Radio Lear Statement on Ofcom’s Proposal to Approve BBC Radio 3 Unwind

Radio Lear expresses disappointment at Ofcom’s proposal to approve the BBC’s application to launch Radio 3 Unwind on DAB. While we support the principle of offering a greater range of reflective and culturally meaningful content on national platforms, this move risks undermining the already fragile ecology of small-scale, arts-focused radio services.

Radio Lear is an experimental arts radio station that is seeking funding to enable broadcasting on a small-scale DAB multiplex. We are funded entirely by listener donations and subscriptions, and we exist to support creative practitioners and experimental audio work that would not otherwise find space in traditional broadcasting models. Our approach is community-led and artist-driven, not based on commercial metrics or mass appeal.

The introduction of Radio 3 Unwind will likely divert both attention and limited resources away from independent services like ours. In a challenging arts and culture funding environment, this decision threatens to pull the rug from under broadcasters who are working to cultivate genuinely diverse and exploratory cultural spaces. It sends a signal to funders and supporters that the BBC’s brand-led expansion takes precedence over grassroots innovation.

We will be making representation in Ofcom’s forthcoming consultation to express our concern that this decision undermines the principles of plurality and independence in broadcasting. Small-scale DAB was introduced as a mechanism to support local, niche, and creative voices. That purpose is at risk if the BBC is permitted to occupy every corner of the digital spectrum, including those spaces that were meant to foster alternative, non-mainstream production.

We urge Ofcom to consider the wider impact of its decisions on media diversity, cultural innovation, and the sustainability of community-led broadcasting.

For further information or comment, please contact: admin@radiolear.uk

Dr Rob Watson