Radio stations will get clearer DAB carriage pricing under a new Ofcom licence condition.

Ofcom has confirmed that local and national digital radio multiplex operators will have to publish up to date rate cards showing indicative payments for carriage on their services.

The change follows a consultation on how to implement new requirements introduced by the Media Act 2024, which placed a duty on Ofcom to require more transparency around payments made by radio stations to multiplex operators.

The regulator says the new condition will apply to the holders of local and national multiplex licences, with the published prices intended to act as a starting point for commercial negotiations rather than a fixed tariff.

The final licence condition says: “The Licensee shall publish on its website, and keep up-to-date, a rate card showing indicative payments” to be made by holders of community, local and national digital sound programme licences.

Ofcom says the wording has been changed from its consultation proposal to make clear that prices are indicative and must be published on the operator’s website.

The regulator says published rate cards will give radio stations enough information to support negotiations, while allowing multiplex operators to keep flexibility for different commercial arrangements.

Nine responses were received to the consultation, with most respondents broadly supporting the publication of charging information. Some argued that publication should only be required when capacity is available, but Ofcom rejected that approach, saying it would not provide enough transparency.

Ofcom expects to issue final variation notices in autumn 2026, with the new requirement expected to take effect from 1 June 2027.

Multiplex operator Folder Media has recently created a website to help radio broadcasters find information in one place – called getmeondigitalradio.com – an independent guide to coverage areas and rate cards.

Radio Ready has gained advertising industry support as egta joins the connected car campaign.

The international trade body for multiplatform TV and audio businesses has become part of the global industry effort to keep radio accessible, prominent and simple to discover in connected cars.

Radio Ready was set up as a shared response by broadcasters to changes in the in-car entertainment market, where radio remains important to drivers and passengers but is now competing for visibility within more complex dashboard systems.

egta’s involvement brings advertisers and commercial media partners further into the campaign, alongside broadcasters and media companies already working on the issue.

The campaign says the work matters for listener choice, convenience, and radio’s role in carrying trusted information, including public safety messages and emergency broadcasts.

Thierry Mars, Director Radio at egta, said: “Radio’s future in the connected car is not just a matter for broadcasters, it is about preserving consumer choice, accessibility and the unique value that radio brings as a trusted companion to millions of listeners every day.”

Tobias Nielsen, SVP Digital, Bauer Media Audio, said the issue was “not demand for radio but ensuring it remains easy to find and access.”

Wouter Quartier, Head of Radio at the EBU, said radio’s prominence in the car is “essential for audiences, broadcasters, advertisers and the wider audio ecosystem.”

Radio Ready now brings together 25 broadcasters, associations and partners across 15 countries.

The campaign was founded by Bauer Media Group and Swedish Radio with the European Broadcasting Union.

More information is available at RadioReady.info.

Ofcom is planning to test whether AI can help analyse news content at scale.

The work is one of the clearest points of interest for radio stations in Ofcom’s Strategic Approach to AI 2026/27, because it could involve the regulator using Large Language Models to support its own assessment work.

LLMs are AI systems trained on large amounts of text. They can read, summarise, classify and compare written material, then identify patterns across large volumes of content far more quickly than manual review.

For a radio station, that could mean Ofcom exploring whether AI can help review news scripts, transcripts, online articles or related published content as part of its regulatory work.

The pilot will focus on two use cases. The first is analysis of news content, while the second is analysis of online content to support prominence work.

Ofcom says: “We are looking at the use of Large Language Models (LLMs) to analyse content at scale, exploring the potential of LLMs to support our regulatory functions.”

The regulator also says it will continue to build its understanding of how AI is being used in UK broadcast, production and the wider media sector, and what is needed for safe, responsible adoption.

It identifies possible benefits for the creative industries, including greater efficiency and new workflows, but also points to barriers such as copyright uncertainty, skills gaps, reputational risk and technical limitations.

Ofcom also highlights risks from synthetic media, including misuse, reduced trust in content, especially news, and compliance and safeguarding challenges in live contexts.

Bob Harris is stepping down from his two BBC Radio 2 programmes because of ill health.

He will no longer host The Radio 2 Country Show on Thursdays from 9pm to 10pm, or Sounds of the 70s on Sundays from 3pm to 5pm.

Bob has presented The Radio 2 Country Show since 1999 and joined Radio 2 in 1996, with most of his almost 56 year broadcasting career spent at the station.

