RDS-Independent Local Radio company prospectives present and future

The UK FM Independent Radio comprises four layers: one national FM licence; a number of regional FM licences covering typically a metropolitan area; many local FM licences covering cities, towns and communities of notable size; and restricted service licences (RSL) operating for short periods on low power. Licences are awarded and regulated by the UK Radio Authority (RA). Licensees are free within the technical regulations to make their own transmission arrangements. NTL (formally the Engineering Division of the Independent Broadcasting Authority) is the leading player in the independent broadcast transmission market currently providing transmission services to 93% of the independent non RSL FM broadcasters in the UK. This paper summarises RDS implementation at the regional and local licence markets to date and examines aspects of the future developments.