BBC seeks to drop Radio 5 Live commentary reporting rule

The BBC has asked Ofcom to remove the requirement to report how many hours of live commentary are provided for each sport on BBC Radio 5 Live.

The proposal would not change the BBC’s obligation to cover at least 20 different sports every year and to publish which ones are included. That condition will remain in place to ensure transparency and maintain the station’s distinctive coverage.

The BBC says that reporting the number of commentary hours for each sport creates unnecessary administrative work and offers little additional value, as most of this information is already available through published schedules.

Ofcom agrees the data adds limited benefit and has confirmed it is minded to accept the request.

If approved, the change would reduce the amount of detailed reporting required by the BBC while keeping existing commitments to a broad and varied sports offer on Radio 5 Live.