From Media Week

Ofcom has opened the bidding for the largest new FM licence to be advertised
since the media regulator came into force in 2003.

Radio groups have been invited to bid for the lucrative Solent licence,
which will cover Southampton, Portsmouth, the Isle of Wight and West Sussex
and is expected to have the potential for around 1.25 million adult
listeners.

The new licence will overtake the recently awarded Edinburgh licence
(900,000 potential listeners) as the largest new FM station made available
since Ofcom pledged to open up the radio market with a raft of new licences.

Kelvin MacKenzie's Wireless Group came out on top with a talk radio station
during the fiercely fought battle for the Edinburgh licence.

Meanwhile, an FM licence for the Torbay area has also been advertised by
Ofcom today.

The station is expected to have a potential adult audience of around
200,000, a figure similar to that of existing station, GWR-owned Gemini 96.4
FM.

The deadline for applications for the licences is 5 May.

By Kevin May

http://www.mediaweek.co.uk/articles/...ceunveil-ofcom