A RADIO station has been criticised for moving presenters and studios out of its home town after less than a year on air.

Minster Northallerton FM was set up in June last year to serve up to 40,000 listeners in Northallerton, Bedale and Thirsk, North Yorkshire.

Presenters, journalists and other staff are moving from the station's studio, on Standard Way Industrial Estate, Northallerton, for offices at Alpha 103.2FM, in Darlington, 16 miles away.

Critics said the move weakened Minster Northallerton's claim to be a local station.

Both stations are owned by the Local Radio Company (LRC), based in Buckinghamshire, which owns 28 stations nationally.

Bosses said presenters would now have more opportunities to travel to the three main towns.

Minster Northallerton FM won its licence, awarded by regulator Ofcom last year, against other bids, including one from Northallerton Local Radio (NLR), organised and funded by local people.

Brian Lister, the project manager for the move, said no jobs had been lost as a result of the move, and that the premises in Standard Way would be vacated next month.

He said: "We will be stepping up the number of outside broadcasts we do.

"I do not think the listeners By Andy Walker andy.walker@nne.co.uk will notice the difference, and we have not had any adverse feedback about the move.

"We do not think the move will make the station any less local, providing the presenters and journalists have as much contact with the area as they had before.

"There was a very small team operating from Northallerton, and it was often very difficult for them to get away from the studio.

"With the new arrangement, they will be doing more programmes on location."

He said the station would continue to have transmitters in Northallerton and Thirsk.

Northallerton businessman David Kerfoot, who was chairman of the failed NLR bid, said: "The whole idea was to provide a local radio station.

"Moving the facility to Darlington is not in the best interests of the community.

"It is a great shame for Northallerton, Bedale and Thirsk, because it is another example of rural towns suffering.

"Whether it is post office closures, transport issues or radio stations moving, rural areas are taking a real hammering."