AN ASHFORD company has been awarded the licence to operate the borough’s first dedicated radio station.

North Street-based Local Ashford Radio Kent (LARK) Limited has been working to bring local radio to Ashford for the last five years, including a series of popular test broadcasts during that time, as well as in-depth audience research.

“We are delighted that the people of Ashford, the surrounding district and Ofcom have placed their faith in LARK Limited’s application. We look forward to delivering a music-based radio station with daily helpings of the latest news about the people and places in and around Ashford; local sport; traffic information; public transport in and out of the town; and up-to-date information on shows and events,” said Project Director Nikki Allen.

Broadcasting from around 1st July 2005 as KMfm Ashford, the station will aim to cover Ashford, Tenterden and the surrounding villages.

Nikki added: “We earned the right to be the radio voice of Ashford, one of the fastest growing towns in Europe, in the best way possible – by broadcasting to the people of the town and the surrounding area and listening to what they had to say. We have successfully completed five separate broadcasting trials, each lasting for a month, over the past few years – a commitment that could not be matched by any other group bidding for the radio licence to Ashford.”

LARK Limited is run by a board of local business people and media experts and is chaired by prominent local solicitor, recently retired, Martin Phippen. Lark is supported by a number of local business investors, including majority shareholder the Kent Messenger Group, Kent’s leading media group, which supported Lark in its trial broadcasts. Other local businesses are Hobbs Parker and Barretts of Ashford Barretts Digital World.

A total of six applications were submitted to Ofcom for the Ashford licence.