Editing Independent Local Radio (section)

==The Broadcasting Act 1990==
The [[Broadcasting Act 1990]] provided for the abolition of the IBA and its replacement by the [[Independent Television Commission]]. The IBA continued to regulate radio under the new name of the Radio Authority, but with a different remit.

As a "light-touch" regulator (although heavier than the ITC), the Radio Authority was to issue licences to the highest bidder and promote the development of commercial radio choice.<ref name="wa2006">Ward, Inna (Ed.) ''Whitaker's Almanack 2006'' A & C Black, London 2005; pp621&ndash;631</ref>

===INR, RSLs, SALLIES and IRR===
This led to the awarding of three national contracts, known as [[Independent National Radio]] to [[Classic FM (UK)|Classic FM]], Virgin 1215 (later [[Virgin Radio]] and then rebranded [[Absolute Radio]]) and Talk Radio (later [[Talksport]]).

The Radio Authority also began to license [[Restricted Service Licence]] (RSL) stations – low-power temporary radio stations for special events, operating for up to 28 days a year – and to reduce the criteria for a "viable service area" with the introduction of Small Scale Local Licences (SALLIES) for villages, special interest groups and small communities.<ref name="rlg2003">Woodyear, Clive (Ed.) ''Radio Listener's Guide 2003, The'' Clive Woodyear Publishing 2002</ref>

By this time the [[medium wave]] band had become unpopular with radio groups and the majority of new stations were awarded an FM licence only, even when an AM licence was jointly available.

In 1994 the Radio Authority introduced regional stations (Independent Regional Radio, again usually grouped under the banner "ILR" by most commentators) and began to license the commercial [[Digital Audio Broadcasting]] (DAB) multiplexes in October 1998.<ref name="wa2006" />

The Radio Authority was replaced by the Office of Communications ([[Ofcom]]) in 2004, which also replaced the ITC, the Broadcasting Standards Commission, the Radio Communications Agency and the Office of Telecommunications (Oftel). Ofcom has stated that they plan to continue the development of Independent Local Radio, with an emphasis on digital broadcasting, and to "ensure the character" of local stations, following the mergers and loss of local identities that followed the 1990 Act.<ref name="wa2006" />

===Reincarnation of former ILR station brands===

Several brand names previously used by heritage ILR stations have since been revived for use by FM, digital and online stations, generally unconnected to the original licensees and separate from the stations which once bore those names. 

Following the rebranding of Pennine Radio as The Pulse, the name [[Pennine FM]] was reused for a SALLIE local station in Huddersfield (previously branded as Huddersfield FM) from 2008 until the station's closure in 2010. 

[[Herefordshire]] community radio station Youthcomm Radio was rebranded as [[Radio Wyvern]] in October 2022, marking the 40th anniversary of the original Radio Wyvern's launch;<ref>[https://www.worcesternews.co.uk/news/23018549.radio-wyvern-relaunches-40-year-hiatus/ ''Worcester News'', 2022-10-03]</ref> following this, [[Big City Radio]] in the [[Aston]] area of Birmingham gave up its FM frequencies to a revived [[BRMB]] on 4th September 2023, the Big City Radio name and format continuing on digital platforms thereafter.

[[Exmouth]] community station [[East Devon Radio]] was rebranded under the DevonAir Radio name in March 2023; this was the station's fourth branding since its 2006 launch, having previously been Bay FM and, between 2018 and 2021 ExmouthAiR; prior to adopting the DevonAir name for their main feed, EDR had launched an oldies service on digital platforms under the name 'DevonAir Gold' in 2022.<ref>[https://www.exmouthjournal.co.uk/news/23206717.exmouth-based-radio-station-revives-devonair/ ''Exmouth Journal'', 2022-12-21]</ref>

The name Radio Victory has been relaunched into Portsmouth twice; the first revival was for a local (SALLIE) FM service for the city in 1999, with this station latterly joining the cluster now broadcasting as [[Easy Radio South Coast]]; the second and current incarnation launched on smallscale DAB on 1 April 2022.<ref>[https://radiotoday.co.uk/2022/03/victory-returns-to-the-air-in-portsmouth-via-dab-digital-radio/ ''RadioToday'', 2022-03-29]</ref>