New legislation allowing commercial radio stations to ban non-profit community stations from generating too much advertising income has been branded "a licence to steal from the poor".
The Community Media Association says that the regulations, engineered to protect commercial stations' advertising revenues, may force charity stations to close.
Under the law, existing community stations will be forced to relinquish all advertising and sponsorship revenue if a new commercial station with audience figures above a certain size opens in their area.
"If ever there was a case of the rich being given a licence to steal from the poor, this is it," said association director Diane Reid.
Many larger charities could lose out if stations close because they work with community radio to communicate with hard-to-reach minority groups.
