The University of Adelaide has told radioinfo “the assessment of shortlisted bidders for Radio Adelaide is not yet complete,” and it has delayed its announcement of a new licence holder for Radio Adelaide.

“The University of Adelaide does not expect to be able to make an announcement for some days,” said a university spokesperson.

While the university is not willing to discuss details, it is possible that it has taken some more time to consider all the ACMA requirements of such a move before finalising its decision on which entity will best suit the requirements of the licence transfer process.

An ACMA spokesperson has told radioinfo that the process requires several procedural steps.

The University will be required to satisfy ACMA on questions such as:

What is the reason for transferring the licence?
Does the transferee intend to represent the same community interest as the current licensee?
Are the objects of the transferee company in its constitution the same as the objects of the licensee?
Will the nature of the programming to be provided by the service be the same as the programming provided by the current licensee?
Will decisions be made about the programs that are to be broadcast on the service in the same way as the current licensee?
What are the objects or aims of the transferee’s company?
Describe the reporting mechanisms and decision making powers of the [new] organisational structure
What measures will be put in place to ensure that the service will be operated on a non-profit basis?

Any new licencee will be required to tell the ACMA about its previous relevant broadcasting experience, its financials and its capacity to continue the service.

radioinfo: Has the ACMA had any recent contact from the licencee (University of Adelaide) about their intention to transfer the licence and the process they are undertaking?

ACMA: Yes, the licensee has contacted the ACMA about the process for transfer of the community broadcasting licence. The ACMA referred the licensee to the ACMA’s Community Broadcasting Licence Transfer Guidelines and the application form to transfer a community broadcasting licence (B75).

radioinfo: Is there any procedural or technical reason why the licencee could not announce the outcome of their process to transfer the licence?

ACMA: There is no requirement of a licensee to let the ACMA know of their intention to transfer the licence. There is provision in the BSA for a licensee to apply to transfer the licence to another entity. When the ACMA receives such an application, the ACMA considers it on its merits. In this case, it is a matter for the University to decide on whether or when it would announce the outcome of their consultation process.

_{Below: ACMA Form B75 shows some of the questions the new licencee will have to answer before ACMA will approve any licence transfer.}