Durham Local Radio (DLR), bidding for the forthcoming Durham local radio licence, has announced well-known business leader David Bowles as its chairman.

Mr Bowles is chairman of Service Challenge and chief executive of Northern Defence Industries Ltd. He is a also non-executive director of an NHS primary care trust.

The new chairman, who lives in the proposed Durham radio broadcast area, said: "Durham was the home of the first BBC local station and we will give Durham its own radio station once again.

"Our team has the correct blend of local knowledge and radio experience.

"After two trial broadcasts each lasting a month, we are now gearing up for our application to win the licence.

"What we want now is more feedback about what listeners in the Durham area want on their local station.

"All people have to do to express their view is to go on to our web site (www.durhamlocal radio.com) or contact our project manager Jo-Ann Evans. They can call her on (07903) 182848 or write to her at Durham Local Radio, Ground Floor, Unit 1, Ruth First House, Claypath, Durham DH1 1XE."

Ms Evans, a radio specialist formerly with Century Radio, said: "The chairman has experience in radio, local business and the community, and he has been involved with DLR from the beginning.

"He will co-ordinate the DLR bid to bring a truly local radio station to the Durham area, not just a copy of another radio station."

The DLR team was formed last year and, in addition to its trial broadcasts, it has been heavily involved in the Durham area community through a number of charity and sponsorship projects.

Mr Bowles heads a consortium that embraces local people and businesses. They include:

Fred Henderson, who runs a major vehicle recovery service based in Durham; Graham Courteney, former broadcaster on Dryburn Hospital Radio, BBC Radio Newcastle and Metro Radio and who was press officer at Newcastle United FC before starting his public relations business in Durham; Stewart Dawson, formerly in Sunderland Football Club's commercial department and now chairman of Durham City AFC; Eileen Wood, operations director of Durham Markets Company Limited; David Haswell, station manager for Durham Hospital Radio.

The consortium members also include Nigel Reeve who formed Laser Broadcasting last year and who has worked in commercial radio since 1975. He was launch sales/marketing director of Classic FM and in 1996 became chief executive of London News Radio.

DLR is also backed by Newsquest (North East), publishers of the Durham Advertiser Series of newspapers and the award-winning daily The Northern Echo.