He said: “I am so sorry that my health issues are forcing me to step down, but I realise that I must concentrate on getting myself well again.”

His final Sounds of the 70s went out on Sunday 8 March, followed by his last Radio 2 Country Show on Thursday 2 April.

Shaun Keaveny will officially take over Sounds of the 70s each Sunday, alongside his existing role hosting the Radio 2 Rock Show on Fridays from 11pm to midnight.

Shaun said it was “an honour but a mission” to continue Bob’s work, adding: “You’ll always be our Rock n Roll Doctor.”

Darius Rucker will continue to host The Radio 2 Country Show on an interim basis.

Helen Thomas, Head of Radio 2, said: “Bob is adored by the Radio 2 family and his listeners, and we are all going to miss him and his weekly shows very much.”

There are also changes to Saturday nights on Radio 2. Sounds of the 80s with Gary Davies moves to 6pm, Sounds of the 90s with Fearne Cotton moves to 8pm, Vernon Kay will host Dance Sounds of the 90s at 10pm, and Dermot O’Leary will present Alternative Sounds of the 90s from 11pm.

BBC Local Radio presenters will volunteer across the UK for a new network day focused on community action.

The first BBC Make a Difference Day takes place on Friday 5 June, during National Volunteers’ Week, with programming across BBC Local Radio stations in England and the national stations in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.

The day will feature stories about volunteers and the work they do in their communities, while also looking at issues such as isolation and local support.

Presenters will also take part in volunteering activity in their own areas, including painting youth centres, dry-stone walling, cleaning riverbanks and singing in care homes.

Listeners will be encouraged to find volunteering opportunities through the BBC Make a Difference website.

BBC Morning Live is also linking with Local Radio for the day, with BBC Radio Merseyside’s Kevin Duala reporting from projects where volunteers are involved.

Gaby Roslin, presenter of the Make a Difference Show across the BBC Local network, said the day is about “celebrating everyday acts of kindness” and highlighting volunteers who support their communities.

She added: “Up and down the UK we get to hear each week of people doing the most amazing life-changing things, but we want to hear more and love to celebrate the positive stories and share them far and wide.”

Chris Burns, Head of Local Audio Commissioning, said the idea grew from asking what could come next for the Make a Difference campaign.

Audio’s role in advertising effectiveness will be put in front of marketers at Cannes this month.

Radiocentre and Australia’s Commercial Radio and Audio are joining forces at the Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity to present new evidence on how audio can support campaign results.

Marketing Professor and MiniMBA Founder Mark Ritson will present Audio: The Campaign Catalyst, using new analysis carried out by System1 for the session.

The research looks at 1,850 campaigns from the Effie marketing effectiveness database across eight years, covering the UK, US, Europe and Australia.

System1’s Andrew Tindall will also join a panel discussion to examine the findings in more detail.

Radiocentre says the work adds to international evidence, including its High Gain Audio research, showing the contribution commercial radio and audio can make within the wider media mix.

Lucy Barrett, Client Director at Radiocentre, said: “By coming together as a global industry, we want marketers to hear from the experts who will demonstrate audio’s power to amplify advertising impact and drive business results.”

Audio will also have a wider presence at Cannes. Bauer Media Audio is hosting a session on trust, creativity, star power and AI, featuring comedian Katherine Ryan in a discussion about creativity, comedy, podcasts and working with brands.

Podcasting trade body Sounds Profitable is also holding a discussion on the value of community in podcasting.

The 2026 Cannes Lions International Festival of Creativity takes place from 22 to 26 June in Cannes, France.

Bauer Media Audio UK has been named one of Campaign’s Top Five Large Companies to Work For.

The recognition comes just weeks after the company was included in Campaign’s Best Places to Work 2026 list, which covers organisations across media, marketing and advertising.

Campaign’s rankings assess workplace culture through areas including employee engagement, leadership, wellbeing, development opportunities and company values.

Bauer Media Audio UK says the recognition reflects the culture shaped by its teams, with a focus on collaboration, creativity, inclusion, ambition and support for one another.

Susan Tate, People and Culture Director at Bauer Media Audio UK, said: “Being recognised as one of Campaign’s Top 5 Large Companies to Work For is a fantastic achievement and something everyone across the business should feel proud of.”

