Independent National Radio (INR) is the official term for the three national commercial radio stations currently or previously broadcasting on analogue radio in the United Kingdom, beginning in 1992. One station was allocated anFM licence, and the other two were allocatedAMmedium wave frequencies previously used byBBC Radio 3 andBBC Radio 1.

The stations came about following theBroadcasting Act 1990 which allowed for the launch of independent national radio (INR) stations in the United Kingdom.^[1] TheRadio Authority was mandated to award three INR licences. The FM licence (INR1) had to be for a 'non-pop' station, and one (INR3) had to be for a predominantly speech-based service. The remaining licence (INR2) was to be open to 'all-comers'. The licences were to be awarded to the highest cash bidder, providing that the applicant met criteria set down in the Broadcasting Act.^[2]

Plans for a fourth station, using 225 kHzlong wave, were mooted in 1996 but were abandoned by theRadio Authority after consultation with the radio industry which found that there was no interest in launching a station on that frequency due to it only covering to a small part of the UK and the associated costs of extending coverage to the whole country. The frequency had originally been allocated to the BBC but, apart from a very brief period many decades earlier, had never been used.

INR licences come with certain privileges and responsibilities that are not shared byIndependent Local Radio stations:^[3]

• Ofcom mandates a list of transmitters across the UK from which the INR stations must be broadcast.
• The INR licensees are automatically allocated a place on the nationalDigital One DAB multiplex.
• INR stations are required to carryparty political broadcasts duringgeneral election periods.

As of 2011, the INR licence holders paid Ofcom a nominal annual fee of £10,000.^[4]

• Classic FM (INR1) – 99.9 to 101.9 MHz, first air date 7 September 1992, owned byGlobal Radio.
• Talksport (INR3) – 1053 kHz and 1089 kHz in most areas (frequencies previously used byBBC Radio 1).^[5] First air date 14 February 1995 as Talk Radio UK. Rebranded as Talksport under new ownership in 2000.

• Virgin Radio/Absolute Radio (INR2) – 1215 kHzmedium wave in most areas (frequencies previously used byBBC Radio 3).^[5] First air date 30 April 1993 as Virgin 1215.^[6] Rebranded as Absolute Radio in 2008; ceased medium wave broadcasts on 20 January 2023.^[7]

All three stations are also available nationally onDAB, digital TV and online.

• Radio in the United Kingdom
• Broadcasting in the United Kingdom

• Articles with short description
• Short description matches Wikidata
• Use dmy dates from December 2016