With a target audience aged 50 and older, PrimeTime is one of the eight founder stations on the UK's only national digital radio multiplex, which is operated by Digital One. In the latest Rajar audience figures its weekly reach was 182,000.
Despite having had six months since PrimeTime gave notice, Digital One was unable to confirm today that the slot would be taken over by another station.
It has emerged that following discussions, Ofcom has agreed a timetable for PrimeTime's replacement with a new service, which will see Digital One submit a formal request in September for a variation of its licence.
Simon Cole, chief executive of UBC Media, which licences capacity on Digital One said: "Digital One has not confirmed what it will do with the capacity despite several requests from several parties."
A spokeswoman for Digital One said the board was discussing the issue but was unable to make any public announcements at this stage.
The station will stop broadcasting in the late hours of Sunday, leaving seven on air -- GCap's Classic FM, Core, Life and Planet Rock, Scottish Media Group's Virgin Radio, UTV's TalkSport and Channel 4 and UBC Media's Oneword.
PrimeTime owner Roger de Haan, who sold his Saga Group including its FM radio stations to management in 2004, disclosed in November that PrimeTime would quit the platform.
He claimed to have been unable to come to an agreement with Digital One about extending PrimeTime's licence. The licence commenced in 1999 for 12 years, with a break clause after six years.
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