A NEW group plans to bid for the licence for Durham City's first commercial radio station.

The Radio Authority recently announced plans to award FM licences to 12 new areas, including Durham.

It is thought that the first could be issued next spring, although the expected replacement of the Radio Authority by Ofcom may delay the process.

Already, Steve Askew, director of Entertainments Express UK and On Track Studios, has signalled his intention to form a group to bid for Durham's licence.

Now another group, Go Radio, has announced it will also submit a bid. It has launched a website at www.godurham.co.uk on which people are invited to fill in a questionnaire asking what they would like to hear on the new station.

A spokesman said: "The new group is made up of radio professionals who have previously worked for some of the biggest names in UK radio, and who have one common aim - to bring Durham the radio station it deserves.

"Because Go Radio is new, it can be different to everything that's already available, and this is why we want as many people's views as possible."

As well as giving their views, visitors to the website can listen to a test internet transmission giving them a taste of the sort of station Go Radio would be.