UK

West Somerset Radio has been found in breach of its Ofcom licence for failing to broadcast since May last year.

The Minehead-based community station, operated by West Somerset Community Radio C.I.C., went silent on 31 May 2024 after running into financial difficulties and has not returned to air since.
In Ofcom’s Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin (Issue 531, 6 October 2025), the regulator confirmed that the station is in breach of Licence Condition 2(1) for failing to provide its licensed service.
West Somerset Radio told Ofcom it ceased operations when its bank accounts were frozen and the station became unable to meet costs such as studio rent. The directors said the decision to stop broadcasting was “entirely unintentional” and that they initially explored transferring the licence to a new entity before deciding to restore the existing operation instead.
The station said it has since secured new transmission hardware through a donation from a local engineering contractor and is working with volunteers and former presenters to relaunch the service. Internet and power connections are being reinstated, and an engineer was booked to complete installation work in September. The station now expects to return to air by the end of this year.
Ofcom acknowledged the station’s voluntary status and efforts to resume service but noted concern that listeners have been without the community station for more than a year. The regulator said it will monitor progress and expects West Somerset Radio to provide regular updates on its plans to restart broadcasts.

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Capital Breakfast presenters Jordan North and Sian Welby have shared how their station’s music programmer was offered a security guard and told to collect a laptop from a locked safe at 4am to load Taylor Swift’s new album without risk of leaks.

Speaking on Capital Breakfast, Sian explained: “Normally a file gets sent and uploaded to our system, but that wasn’t the case this time.”
Jordan added that when he arrived at 5.30am, he found music programmer Chris Chilvers already there after staying overnight in a hotel near Global’s London HQ. Chris had been asked to collect a secure laptop containing Taylor’s album from a vault in the boss’s office and manually load it into Capital’s system at 4am, minutes before the album was officially released.
Jordan said: “I’ve just been told Chris was offered a security guard in case something happened to him on the way. That’s amazing!” Sian added: “That’s MI5 level stuff. It’s unbelievable.”
The pair also revealed that Taylor’s long-time publicist, Tree Paine, personally brought a physical iPod to Global’s Leicester Square offices the day before the interview to let them hear seven tracks in a secure room. Sian said: “She literally had the tracks on an iPod with a headphone splitter. We were all sat there with headphones on listening, and we weren’t even sure if we were allowed to take notes.”
Jordan explained that the level of secrecy was unlike anything they had ever seen: “It was so top secret. We couldn’t even mention it in meetings or write it down anywhere.”
Taylor’s interview aired on Capital Breakfast as part of her promotional run following the release of her latest album, with the tight security measures showing the extraordinary lengths taken to prevent leaks ahead of one of the biggest pop releases of the year.

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Global has launched a new video-first content division called Global Studios, bringing together its growing family of podcasts under one creative hub.

The new division will house Global’s established titles such as The News Agents and My Therapist Ghosted Me, alongside shows from The Fellas Studios, which Global has now acquired.
Founded in 2021 by YouTubers Callum Airey (Calfreezy) and Josh Larkin (The Burnt Chip), The Fellas Studios produces hit shows including The Fellas, Saving Grace and Pitchside, and is known for building standout studio-based podcasts that attract Gen Z audiences across YouTube and streaming platforms.
Ashley Tabor-King, Global’s Founder and Executive President, said the new division marks “the start of the next chapter of Global’s on-demand audio and video content growth.”
He added: “We’re delighted to welcome The Fellas Studios to the Global family. Cal, Josh and Elliot have built one of the UK’s leading creator networks with engaging shows loved by millions.”
Global Studios will act as a one-stop-shop for creators and advertisers, combining studio space, distribution and marketing under one roof. The setup includes advanced production facilities, access to Global’s radio, digital and outdoor platforms, and commercial opportunities through its ad exchange, DAX.

