THE race to get Ashford's new local radio station on the air is hotting up.

Six bids from separate companies have been delivered to OFCOM - the Government's office of communications - and a decision will be taken early next year.

Some of the bidders have been granted temporary licences to broadcast to the town for a month at a time. People can visit the OFCOM website and vote for the station they would like to hear on the airwaves.

The full list of bidders is:

A-Ten FM

Ashford FM

Ashford Local Radio

East Kent Radio

Lark FM (KMfm)

Time FM (Ashford) Limited

The Lark FM bid is being supported by the KM Group, Barretts and Hobbs Parker. It promises a full service of music and speech for adults of all ages.

Ashford FM's bid promises a music-led station appealing across a broad age range; Ashford Local Radio (ALR) are promising to provide a lifestyle radio station; Time FM promises a local focus for listeners between the ages of 25 and 54.

A-Ten FM is promising a broad-based popular music service from the centre of Ashford and East Kent Radio is bidding to provide a station for the over 30s playing soft and classic contemporary music.

If you would like Lark fm to operate your new local station for the Ashford area then it isn't too late to show your support. You can contact Ofcom by either of the two routes listed here:

Email commercialradio@ofcom.org.uk