A TEMPORARY radio station hopes to get a permanent commercial licence in Durham.

Durham FM completed the second of its two-month long trial broadcasts last night.

The station, backed by Radio Investments Ltd, operators of Sunderland's Sun FM and Alpha in Darlington, will now bid for a full-time licence.

The Radio Authority is looking to establish a station for the city and surrounding area in 2005, although the decision will be taken by Ofcom, the replacing regulator.

Durham FM's project manager Brian Lister said: "We are confirming that we are definitely going to go for the licence."

Mr Lister said the station, operated from the former Tourist Information Centre in Market Place by a core team of nine people plus volunteers, had been well received.

He expects at least four firms to bid for the Durham licence. It is one of the few cities in the country not to have its own local station.

The city used to have BBC Radio Durham in the early 1970s - which launched war correspondent Kate Adie's career - but it was succeeded by the corporation's Newcastle and Cleveland stations.