Office of Public Sector Information
PART III continued CHAPTER II continued
(1) If the Authority are satisfied that the holder of a licence granted under this Chapter has failed to comply with any condition of the licence or with any direction given by them under or by virtue of any provision of this Part, they may (subject to the following provisions of this section) serve on him—
(a) a notice requiring him to pay, within a specified period, a specified financial penalty to the Authority;
(b) a notice reducing the period for which the licence is to be in force by a specified period not exceeding two years; or
(c) a notice suspending the licence for a specified period not exceeding six months.
(2) The amount of any financial penalty imposed in pursuance of subsection (1)(a) on the holder of a national licence—
(a) shall, if such a penalty has not previously been imposed on that person during any period for which his licence has been in force (“the relevant period”), not exceed 3 per cent. of the qualifying revenue for his last complete accounting period (as determined in accordance with section 102(2) to (6)); and
(b) shall, in any other case, not exceed 5 per cent. of the qualifying revenue for that accounting period (as so determined);
and in relation to a person whose first complete accounting period falling within the relevant period has not yet ended, paragraphs (a) and (b) above shall be construed as referring to 3, or (as the case may be) 5, per cent. of the amount which the Authority estimate to be the qualifying revenue for that accounting period (as so determined).
(3) The amount of any financial penalty imposed in pursuance of subsection (1)(a) on the holder of any other licence shall not exceed £50,000.
(4) The Authority shall not serve on any person such a notice as is mentioned in subsection (1)(a), (b) or (c) unless they have given him a reasonable opportunity of making representations to them about the matters complained of.
(5) Where a licence is due to expire on a particular date by virtue of a notice served on any person under subsection (1)(b), the Authority may, on the application of that person, revoke that notice by a further notice served on him at any time before that date, if they are satisfied that, since the date of the earlier notice, his conduct in relation to the operation of the licensed service has been such as to justify the revocation of that notice.
(6) It is hereby declared that any exercise by the Authority of their powers under subsection (1) of this section in respect of any failure to comply with any condition or direction shall not preclude any exercise by them of their powers under section 109 in respect of that failure.
(7) The Secretary of State may by order amend subsection (3) by substituting a different sum for the sum for the time being specified there; and any such order shall be subject to annulment in pursuance of a resolution of either House of Parliament.
(1) If the Authority are satisfied—
(a) that the holder of a licence granted under this Chapter is failing to comply with any condition of the licence or with any direction given by them under or by virtue of any provision of this Part, and
(b) that that failure is such that, if not remedied, it would justify the revocation of the licence,
they shall (subject to subsection (8)) serve on the holder of the licence a notice under subsection (2).
(2) A notice under this subsection is a notice—
(a) stating that the Authority are satisfied as mentioned in subsection (1);
(b) specifying the respects in which, in their opinion, the licence holder is failing to comply with any such condition or direction as is there mentioned; and
(c) stating that, unless the licence holder takes, within such period as is specified in the notice, such steps to remedy the failure as are so specified, the Authority will revoke his licence under subsection (3).
(3) If at the end of the period specified in a notice under subsection (2) the Authority are satisfied—
(a) that the person on whom the notice was served has failed to take the steps specified in it, and
(b) that it is necessary in the public interest to revoke his licence,
they shall (subject to subsection (8)) serve on him a notice revoking his licence.
(4) If the Authority are satisfied in the case of any national licence—
(a) that the holder of the licence has ceased to provide the licensed service before the end of the period for which the licence is to continue in force, and
(b) that it is appropriate for them to do so,
they shall (subject to subsection (8)) serve on him a notice revoking his licence.
(5) If the Authority are satisfied—
(a) that the holder of a licence granted under this Chapter provided them, in connection with his application for the licence, with information which was false in a material particular, or
(b) that, in connection with his application for the licence, the holder of such a licence withheld any material information with the intention of causing them to be misled,
they may (subject to subsection (8)) serve on him a notice revoking his licence.
(6) Subject to subsection (7), any notice served under subsection (3), (4) or (5) shall take effect as from the time when it is served on the licence holder.
(7) If it appears to the Authority to be appropriate to do so for the purpose of preserving continuity in the provision of the service in question, they may provide in any such notice for it to take effect as from a date specified in it.
(8) The Authority shall not serve any notice on a person under this section unless they have given him a reasonable opportunity of making representations to them about the matters complained of.