Susan said the recognition was particularly meaningful because it reflected “the experiences and feedback of our people”.

She added: “We’re committed to making Bauer Media a place where people can do their best work, develop their careers and feel valued for the contribution they make.”

The latest Campaign placing follows Bauer Media Audio UK’s earlier inclusion in Best Places to Work 2026, which the company marked in May.

New audio dramas are set for BBC studio production after the World Service named its 2026 competition winners.

The BBC World Service International Audio Drama Competition received more than 800 entries from 87 countries, with winners chosen through a process involving the British Council and an international panel of readers and judges.

The winners and commendations were announced at an event hosted by Fiona Shaw CBE at the Commonwealth Foundation in London on 1 June, where invited guests heard preview excerpts from the winning dramas.

In the English as a First Language category, Finegan Kruckemayer from Australia won with Here, on a High Hill. The play follows four teenagers passing time and reflecting on life in a graveyard in South West Ireland.

In the English as a Second Language category, Idi Nasiru from Nigeria won with Aisha’s Horizon. The drama tells the story of Aisha, a young refugee woman whose journey begins after her family is killed and continues as she faces life in a refugee camp and a dangerous route towards Europe.

These will be produced into radio dramas.

Meanwhile, The Georgi Markov Award went to Rukshani Weerasooriya Wijemanne, Rushika Weerasooriya Heinle and Rajeev Colton from Sri Lanka for There is Something I am Feeling.

The judges described the play as a beautifully told story about family, memory and a country in unrest, praising its emotional imagery and detail.

Simon Pitts, Commissioning Editor at BBC World Service, said: “Audio drama at the BBC is over 100 years old and is in very good health.”

Simon added that the BBC World Service was “proud to support and develop creative talent around the world.”

Neil Webb, Director Theatre and Dance at the British Council, said sharing creative ideas across borders “enriches us all”, and said he hoped the forthcoming dramas would inspire audiences and artists to explore audio drama.

Commendations were also given to 53 Minutes by Ayo Moore from Nigeria, Men of Clay by Deirdre Callery from Ireland and A Spring Funeral by Aubree Wu from China.

Image: Fiona Shaw CBE (centre) with the two winners, Idi Nasiru (left) and Finegan Kruckemeyer (right).

BBC Radio Jersey will carry live results from every count in Jersey’s 2026 general election.

The BBC says its local reporters from television, radio and online will be stationed at each count across the island, with results reported live online, on radio and on social media.

A rolling results programme will be presented by Matthew Price from the BBC’s Election Call studio, starting when polls close at 8pm on Sunday 7 June and continuing until the final results are known.

Matthew will be joined by Political Reporter Ammar Ebrahim, who will provide analysis from the campaign trail.

Political commentators Susana Rowles and Patrick Lynch will also be part of the programme, alongside guests including former politicians, industry figures, campaigners and candidates.

The programme will be broadcast live on BBC Radio Jersey and shown in vision on social media.

On Monday 8 June, reporters and producers will continue covering reaction across BBC Radio Jersey and online throughout the day.

Charlie McArdle will then present an extended BBC Channel Islands News programme on BBC One from 6.30pm to 7pm, with results, analysis and reaction.

Richard Spalding, BBC Jersey’s Senior News Editor, said: “Never before has the BBC offered so much Jersey election coverage across so many platforms.”

Robert Thompson, Interim Director of BBC Local, said the BBC aimed to keep voters “informed and empowered” and would “spotlight the issues that we know matter to our audiences in Jersey.”

Bethany Dawson is joining LBC as Political Correspondent on maternity cover for Aggie Chambre.

Bethany moves to the Global news talk station from POLITICO, where she has spent three years working on the London Playbook newsletter and, before that, on the live news team.

She joins LBC’s political operation alongside Political Editor Natasha Clark and Scotland Political Editor Gina Davidson, as the station continues its Westminster coverage across radio, digital and social platforms.

Bethany said: “I’m thrilled to be joining LBC at such a pivotal moment in British politics.”

She added that she was looking forward to working with the station’s presenters and reporters to “unpack the twists and turns of Westminster”.

Tom Cheal, LBC’s Senior Managing Editor, said: “Bethany is a sharp, energetic journalist, and a natural broadcaster, with a strong track record of breaking stories in Westminster.”

Tom said she would join LBC later this month while Aggie is on maternity leave.