[Stooky Bill]

Yep they lose a few rules not being INR2, one of those is having to play party election broadcasts, although that's never been something that's ever happened. 

I'm not sure about news provision, every radio station has bulletins, surely they don't all choose to do them?

I don't think all stations have news bulletins. Off the top of my head, I don't recall having heard any on Smooth Chill or Kisstory (unless I've been listening at the wrong times). I doubt very much that they have them on Fun Kids either – and Birdsong certainly never had them.

My understanding is that, as long as you adhere to the Broadcasting Code, you can broadcast pretty much whatever you want on a DAB channel. I think the only Ofcom requirements are of the mux operator to carry a variety of different types of services, but in terms of regulation, it's a lot more free and easy than on FM and AM.

I would imagine most stations on DAB carry news bulletins, either because they're simulcasts of FM/AM services, or that they feel people expect to hear them and there's some value in them.

I'm sure there are few, Radio 4 Extra doesn't of course either. 

But it always surprises me tuning around how many stations have a news bulletin and 4 minutes of adverts at the top of the hour. It's an obvious 'tune-out' point a station can take advantage of - I'll normally turn over to 6 Music at xx:56 because I know there'll be music and not 6 minutes of ads news 

That said there's not that much independence, with so much being Global and Bauer nowadays. The Bauer stations in particular have exactly the same hourly clock on every station.