2008/4/23 Neil Gates <...>:

It shouldn't be the job of govenment departments to dictate the programme
format of commercial radio.

It's not dictated. The format of the station is what the station
states it will broadcast when they apply for the licence as you
mention below.

I think it is crazy that licence holders should be lumbered with a programme
format that just does not work just because the original licence applicant
gave undertaking to broadcast a set number of hours of x,y or z.

Sorry Neil, I totally disagree. If that were the case then all the commercial stations would be broadcasting exactly the same format and there'd be no variety. It's bad enough now, Ofcom bend over backwards to let stations do what they want. Far too much IMHO. Smooth knew what the format was when they bought Jazz and it is their own fault. What they should do is hand back the licence and apply for a new one with their own format and see if they get it based on what they want
to do.

This is one of the rare occasions that I agree with Ofcom's ruling !

—
Regards,

Geoff