Independent Local Radio

***Independent Local Radio*** is the collective name given to commercial radio stations in the United Kingdom. As a result of the buyouts and mergers permitted by the Broadcasting Act of 1990, and deregulation resulting from the Communications Act 2003, most commercial stations are now neither independent nor local. The same name is used for Independent Local Radio in Ireland.

### Development of ILR

Until the early 1970s, the BBC had a legal monopoly on radio broadcasting in the UK. Despite competition from the commercial Radio Luxembourg and, for a period in the mid-1960s, the off-shore "pirate" broadcasters, it had remained the policy of both major political parties that radio was to remain under the BBC.

Upon the election of Edward Heath's government in 1970, this policy changed. The new Minister of Post and Telecommunications, Christopher Chataway, announced a Bill to allow for the introduction of commercial radio in the United Kingdom. This service would be planned and regulated in a similar manner to the existing ITV service and would compete with the recently developed BBC Local Radio services (rather than the four national BBC services).

### Independent Local Radio Stations Past and Present

#### November 30, 1986: Northants 96 (Northampton & Northamptonshire)

***Northants 96*** (now Heart Northants) was a local commercial radio station serving Northamptonshire, which launched at 10.00am with announcer Tony West introducing the first regular programmes on the station. Following a synthesised alarm clock ticking saying: "Good Morning. 10am, Sunday 30th of November 1986, and this is the new sound of radio in Northamptonshire- Northants 96!" followed by a station identification jingle and a welcome message from the then Lord Lieutenant of Northamptonshire and the first song to be played was "I Can Hear Music" by The Beach Boys.

Hypnotist Paul McKenna presented Northants' first breakfast show.

In August 1996 the station merged with Heart Dunstable and Heart Bedford to become Heart Four Counties and now has its studios from Central Milton Keynes. It is owned and operated by Global Radio as a part of the Heart Network.

#### December 9, 1989: Sunrise Radio (Yorkshire)

***Sunrise Radio Yorkshire*** was launched as Bradford City Radio and is an Asian radio station in Bradford, West Yorkshire, in the United Kingdom. The mix of programming aims to take into account the areas diverse population, something that no other radio station in the region has previously attempted. It is the first Asian radio station to link up with another station in another country; it partners with Sunrise FM in Pakistan to broadcast a daily show there.

Sunrise Radio works closely with local charities and voluntary groups and provides regular "what's on" information. The station also has regular news bulletins through the day. The music policy consists of "Bollywood", "Lollywood", "Bhangra", "Asian Pop", "Qawalis" and "Ghazals".

Find out more at sunriseradio.fm.

#### December 13, 1998: Rutland Radio

***Rutland Radio*** is an Independent Local Radio station which broadcasts to Rutland, East Midlands, and Stamford, Lincolnshire, in the United Kingdom.

The station is officially aimed at people aged between 25 and 54 and broadcasts a range of songs from the 1960s to the present day with local news bulletins through the day and frequent travel updates and local events features.

Find out more at rutlandradio.co.uk.