Commercial and noncommercial radio in the United States and Great Britain have followed opposite paths of development. Unlike the United States, where commercial radio was the historical cornerstone of the broadcasting system, the Independent Local Radio (ILR) of Britain is the newcomer into an environment heavy with the heritage of the noncommercial British Broadcasting Company (BBC) and the 18-year head start of commercial independent television. There are presently over 20 ILR stations in Great Britain, serving an area of 94,000 square miles and over 56,000,000 persons. The Independent Broadcasting Authority Act of 1973 established the ILR and put it under the Independent Broadcasting Authority (IBA). Other than an initial government loan to the IBA, the ILR system is designed to be self-supporting, deriving over 97% of its income from the rentals paid by the program contractors. Starting from scratch in 1973, the ILR has rapidly matured into a responsible broadcasting system. From a public service standpoint there seems to be little question that the ILR stations are doing a first rate job in maintaining a healthy balance of worthwhile programing while still making a profit. The key question of the future revolves around individual stations' willingness to continue large amounts of public service and community type programing in the face of increased competition from new ILR and BBC stations. (HOD)