(1) In this Part “licensable sound programme service” means (subject to subsection (2)) a service consisting in the provision by any person of sound programmes with a view to their being conveyed, by means of a telecommunication system, for reception—
(a) in two or more dwelling-houses in the United Kingdom, and
(b) otherwise than for the purpose of being received there by persons who have a business interest in receiving them,
whether the telecommunication system is run by the person so providing the programmes or by some other person, and whether the programmes are to be so conveyed for simultaneous reception or for reception at different times in response to requests made by different users of the service.
(2) Subsection (1) does not apply to—
(a) a service where the programmes are provided for transmission in the course of the provision of a sound broadcasting service;
(b) a service where the running of the telecommunication system does not require to be licensed under Part II of the [1984 c. 12.] Telecommunications Act 1984; or
(c) a two-way service (as defined by section 46(2)(c)).
(3) It is hereby declared that the person who does either or both of the following things, that is to say—
(a) uses a telecommunication system for conveying sound programmes as mentioned in subsection (1), or
(b) runs a telecommunications system which is so used,
is not to be regarded as providing a licensable sound programme service in respect of any such programmes except to the extent that they are provided by that person with a view to their being so conveyed by means of that system.
(4) It is hereby also declared that where—
(a) any service constitutes such a service as is mentioned in subsection (1), and
(b) the sound programmes in respect of which the service is provided are provided for transmission in the course of the provision of any additional service,
that service is licensable under section 113 as a licensable sound programme service, and not otherwise; and in this subsection “additional service” means an additional service within the meaning of this Part or Part I.
(5) For the purposes of this section a person has a business interest in receiving programmes if he has an interest in receiving them for the purposes of his business, trade, profession or employment.
(1) An application for a licence to provide a licensable sound programme service shall—
(a) be made in such manner as the Authority may determine; and
(b) be accompanied by such fee (if any) as they may determine.
(2) Where such an application is duly made to the Authority, they may only refuse to grant the licence applied for if it appears to them that the service which would be provided under the licence would not comply with the requirements of section 90(1) and (2).
(3) Subject to subsection (4), sections 109 to 111 shall apply in relation to a licence to provide a licensable sound programme service as they apply in relation to a licence granted under Chapter II of this Part.
(4) Section 111 shall apply in relation to such a licence with the omission of subsection (7).
(1) In this Part “additional service” means any service which consists in the sending of telecommunication signals for transmission by wireless telegraphy by means of the use of the spare capacity within the signals carrying any sound broadcasting service provided—
(a) on a frequency assigned under section 84(4), or
(b) on any other allocated frequency notified to the Authority by the Secretary of State.
(2) For the purposes of this Part the spare capacity within the signals carrying any such broadcasting service shall be taken to be—
(a) where the service is provided on a frequency assigned under section 84(4), any part of those signals which is not required for the purposes of the provision of that service and is determined by the Authority to be available for the provision of additional services;
(b) where the service is provided on a frequency notified to the Authority under subsection (1)(b) above, such part of those signals as the Secretary of State may specify when making the notification;
and references in this Part to spare capacity shall be construed accordingly.
(3) The Authority shall, when determining under subsection (2)(a) the extent and nature of the spare capacity available for the provision of additional services in the case of any frequency on which a national service is provided, have regard to any need of the person providing that service to be able to use part of the signals carrying it for providing services which are ancillary to programmes included in the service.
(4) A person holding a national licence shall be taken for the purposes of this Part to be authorised by his licence to provide any such services as are mentioned in subsection (3).
(5) The Secretary of State may, when making any notification under subsection (1)(b), specify a date beyond which the frequency in question is not to be used for the provision of additional services; and any such notification shall accordingly cease to have effect on that date.
(6) In this section—
“allocated frequency” means a frequency allocated to the United Kingdom for the provision of sound broadcasting services;
“telecommunication signals” means anything falling within paragraphs (a) to (d) of section 4(1) of the [1984 c. 12.] Telecommunications Act 1984 (meaning of “telecommunication system”).
(1) The Authority shall do all that they can to secure that, in the case of each of the following frequencies, namely—
(a) any frequencies assigned under section 84(4) and used for the provision of a national service, and
(b) any frequencies notified to the Authority under section 114(1)(b),
all of the spare capacity available for the provision of additional services on that frequency is used for the provision of such services under additional services licences granted by the Authority in accordance with this section.
(2) An additional services licence may relate to the use of spare capacity within more than one frequency; and two or more additional services licences may relate to the use of spare capacity within the same frequency where it is to be used at different times, or in different areas, in the case of each of those licences.
(3) An additional services licence may include provisions enabling the licence holder, subject to and in accordance with such conditions as the Authority may impose, to authorise any person to whom this subsection applies to provide any additional service on the spare capacity allocated by the licence.
