By TOM KELLY

Willie McNeely, who anchored a lunchtime one-hour programme on CRCfm in Castlebar each Saturday and Sunday, said the restraints imposed on community stations by the IRTC were 'too restrictive.' In his on-air resignation announcement which shocked listeners, McNeely stated community stations found it difficult to develop when they were confined to six hours of broadcasting a day.

McNeely, who is based in Dublin as a sales representative, returned home at weekends to present his shows which, it is understood, had the biggest listenership at the station.

"I have been putting a lot of my time into developing the show, sometimes up to 20 hours a week.

"It was a voluntary input which I thoroughly enjoyed. But I became increasingly frustrated at the constraints placed on us as a station.

"I was not in a position to bring many major sporting events live on air to our audience, and this was hard for me to accept. I am a salesman, and I felt I could not sell my sports show properly with just two hours of programming every week."

McNeely told the local Dail Deputies to 'get off their backsides' and come to the assistance of CRCfm which had become an integral part of the community since its inception over a year ago.

"We are tired of lip service. Now we want action."

McNeela said his comments were his own personal views and not that of the station itself.