In 2021, Ofcom found that two UK community radio stations breached their licence conditions by failing to record and retain their broadcast output, due to technical failures of their logging systems.
While such legal or procedural issues rarely reach listeners’ ears, they can have serious consequences. Without proper licensing, registration, and adherence to regulatory requirements, broadcasters risk fines, platform access denial, or even being taken off air. This article explores why maintaining legal compliance, from licences to company records, is essential for smooth operations and building lasting trust with platforms, funders, and audiences alike.
Getting Legal Before You Go Live
Starting a radio station is exciting until the admin hits. But before the first song plays or a jingle airs, one thing has to be in place: a proper broadcast licence.
In the UK, Ofcom is the body that issues these. Whether you’re launching a community station, going commercial or planning a short-term event broadcast, you need the right licence. It’s not just red tape. Stations without one risk being taken off-air, and yes, that still happens.
But licensing is more than legality, it’s about credibility. Advertisers want to know they’re backing something legitimate. Listeners, especially when tuning into news or public issues, expect transparency. And for commercial operators, registration with Companies House is a must. It puts your station on the map and shows you’re accountable.
Things get even more serious when international money enters the picture, like advertising from abroad or income through global platforms. That’s when financial checks kick in. Many broadcasters now apply for a Legal Entity Identifier (LEI) to avoid getting stuck in paperwork. Services like LEI.net – official LEI registration agent support stations through that process, making sure their identity holds up wherever business is done.
UK Radios Go Global – But So Do The Rules
The days of radio being purely local are long gone. Many stations now stream their output worldwide, whether intentionally or simply because it’s easy. But going global means entering other people’s legal territory – even if you’re still sat in a UK studio.
For example, if your stream reaches US listeners and you earn income through American platforms, you could fall under FCC rules. In France, any online radio with regular content needs to register with ARCOM, and music usage must be reported to SACEM, the French rights body.
These aren’t guidelines. They’re requirements – and increasingly enforced via payment services, ad networks and even mobile app stores.
Europe’s Still Listening – But Are You Still Compliant?
A few years ago, you could stream your breakfast show from Leeds and have listeners tuning in from Lille to Lisbon, without giving it a second thought. That’s changed. Quietly, and a bit confusingly, but it has.
Since Brexit, we’re no longer covered by the same EU-wide media rules we once took for granted. And while most UK stations haven’t stopped broadcasting beyond the border, the legal frameworks around that reach have shifted.
There’s one in particular – the Audiovisual Media Services Directive – that’s causing head-scratching. It outlines what’s okay (and what’s not) when it comes to content and advertising aimed at EU audiences. Some UK stations now find themselves asked to prove things they didn’t even know they were responsible for.
We’ve heard from one local operator who had to freeze a sponsorship deal in Belgium after questions came in about their legal status. Another nearly lost their podcast slot on a German platform for not listing a European contact address.
Nobody’s saying you’ll get fined tomorrow. But if you’ve got regular listeners in Europe, and you’re doing business around it, you might be in scope – without realising it. Worth checking before someone else does.