(4) Subsection (3) applies to any person who is not a disqualified person in relation to an additional services licence by virtue of Part II of Schedule 2 to this Act.
(5) Any conditions included in an additional services licence shall apply in relation to the provision of additional services by a person authorised as mentioned in subsection (3) as they apply in relation to the provision of such services by the licence holder; and any failure by such a person to comply with any such conditions shall be treated for the purposes of this Part as a failure on the part of the licence holder to comply with those conditions.
(6) Every licence to provide a national service shall include such conditions as appear to the Authority to be appropriate for securing that the licence holder grants—
(a) to any person who holds a licence to provide additional services on the frequency on which that national service is provided, and
(b) to any person who is authorised by any such person as mentioned in subsection (3) to provide additional services on that frequency,
access to facilities reasonably required by that person for the purposes of, or in connection with, the provision of any such additional services.
(7) Any person who grants to any other person access to facilities in accordance with conditions imposed under subsection (6) may require that other person to pay a reasonable charge in respect thereof; and any dispute as to the amount of any such charge shall be determined by the Authority.
(8) The holder of a licence to provide a local, restricted or satellite service shall be taken for the purposes of this Part to be authorised by his licence to provide, or to authorise another person to provide, additional services on the frequency on which the licensed service is provided.
(9) In this Part “additional services licence” means a licence to provide additional services.
(1) Where the Authority propose to grant a licence to provide additional services they shall publish, in such manner as they consider appropriate, a notice—
(a) stating that they propose to grant such a licence;
(b) specifying—
(i) the period for which the licence is to be granted,
(ii) the sound broadcasting service or services on whose frequency or frequencies the services are to be provided, and
(iii) (subject to the approval of the Secretary of State) the extent and nature of the spare capacity which is to be allocated by the licence;
(c) inviting applications for the licence and specifying the closing date for such applications; and
(d) specifying—
(i) the fee payable on any application made in pursuance of the notice, and
(ii) the percentage of qualifying revenue for each accounting period that would be payable by an applicant in pursuance of section 118(1)(c) if he were granted the licence.
(2) The Authority may, if they think fit, specify under subsection (1)(d)(ii)—
(a) different percentages in relation to different accounting periods falling within the period for which the licence would be in force;
(b) a nil percentage in relation to any accounting period so falling.
(3) Any application made in pursuance of a notice under this section must be in writing and accompanied by—
(a) the fee specified in the notice under subsection (1)(d)(i);
(b) a technical plan indicating—
(i) the nature of any additional services which the applicant proposes to provide, and
(ii) so far as known to the applicant, the nature of any additional services which any other person proposes to provide in accordance with section 115(3);
(c) the applicant’s cash bid in respect of the licence; and
(d) such information as the Authority may reasonably require as to the applicant’s present financial position and his projected financial position during the period for which the licence would be in force.
(4) At any time after receiving such an application and before determining it the Authority may require the applicant to furnish additional information under subsection (3)(b) or (d).
(5) Any information to be furnished to the Authority under this section shall, if they so require, be in such form or verified in such manner as they may specify.
(6) The Authority shall, as soon as reasonably practicable after the date specified in a notice under this section as the closing date for applications, publish in such manner as they consider appropriate—
(a) the name of every person who has made an application to them in pursuance of the notice;
(b) particulars of the technical plan submitted by him under subsection (3)(b); and
(c) such other information connected with his application as the Authority consider appropriate.
(1) Where a person has made an application for an additional services licence in accordance with section 116, the Authority shall not proceed to consider whether to award him the licence on the basis of his cash bid in accordance with subsections (3) and (4) below unless it appears to them—
(a) that the technical plan submitted under section 116(3)(b) is, so far as it involves the use of any telecommunication system, acceptable to the relevant licensing authorities; and
(b) that the services proposed to be provided under the licence would be capable of being maintained throughout the period for which the licence would be in force;
and any reference to an applicant in section 100 (as applied by subsection (3) below) is accordingly a reference to an applicant in whose case it appears to the Authority that the requirements of paragraphs (a) and (b) above are satisfied.
(2) Before forming any view as to whether the requirement specified in subsection (1)(a) is satisfied in the case of an applicant the Authority shall consult the relevant licensing authorities.
(3) Subject to subsection (4), section 100 shall apply in relation to an additional services licence as it applies in relation to a national licence.
(4) In the application of section 100 in relation to an additional services licence—
(a) subsection (6) shall have effect with the substitution in paragraph (a) of a reference to section 118(1) for the reference to section 102(1); and
(b) subsection (9) shall have effect with the substitution in paragraph (b) of a reference to the requirement specified in subsection (1)(a) above for the reference to the requirement specified in section 99(1)(a).
