Community radio stations across the United Kingdom are at risk of closure due to highly restrictive funding arrangements and the failure of government to fully implement a public funding mechanism that was established in law in 2003.
ARTICLE 19 requests all readers to sign the online petition at: http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/allthevoices/ calling for the United Kingdom government to commit to supporting community radio in line with their own 2003 estimates and the recommendations of the Everitt report, ‘New Voices’2.

(Article 19) In the United Kingdom, the Community Radio Order 2004 restricts community radio to raising a maximum of 50 per cent of revenue from advertising and sponsorship.
Some stations are prevented from raising any revenue from these sources. These rules were to be complemented by around £30,000 per station per annum from the Community Radio Fund, which the government estimated would cost £3-4 million per annum. In the first year of the fund, £500,000 was provided, when there were just 14 stations, but today there are over 200 stations and the fund has not increased.
ARTICLE 19 is supporting the “All the Voices” campaign, which is organised by a coalition of over 60 radio stations. The campaign calls for the United Kingdom government to commit to a substantial increase in the Community Radio Fund in order to secure the long-term sustainability and growth of an important resource.
Over 200 community radio stations in the United Kingdom serve local listeners with content that is often neglected or ignored by mainstream media. They operate on a not-for-profit basis and are owned and controlled by local communities. Community radio is vital in creating a diverse media landscape, serving disadvantaged and minority communities and adding different voices that may not otherwise be heard.

Source:http://www.article19.org/pdfs/press/united-kingdom-over-200-community-radio-stations-at-risk-of-closure-due-to-g.pdf