Regulator moves to curb Manx Radio Gold on AM after speech shortfall

Manx Radio, the island’s public service broadcaster, broke a condition of its licence by failing to carry enough speech during weekday daytime hours, the Communications and Utilities Regulatory Authority (CURA) has found.

The regulator judged that a fine, or suspending or revoking the licence, would be “disproportionate”, the BBC reported. Instead, it proposes ordering the station to cut back Manx Radio Gold on AM during the hours the rule covers, as far as needed to lift combined speech to the required level.

The station, founded in 1964, receives an annual government subvention for its public service role, put at £1.3m by the BBC and £1.388m by Isle of Man Today.

Under the licence, speech is expected to make up at least 40% of output from 06:00 to 19:00 each weekday, with exemptions for periods including the TT and bank holidays.

CURA examined 10 weekdays across two monitoring weeks in April and May. Combined AM and FM output missed the threshold on eight, including every day of the second week, Isle of Man Today reported.

Across the period, speech accounted for 35.75% of the two services together. Isle of Man Today reported that, by Manx Radio’s own assessment, FM alone averaged 51.51% and AM 20%.

The regulator pinned the shortfall chiefly on Gold, a largely music-based service launched in 2024 to mark the station’s 60th anniversary. As well as running on DAB, it has been carried on 1368 AM, the frequency also used for Tynwald sittings, road racing and some Manx Gaelic and sports programmes.

CURA opened a formal investigation in May once talks with the station on a remedy had stalled, the BBC reported. According to Isle of Man Today, the regulator found the shortfalls were repeated rather than one-off, and that changes Manx Radio made in April had done little to fix them.

The station had argued that the monitored weeks were unrepresentative of its year, that percentages could not capture the full value of its public service output, and that the two sides needed an agreed way to measure speech. CURA replied that it had assessed what actually went out on air, and that the lack of an agreed method did not stop it ruling.

It also rejected the station’s case that stronger speech figures on Tynwald days could make up for weaker ones elsewhere. Manx Radio reported that AM speech rose to about 55% when it carried Tynwald.

Managing director Chris Sully told Manx Radio the problem began when Gold arrived and cut the speech on AM. “This isn’t a question about the public service remit of Manx Radio or the level of speech we produce overall,” he said, adding that the issue was the balance between AM and FM.

On weekdays, Gold now runs on AM only until midday, when the frequency joins the Mannin Line phone-in and stays with the FM schedule until 19:00, taking in Island Life and The Home Run.

Mr Sully said the change had pushed combined output above the requirement and that CURA was “content” with it. He said the station would “work collaboratively with [CURA] to make sure that we stay on track and exceed what’s required of us”.

The direction is not yet final. The station has 28 days from the notice to respond before CURA decides.