(5) If at any time after an additional services licence has been granted to any person but before the licence has come into force—
(a) that person indicates to the Authority that none of the services in question will be provided once the licence has come into force, or
(b) the Authority for any other reason have reasonable grounds for believing that none of those services will be so provided,
then, subject to subsection (6)—
(i) the Authority shall serve on him a notice revoking the licence as from the time the notice is served on him, and
(ii) section 100 (as applied by subsection (3) above) shall, subject to section 100(11), have effect as if he had not made an application for the licence.
(6) Subsection (5) shall not apply in the case of any person by virtue of paragraph (b) of that subsection unless the Authority have served on him a notice stating their grounds for believing that none of the services in question will be provided once his licence has come into force; and they shall not serve such a notice on him unless they have given him a reasonable opportunity of making representations to them about the matters complained of.
(7) In this section “the relevant licensing authorities” means the Secretary of State and the Director General of Telecommunications.
(1) An additional services licence shall include conditions requiring the licence holder to pay to the Authority (in addition to any fees required to be so paid by virtue of section 87(1)(c))—
(a) in respect of the first complete calendar year falling within the period for which the licence is in force, the amount specified in his cash bid;
(b) in respect of each subsequent year falling wholly or partly within that period, the amount so specified as increased by the appropriate percentage; and
(c) in respect of each accounting period of his falling within the period referred to in paragraph (a), an amount representing such percentage of the qualifying revenue for that accounting period as was specified in relation to the licence under section 116(1)(d)(ii).
(2) For the purposes of subsection (1)(c) the qualifying revenue for any accounting period of the licence holder shall consist of all amounts which are received or to be received by him or by any connected person and are referable to the right under his licence to use, or to authorise any other person to use, in that period the spare capacity allocated by the licence.
(3) An additional services licence may include conditions—
(a) enabling the Authority to estimate before the beginning of an accounting period the amount due for that period by virtue of subsection (1)(c); and
(b) requiring the licence holder to pay the estimated amount by monthly instalments throughout that period.
(4) Such a licence may in particular include conditions—
(a) authorising the Authority to revise any estimate on one or more occasions, and to adjust the instalments payable by the licence holder to take account of the revised estimate;
(b) providing for the adjustment of any overpayment or underpayment.
(5) Where—
(a) the first complete accounting period of the licence holder falling within the period referred to in subsection (1)(a) (“the licence period”) does not begin at the same time as that period, or
(b) the last complete accounting period of his falling within the licence period does not end at the same time as that period,
any reference in subsection (1)(c) to an accounting period of his shall include a reference to such part of the accounting period preceding that first complete accounting period, or (as the case may be) following that last complete accounting period, as falls within the licence period; and other references to accounting periods in this Part shall be construed accordingly.
(1) An additional services licence may include such conditions as the Authority consider appropriate for securing that the provision of any additional service under the licence does not cause any interference with—
(a) the sound broadcasting service or services on whose frequency or frequencies it is provided, or
(b) any other wireless telegraphy transmissions.
(2) Before imposing any conditions in pursuance of subsection (1) the Authority shall consult the relevant licensing authorities (within the meaning of section 117).
(1) If the Authority are satisfied that the holder of an additional services licence has failed to comply with any condition of the licence or with any direction given by the Authority under or by virtue of any provision of this Part, they may (subject to subsection (3)) serve on him a notice requiring him to pay, within a specified period, a specified financial penalty to the Authority.
(2) The amount of any financial penalty imposed on any person in pursuance of subsection (1)—
(a) shall, if such a penalty has not previously been so imposed on that person during any period for which his licence has been in force (“the relevant period”), not exceed 3 per cent. of the qualifying revenue for his last complete accounting period falling within the relevant period (as determined in accordance with section 118(2)); and
(b) shall, in any other case, not exceed 5 per cent. of the qualifying revenue for that accounting period (as so determined);
and, in relation to a person whose first complete accounting period falling within the relevant period has not yet ended, paragraphs (a) and (b) above shall be construed as referring to 3, or (as the case may be) 5, per cent. of the amount which the Authority estimate to be the qualifying revenue for that accounting period (as so determined).
(3) The Authority shall not serve on any person a notice under subsection (1) unless they have given him a reasonable opportunity of making representations to them about the matters complained of.
(4) Section 111 shall apply in relation to an additional services licence as it applies in relation to a licence granted under Chapter II of this Part, but with the omission of subsection (7).
