again as Nation Hits. On 1 March 2016,
1044-613: The station previously applied unsuccessfully to Ofcom to remove the requirement for a 24-hour news obligation. Independent Local Radio Independent Local Radio is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act 1990 , and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2003 , most commercial stations are now neither independent (although they remain independent from
1080-481: The station reverted to its original name of Swansea Bay Radio. Nation 80s (since 2020) and Nation Hits (since 2021) have since been revived by Nation Broadcasting as digital radio stations - part of a series of digital-first services operated on DAB in various locations and online; whilst Nation 80s follows much the same concept as it did in Swansea, the newer Nation Hits is a contemporary hit radio service, rather than
1116-509: The task of regulating the broadcasting industry with weaker powers compared to the previous authority. The Act abolished the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA) and Cable Authority , which were replaced by the Independent Television Commission (ITC) and Radio Authority . The ITC began regulating cable television , which was previously the remit and responsibility of the Cable Authority, in addition to terrestrial television from
Swansea Bay Radio - Misplaced Pages Continue
1152-452: Was Guildford's County Sound who rebranded the FM output as Premier Radio and turned the AM output into a new golden oldies station, County Sound Gold in 1988. By 1988, the government had decided that the practice of splitting was beneficial and a quick way to increase choice for listeners. The IBA then began encouraging ILR stations to split their services and most soon complied. The usual format
1188-483: Was awarded to London Broadcasting Company (LBC) and they began broadcasting on 8 October 1973. The London general contract went to Capital Radio , who began broadcasting on 16 October 1973. In total, 19 contracts were awarded between 1973 and 1976. Due to government limits on capital expenditure and turbulence in the broadcasting field (mainly due to the Annan Report ), no further contracts were awarded until 1980, when
1224-551: Was initiated in part due to a 1989 European Council Directive (89/552), also known as the Television Without Frontiers directive, and came about after the findings from the Peacock Committee . It led directly to the abolition of the Independent Broadcasting Authority and its replacement with the Independent Television Commission and Radio Authority (both themselves now replaced by Ofcom ), which were given
1260-529: Was one national DAB multiplex (Digital One) and 47 regional DAB multiplexes, owned by 10 and operated by nine companies (each multiplex carrying multiple services). The first licensed commercial radio station in the United Kingdom is often stated to be Manx Radio , which launched in June 1964. However, since the Isle of Man is not part of the United Kingdom, Manx Radio is not considered to be an ILR station and launched with
1296-582: Was to have a "gold" (oldies) service on AM and pop music on FM, although Radio City tried "City Talk" on AM before abandoning the format. By the start of the 1990s, most stations had done 'the splits' with the final stations ending waveband simulcasting by the mid-1990s. Incremental Radio was a new type of radio licence given out by the IBA between 1989 and 1990. These were additional radio services introduced into areas already served by an Independent Local Radio station and most had to offer output not already available on ILR, such as specialist music, programmes for
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