BBC breached license by cutting Radio Foyle news programs

However, Ofcom said the BBC told it the cuts meant it had “broken the state of BBC Radio Foyle’s news and current affairs”.

A BBC spokesman said: “We announced these changes in November 2022 and they have been the subject of considerable discussion.

“Ofcom approval was not sought at that time. We set out this error clearly in the BBC’s July 2024 Annual Report and Accounts.”

A condition of the operating license requires the BBC to broadcast a minimum of 1,043 hours of news and current affairs programs (including reruns) on Radio Foyle.

In June 2024, according to an Ofcom report, the BBC told the regulator it had not met this quota.

“In this case, the BBC did not meet its quota by 300 hours, achieving only 71% of its required production level,” Ofcom said.

According to the regulator’s report, the BBC blamed “internal miscommunication” which meant it “wrongly believed it could meet its quota for this condition”.

“We believe that the quotas included in the operating license are necessary to ensure that the BBC continues to provide content that reaches and serves all audiences,” Ofcom said.