Part II of Schedule 7 (which contains provisions relating to the computation of qualifying revenue for the purposes of this Part) shall have effect.
(1) Where the Authority receive in respect of any licence any of the amounts specified in subsection (2), that amount shall not form part of the revenues of the Authority but shall—
(a) if the licence is for the provision of a service for any area, locality, establishment or other place, or for any event, in Great Britain, be paid into the Consolidated Fund of the United Kingdom;
(b) if the licence is for the provision of a service for any area, locality, establishment or other place, or for any event, in Northern Ireland, be paid into the Consolidated Fund of Northern Ireland; or
(c) if the licence is for the provision of a national or satellite service or any additional services, be paid into both of those Funds in such proportions as the Authority consider appropriate.
(2) The amounts referred to in subsection (1) are—
(a) any amount payable to the Authority by virtue of section 102(1) or 118(1);
(b) any amount payable to them by virtue of section 101(3); and
(c) any amount payable to them by virtue of section 110(1)(a), 113(3) or 120(1).
(3) Subsection (1) shall not be construed as applying to any amount which is required by the Authority for the making of an adjustment in respect of an overpayment made by any person.
(4) Any amount payable by any person to the Authority under or by virtue of this Part shall be recoverable by them as a debt due to them from that person; and, where any amount is so payable by a person as the holder of any licence under this Part, his liability to pay it shall not be affected by his licence ceasing (for any reason) to be in force.
(5) The Authority shall, in respect of each financial year, prepare an account showing—
(a) all such amounts falling within subsection (1) as have been received by them, and
(b) the sums paid into the Consolidated Funds of the United Kingdom and Northern Ireland respectively under that subsection in respect of those amounts,
and shall send that account to the Comptroller and Auditor General not later than the end of the month of November following the financial year to which it relates; and the Comptroller and Auditor General shall examine, certify and report on the account and lay copies of it, together with his report, before each House of Parliament.
(1) The Authority may make arrangements for such work relating to frequency planning to be carried out as they consider appropriate in connection with the discharge of their functions.
(2) Any such work shall be directed towards securing that the frequencies assigned to the Authority under this Act are used as efficiently as is reasonably practicable.
(3) The Authority may make arrangements for such research and development work to be carried out as they consider appropriate in connection with the discharge of their functions.
(4) The Authority shall secure that, so far as is reasonably practicable—
(a) any work carried out under arrangements made in pursuance of subsection (1) or (3) is carried out, under the supervision of the Authority, by persons who are neither members nor employees of the Authority; and
(b) any work carried out under arrangements made in pursuance of subsection (3) is to a substantial extent financed by persons other than the Authority.
The Authority shall give to the Secretary of State such information or other assistance as he may reasonably require in connection with his functions under section 1 of the [1949 c. 54.] Wireless Telegraphy Act 1949 as respects the granting, variation or revocation of licences under that section.
The functions of the Authority shall include representing—
(a) Her Majesty’s Government in the United Kingdom, and
(b) persons providing independent radio services,
on bodies concerned with the regulation (whether nationally or internationally) of matters relating to sound broadcasting.
(1) In this Part (unless the context otherwise requires)—
“additional service” and “additional services licence” shall be construed in accordance with section 114(1) and section 115(9) respectively;
“the appropriate percentage”, in relation to any year, has the meaning given by section 102(10);
“assigned frequency” means a frequency for the time being assigned to the Authority under section 84(4);
“the Authority” means the Radio Authority established under this Part;
“cash bid” has the meaning given by section 98(8);
“independent radio service” has the meaning given by section 84(1);
“licence” means a licence under this Part, and “licensed” shall be construed accordingly;
“licensable sound programme service” has the meaning given by section 112(1);
“local licence” and “national licence” mean a licence to provide a local service and a licence to provide a national service, respectively;
“local service”, “national service”, “restricted service” and “satellite service” shall be construed in accordance with section 84(2);
“sound broadcasting service” means a broadcasting service whose broadcasts consist of transmissions in sound only;
“spare capacity” shall be construed in accordance with section 114(2).
(2) Any reference in this Part to an area in the United Kingdom does not include an area which comprises or includes the whole of England; and nothing in this Part shall be read as precluding a local service from being provided for an area or locality that is to any extent comprised in the area or locality for which another local service is to be provided.
(3) Where the person who is for the time being the holder of any licence (“the present licence holder”) is not the person to whom the licence was originally granted, any reference in this Part (however expressed) to the holder of the licence shall be construed, in relation to any time falling before the date when the present licence holder became the holder of it, as including a reference to a person who was previously the holder of the licence.
Broadcasting Act 1990