OpenLegislation

Paragraph 13

Original text. Later amendments are not shown.

Chapter 3 of Part 3 has effect as if section 253 (extension and modification of existing licences) were omitted and before section 254 (renewal of local licences) there were inserted—

“Extension of community radio licences

253A
(1)

A person who holds a community radio licence may apply to OFCOM for four extensions of the licence.

(2)

The period for which a licence may be extended, for each of the first three extensions, is a period ending not more than five years after the date the licence would otherwise expire.

(3)

The period for which a licence may be extended, for the fourth extension, is a period ending not more than ten years after the date the licence would otherwise expire.

(4)

An application under subsection (1) may only be made in the period which—

(a)

begins eighteen months before the date on which the licence would otherwise expire, and

(b)

ends—

(i)

where the application is for a fourth extension and the licence would otherwise expire before 1st November 2025, eight weeks before the date on which the licence would otherwise expire, or

(ii)

in other cases, six months before the date on which the licence would otherwise expire.

(5)

An application under subsection (1)—

(a)

must be made in such manner,

(b)

must contain such information about the applicant, the applicant's business and the service the applicant proposes to provide, and

(c)

must be accompanied by such fee (if any),

as OFCOM may determine.

(6)

If, on an application for an extension under subsection (1), OFCOM are satisfied as to the matters mentioned in subsection (7), they must modify the licence by extending the period for which the licence is to be in force by such period authorised by subsection (2) or (3) as they think fit.

(7)

Those matters are—

(a)

the ability of the licence holder to maintain the service for the period of the extension, and

(b)

the licence holder would, if the licence were extended, be in a position to comply with the conditions included in the licence in pursuance of section 106 of the 1990 Act.”.