The manager of Cobar’s community radio station has accused the broadcasting authority of taking away choice and another service from the north-west New South Wales town.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has decided not to renew the licence of 2HOTFM, which is expected to close in July.

The manager of Cobar’s community radio station has accused the broadcasting authority of taking away choice and another service from the north-west New South Wales town.

The Australian Communications and Media Authority (ACMA) has decided not to renew the licence of 2HOTFM, which is expected to close in July.

The station’s manager, Cobar Shire councillor Werner Muhlethaler, broadcasts about five hours local content a week, which ACMA says is not sufficient to meet licence conditions.

Cr Muhlethaler says it should not matter.

“It should be simply a choice for the listeners to choose the station they want and the content they want to listen to wherever it has been produced, locally or not locally, it doesn’t matter it has been produced by community radio stations around Australia,” he said.

Cr Muhlethaler says he doubts any more volunteers can be found to meet the authority’s requirements of more local content.

He says ACMA has no compassion for the community.

“I am disappointed mainly because the way the whole issue has been handled and I’m also disappointed that ACMA has seen fit to reduce the choices that the Cobar community has to listen to the radio station, it’s just taking away one more of those facilities which we so treasure in Cobar to have,” he said.