The BBC also provides 40 local radio services for England and the Channel Islands, as well as stations from Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
Stations submit detailed application documents containing their proposed format and the outcome of research to determine the demand for their particular style of broadcast.
The predominant format is pop music, but many other tastes are also catered for, particularly in London and the larger cities, and on digital radio.
The community radio movement in the United Kingdom was founded in the mid-1970s, broadcasting through Restricted Service Licences, the internet and cable television.
[citation needed] They can also serve religious groups, such as Christian radio station Branch FM in Yorkshire.