DURHAM City could be tuning in to its own radio station by the autumn, says the company that has won the licence.

Communications regulator Ofcom has awarded the 12-year commercial licence to Durham FM, part of the Local Radio Company, which operates Darlington's Alpha FM and Sun FM in Sunderland.

The firm promises a music-led station for a wide audience that will play popular hits from the Sixties to the present day and provide local traffic, travel, weather, sport news and details of coming events.

It expects to reach 200,000 listeners across much of the county - stereo signals could be received at Bishop Auckland and Spennymoor. It will broadcast on two FM frequencies yet to be allocated from transmitters at Burnhope and Brusselton and a booster to combat Durham's hilly terrain.

The station's project manager Brian Lister said: "It is all systems go now. We are hoping to go on air by the autumn subject to us being able to install the transmitters and build the studio by then.

Prince FM, also known as Durham Local Radio - a consortium that included Newsquest North-East, publishers of The Advertiser - and Durham 2Day FM bid unsuccessfully. In the near feature Ofcom will publish its reasons for giving Durham FM the licence.