# Broadcasting Act 1996, Section 48: Reservation of capacity for independent national broadcasters.

Extent: E+W+S+N.I.

(1A) OFCOM must ensure that the conditions included in national radio multiplex licences (taken together) secure that an amount of digital capacity on the multiplex frequencies is reserved for every independent national broadcaster for the broadcasting of a simulcast radio service provided by that broadcaster.
(1B) Where the conditions of a licence for a national radio multiplex service reserve capacity on the frequency made available for that service for the broadcasting of a simulcast radio service provided by an independent national broadcaster, those conditions must also include the condition specified in subsection (1C).
(1C) That condition is the condition that OFCOM consider appropriate for securing that, in consideration of the making by the independent national broadcaster of the payments which —
(a) are agreed from time to time between him and the licence holder, or
(b) in default of agreement, are determined under this section,
the licence holder uses, for the broadcasting of a simulcast radio service provided by that broadcaster, such of the reserved digital capacity as may be requested, from time to time, by that broadcaster.
(1D) Where conditions are included under this section in a national radio multiplex licence reserving capacity for an independent national broadcaster, OFCOM may include conditions relating to the broadcasting of the simulcast radio service in the licence for the national service provided by that broadcaster.
(4) Where the holder of a national radio multiplex licence and an independent national broadcaster fail to agree as to the payments to be made under a condition included in the licence in accordance with subsection (1C) , either of them may refer the matter to OFCOM for their determination.
(5) Before making a determination under subsection (4), OFCOM shall give the licence holder and the independent national broadcaster an opportunity of making representations to OFCOM about the matter.
(6) In making any determination under subsection (4), OFCOM shall have regard to—
(a) the expenses incurred, or likely to be incurred, by the licence holder in providing the national radio multiplex service and in broadcasting the simulcast radio service in question, and
(b) the terms on which persons providing national radio multiplex services contract with persons providing national digital sound programme services for the broadcasting of those services.
(7) In this section “the multiplex frequencies” means the frequencies made available for the purposes of licensed national radio multiplex services.

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Source: https://www.legislation.gov.uk/ukpga/1996/55/section/48 (the official version)
Page: https://openlegislation.uk/broadcasting-act-1996/section-48
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Source: legislation.gov.uk, The National Archives.