Ofcom has provided an update on the implementation of the Media Act 2024, confirming that the Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport has made commencement regulations which bring further parts of the Act into force.

In particular, the entirety of Part 5 of the Act – which governs how commercial radio is regulated – came into force on 17 October 2024. As a result, Ofcom states that it can continue its plans for implementation including the following:

• Consulting on new local news and information requirements for analogue commercial radio stations, while retaining current requirements in the meantime;
• Removing requirements from analogue licences relating to music and locally-made programming;
• Consulting on new requirements on DAB multiplex providers to publish information about payments radio stations make for carriage; and
• Ending the need for DAB multiplex providers to ask Ofcom for permission to add or remove digital radio stations.

Section 19 of the Act also came into force on 17 October 2024, but only for the purposes of enabling Ofcom to conduct the necessary preparatory work on public service broadcasting reform.

The announcement about the commencement regulations can be read in full here. More information about the wider implementation of the Act can be found in Ofcom’s roadmap to regulation here.