DevonAir Radio, as a member of AIRC (Association of Independent Radio Contractors), submitted a response to the Peacock Committee in 1985 regarding BBC funding. This document is now held by The National Archives at Kew (HO 327/5).
It reads:
Professor A Peacock
c/o Room 1078 The Home Office
50 Queen Anne’s Gate
London SW1H 9AT
11th November 1985
Dear Professor Peacock
Further to the submission from the Association of Independent Radio Contractors concerning the funding of the BBC, I would wish to make an individual statement as the Managing Director of one of the smaller Independent Radio Stations. My submission is attached.
Yours sincerely,
David Cousins
Managing Director
A SUBMISSION TO THE PEACOCK COMMITTEE ON THE FINANCING OF THE BBC
- Radio One. I would encourage the Committee to consider the possibility of allowing Radio One to accept advertising as a means of funding the BBC. This would undoubtedly stimulate awareness of the radio medium to the advantage of the independent radio system. Although there would be some loss of national revenue to Radio One, not all advertisers necessarily wish to blanket the entire country and we would still derive revenue as at present from those advertisers wishing to weight their campaigns in accordance with the distribution of their outlets.
- BBC Local Radio. I would ask the Committee to consider that in compensation to the independent radio system for allowing Radio One to accept advertising that the Home Office be asked to consider the privatisation of the BBC Local Network to infill those areas currently not covered by independent radio and to allow for the development of alternative forms of independent radio throughout Britain.
