Can you explain the role of the Radio Authority?

Tony Stoller:The Radio Authority is the statutory body which licenses and regulates all non-BBC radio services in the UK. Usually called independent radio, it comprises 264 commercial analogue radio stations and 39 digital radio multiplexes, as well as hospital, student, cable and satellite radio stations and short term and community type services.

What do you consider the main achievements of the organisation?

Tony Stoller:What the Radio Authority has done since it was set up in 1991 is to take forward independent and commercial radio to the point where they are viable, successful and significant parts of the UK media scene.

When the Radio Authority was established, there were just 169 permanent radio licences and now there are over 500. We've launched and taken forward the idea of short term licences doing something like 400 a year, involving we think about 20,000 ordinary people in making radio.

So it's been a steady pattern of success and growth which has been matched by a healthy and successful industry.

What is the Authority's response to the new ownership rules set out in the Communications Bill?

Tony Stoller:I think broadly we're pleased with the bill as a whole and with the ownership rules. We made a number of proposals to government concerning liberalisation. We suggested the removal of all UK-wide ownership limits of commercial radio stations. We recommended the extension of the licences from eight to 12 years.

We were disappointed that the formula we suggested to government to regulate the concentration of radio ownership within individual localities has not been accepted. But we're pleased there are still safeguards there because we believe that's important.

What are your recommendations concerning Access Radio?

Tony Stoller:Access Radio is a very exciting new idea. It was an idea we put to government two years ago. The aim is to establish a new third tier of community radio services to be used in innovative, creative and socially and educationally constructive ways. We got government agreement to experiment with that and we're running 15 experimental services at the moment.

This is being independently evaluated and the early signs are so good that government has included within the Communications Bill provisions for Access Radio to be established within the UK as a new job for Ofcom and we're very excited about that.

What is the Authority's view on the regulation of radio content in the future?

Tony Stoller:I think the government has taken the view that it has liberalised considerably the ownership rules. It's allowed concentration of ownership and it's also allowed foreign ownership.

As a balance to that I think it wants to ensure that the content regulation is properly in place. So as far as we can see, the provisions it has put in do that very well. They don't diminish any of the existing content rules and they give Ofcom a specific new duty in respect of ensuring that local stations continue to have local content and their local character is protected.

To a large extent, this is a codification of what the Radio Authority does already so I think it will be welcomed by the industry, it's certainly welcomed by the regulator, as a way of making clear what the expectations are regarding local content.

Much the same approach applies to religious broadcasting. The government has liberalised the rules regarding religious bodies owning radio licences. And there are content rules in place to make sure boundaries aren't crossed.

So you're pleased with the rules on religious ownership?

Tony Stoller:We're very pleased that what we thought was an anomaly - that religious bodies weren't allowed to own local digital programme licences but they could own local analogue stations - has been overturned.

The rest of the arguments relate to spectrum scarcity. It was our view that spectrum scarcity was such that government couldn't really allow religious bodies to own national analogue radio stations nor digital multiplexes and the government has accepted that.

We had some doubts on whether the number of digital programme services available nationally was sufficient to allow religious bodies to own any of them. The government thinks it is and of course it is for government to make that kind of decision.

Labour has been in power for five years. What do you think of their period in office?

Tony Stoller:I think the Radio Authority has felt very well served by successive secretaries of state. The 1996 act brought in by the Tory administration really gave us the opportunity to launch digital radio which is now beginning to get serious momentum behind it. This approach has been continued by the Labour administration.

We find it very encouraging to work with governments of all complexions which have a good understanding of and sympathy for radio.

What are your main aims and projects for the next 12 months?

Tony Stoller:We have two key things to achieve over the next 12 months.

We have to carry on business as usual while all the transition is going on in Ofcom. In other words all our existing tasks have to be carried through to a high standard and with completeness.

But we also have to work with Ofcom, with our own staff, and government to make the transition of regulation from the Radio Authority to the new regulatory body as smooth as possible.