Group CEO Simon Pitts said the new hub aims to “build a launchpad for the next generation of media brands,” while Callum Airey described the partnership as “a chance to scale and enhance what we can deliver,” adding that Global’s expertise will help take their work “to the next level.”
Global says the move strengthens its ambition to be the home of standout podcast content in the UK and internationally, creating opportunities for both established names and rising creators.

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Euroleague Basketball and talkSPORT have partnered to stream every London Lions game from the 2025–26 BKT EuroCup season live on YouTube.

The agreement, secured by Euroleague Basketball’s strategic partner IMG, will see talkSPORT broadcast all London Lions EuroCup fixtures free-to-air on its official YouTube channel from this month, giving UK fans access to top European basketball at no cost.
Alex Ferrer Kristjansson, Euroleague Basketball’s Chief Marketing and Communication Officer, said the partnership marked “a significant milestone in Euroleague Basketball’s commitment to expanding the sport in the UK”.
He added that with talkSPORT’s large and engaged audience, “more British fans will connect with the excitement of the BKT EuroCup.”
Liam Fisher, Head of talkSPORT, said: “We’re committed to bringing the talkSPORT audience the best content across our audio and video platforms, and basketball is no exception. We’re delighted to be bringing all London Lions’ games to our audience this season.”
The deal represents a major step in growing basketball’s audience across the UK and adds to talkSPORT’s coverage of live sport across radio, online and digital platforms. The London Lions will represent the capital in Europe’s second-tier competition, facing clubs from across the continent.
Fans will be able to follow every match live on talkSPORT’s YouTube channel, with commentary and match analysis accompanying each game.

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Ofcom has found community station Juice FM Belfast in breach of its licence for failing to meet its character of service and provide information on request.

The regulator said the station, operated by Juice Belfast Limited, did not deliver the LGBT-focused output required under its Key Commitments and failed to submit recordings and schedules when asked.
According to the report published in Ofcom’s Broadcast and On Demand Bulletin (Issue 531, 6 October 2025), the station was found in breach of five separate licence conditions, including those covering its service obligations, retention of recordings, and general provision of information.
Ofcom reviewed programming from May this year and found that, outside of one early morning show called *A Morning Dedicated to Matters* and short hourly “Listen with Pride” segments, there was “little to no content” indicating that the service was targeted at Belfast’s LGBT community. The regulator said most of the station’s content was indistinguishable from a mainstream music service.
Juice Belfast attributed the missing recordings from April to a “critical equipment failure” caused by overheating at its broadcast site. Ofcom accepted this explanation but noted the station had not demonstrated how it would prevent similar issues in future.
The regulator also criticised the station for not providing a programme schedule when requested, adding that it could not find any such information on the Juice FM website.
This is not the first time Juice Belfast has faced regulatory action. Ofcom found it in breach of similar licence conditions in 2022 and twice last year for failing to submit financial reports. The regulator has now said it will continue to monitor the station’s output and warned that further action could follow if the station does not comply.

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KISS and VOXI Mobile are teaming up once again for a Halloween campaign that invites listeners to banish their exes in “The Ex-Orcism”.

Launching in mid-October, the cross-platform partnership will run on KISS Breakfast with Jordan and Perri and across social media, leading up to a live finale on Halloween.
Listeners will be asked to share stories about why their ex deserves to be “banished”, with entries shortlisted on air and voted for by the audience. Throughout the campaign, participants will be able to win prizes, including a holiday for the overall winner.
The finale will take place in a haunted manor house where ex-Love Island contestants will debate the finalists’ stories. Each relationship will be represented by a symbolic item, such as a hoodie or holiday souvenir, which will be dramatically cast into the fire as part of the “banishment”.
On 31 October, VOXI will take over Halloween on KISS with live reads, hourly credits and spotlights throughout the day.
KISS Content Director Rebecca Frank said the campaign “gives Halloween a uniquely KISS twist: bold, cheeky and impossible not to get involved in.”
Simon Kilby from Bauer Media added that the campaign shows how KISS creates “culturally relevant campaigns that really connect with our audience wherever they are.”

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