Source · Select Committees · Welsh Affairs Committee
Recommendation 18
18
Deferred
Paragraph: 110
Increase Community Radio Fund to match demand and link to future inflation
Recommendation
Community radio plays a vital role in serving local people, and we welcome the growth in this sector. However, we are concerned with the current levels of funding for the sector in Wales. Funding available through the UK Government’s Community Radio Fund has not kept pace with inflation. We recommend that the Government increases the Community Radio Fund to match the current demand, as well as linking it to inflation for future years.
Government Response Summary
The government defers a decision on increasing the Community Radio Fund and linking it to inflation, stating that any increase will be considered in the context of wider economic conditions at the next Spending Review. It highlights current funding and past uplifts.
Paragraph Reference:
110
Government Response
Deferred
HM Government
Deferred
The Government continues to make funding available to support the growth of the community radio sector by way of the Community Radio Fund. The Fund distributes £400,000 on an annual basis to help fund the core costs of community radio stations (of which there are approximately 300 across the UK) and enable the sector to move towards self-sustainability. In addition, in recent financial years we have been able to secure three separate uplifts to the Fund (totalling £500,000), in recognition of the significant public value provided by the sector in relation to issues such as tackling loneliness. We also commissioned an external evaluation of the Fund, the report of which was published in March 2022. This report found that the Fund has been instrumental in allowing the sector to bring in people with the skills and experience to grow their commercial income streams. We are grateful for the Committee’s recognition of the value of the Community Radio Fund. Any increase to the base level of the Fund will need to be considered in the context of wider economic conditions at the next Spending Review.