Ofcom has imposed a £500(US$654.52) financial penalty on community radio station, Ujima Radio, for failing to produce its annual finance report on time.

Ujma Radio broadcasts to communities in the St Paul’s and Easton areas of Bristol.

Community radio services must be run on a not-for-profit basis and comply with legislated funding restrictions. Any profit that is made must be used for securing or improving the service, or for the delivery of the station’s social objectives. Ofcom requires licensees to submit an annual finance report to monitor its compliance with these regulatory obligations. 

Under its licence conditions, Ujima Radio was required to submit its 2018 finance reports in March 2019, but missed the deadline by over three months. This is the second consecutive breach of this nature that we have recorded against Ujima Radio, and we therefore consider a sanction is warranted. 

In week 20:

• around eight in 10 respondents (83%) continue to access news about COVID-19 at least once a day, down from 99 per cent in week one. Fewer than one in 20 people access news about that pandemic at least 20 times a day (vs. 24% in week one);
• use of social media as a source of information about the pandemic has decreased (29% in week 20 vs. 49% in week one). Fewer people are also sharing COVID-19 related news via social media (9% in week 20 vs. 25% in week one);
• claims that face-masks/coverings offer no protection or are harmful are now the most common pieces of misinformation (from a pre-selected list) that people come across (seen by 30%);
• only 15 per cent of participants reported seeing misinformation linking COVID-19 to 5G technology in week 20, compared to 50 per cent in week three.

“Alongside this month’s report, we have published more detailed information on how the pandemic has affected our online and TV viewing behavior,” Ofcom said.