Ofcom flags nine radio stations for late or missed payments

Ofcom has identified nine radio licensees in breach of their licence conditions due to non-payment or late payment of annual fees.

Five of these licensees failed to pay their fees by the required date, while four others made payments after the deadline.

These breaches pertain to Conditions 3(1) and 3(2) of their licences, which mandate timely payment of fees as specified by Ofcom.

The five radio licensees that did not pay their fees on time are:

* Fiesta FM CIC (Fiesta FM)
* Sunoh Edinburgh Ltd (Sunoh)
* Tone Community Media Group CIC (Tone FM)
* Panda Podcasts Limited (Panda Radio)
* First Ox Digital Ltd (Fox Digital)

These cases are considered serious breaches and may be subject to statutory sanctions.

The four radio licensees that paid their fees late are:

* Acacia Radio Association (Acacia Radio)
* Awaaz FM Community Radio CIC (Awaaz FM)
* Cross Rhythms (Cross Rhythms City Radio)
* Prince Bishop Community Broadcasting Limited (Bishop FM)

These breaches are under Condition 3(2) of their licences.

Ofcom emphasises that failure to pay licence fees on time is a significant breach, as it can hinder the regulator’s ability to carry out its duties effectively.