Community Television is a third tier of television, distinct from Public and Commercial Television. Community TV stations are locally owned and accountable to their audience. They operate on public service principles for community benefit and are non-profit distributing.  A formal licensing category for Community Television does not yet exist in the UK but the Community Media Association is working to achieve this.

Restricted Television Service Licences
Free-to-air, analogue Community Television services in the UK hold Restricted Television Service Licences.  This licensing category was introduced by the Broadcasting Act 1996 and it allows for profit making, local television services.  Community Television services that hold this licence choose to operate on a not-for-profit basis.  The RTS licences have been for a period of four years, and then re-advertised. The existing licensee can reapply but competitors may also apply for the same licence.  There are 18 location-based RTS licences in various locations around the United Kingdom , for broadcasting on analogue spectrum.

Click here for a list of Restricted Service Licences.

Digital Switchover and Community Television
Many countries across the world have started to introduce Digital terrestrial television.  Digital TV is more versatile and makes more efficient use of the broadcasting spectrum than the old, analogue system of broadcasting.  To ensure that all households benefit from the switch to digital television, the analogue television signal has to be switched off. The UK Government is committed to achieving switchover between 2008 and 2012 ensuring universal access to high quality free-to-view and subscription television.

The Communications Act 2003 has enabling legislation for Local Digital Television and the Community Media Association is campaigning for a new licensing category that allows for Digital Community Television.

As digital switchover approaches, Restricted Television Service licensees have requested that their long term position be clarified.  Ofcom has decided that all analogue frequencies used for television broadcasting will no longer be available by the end of the digital switchover process.

Ofcom intends to vary all the existing RTS licences until a date shortly before the digital switchover timetable begins. The date that Ofcom proposes for this variation is 30 June 2007.
 
Ofcom is now carrying out detailed work on the prospects for digital local television in 2005 following on from its the Public Service Television Review.  The Community Media Association is being consulted as part of this process. The Regulator’s aim is to be able to give RTS licensees more detailed information about such prospects well in advance of 2007.