About

The Campaign for Independent Broadcasting (CIB) was a listeners’ organisation promoting the introduction of independent commercial and non-commercial radio in the UK from 1968 to 1974. It was financed by members’ subscriptions and donations and its promotional activities were largely focused on lobbying members of the government, the opposition and other groups connected to or with interests in UK radio broadcasting.

Founded in July 1968 the organisation was called the National Commercial Radio Movement (NCRM) but its name was changed in early 1970 to the Campaign for Independent Broadcasting because it was felt that the old name did not properly reflect the organisation’s objectives. CIB’s aim was to achieve an end to UK monopoly radio with the introduction of commercial stations and non-commercial radio services e.g. university broadcasting. The only two limiting factors to the number of stations allowed to broadcast should be commercial viability and technical feasibility.

Founder members of the NCRM (later CIB) committee were Fred Hasler (Honorary Chairman), David Prewett (Hon. Vice Chairman & later Chairman), Martin Rosen (Hon. Press & Public Relations), Tony Peters (Hon. General Secretary) and Caroline Peters (Hon. Treasurer).

Most, if not all, NCRM committee members had been founder members of the Free Radio Association (FRA), based in Rayleigh, Essex, but had broken away in about June 1968 because they felt that, among other things, the FRA was doing little if any practical work to support the introduction of independent radio in the UK. Fred Hasler’s free radio activities pre-dated the FRA as he had been, together with Catherine Baker, a founder member of the Commercial Radio Listeners Association in late 1966.

With the introduction of commercial radio on the UK mainland in October 1973 CIB’s activities wound down and by 1974, so far as surviving documents show, was dormant.

This web site, started in November 2013, is intended as a tribute to CIB’s hardworking and dedicated committee, its members, its supporters and its well-wishers. It is also hoped that those of its surviving documents which are published here, will be of use to anyone researching the development of independent radio in the UK.

CampaignForIndependentBroadcasting.co.uk, is edited by Fred Bunzl, former CIB Hon. General Secretary, with help and contributions from David Prewett, former CIB Hon. Chairman and Martin Rosen, former CIB Hon. Press & Public Relations Officer.

Read more about the Free Radio Association, National Commercial Radio Movement and Campaign For Independent Broadcasting here.