RADIO listeners in the Maidstone area will wake up to a station they can call their own tomorrow (Saturday) as the county town's first broadcasting service takes to the air.

County Town Radio 105.6fm will start beaming out across the borough at 10am from its spanking new town centre studios in Maidstone.

The launch will be celebrated with a visit from Maidstone's Mayor, Cllr Morel D'Souza, who will officially declare the Mill Street media hub open for business.

It has been a long journey for the new radio station team which beat five other applicants for an eight-year licence, advertised by the Radio Authority last autumn.

Around 150,000 people will be able to listen in right across the borough and part of Malling, including Aylesford, Kings Hill and Snodland.

CTR 105.6fm will play a mix of modern and classic hits mixed in with local information, community news and competitions that will get everyone talking.

Leading the presenting team is Mike Russell, returning to Maidstone from a global tour to host the 6am-10am breakfast show. His trip saw him throwing himself out of a plane at 12,000 ft, bungy jumping off the Kuwarau Bridge in New Zealand and coming within snapping distance of a shark.

The new show should be slightly safer but just as lively with a promise to give the people of Maidstone all they need to start the day.

Mid-morning presenter is Jon Maxfield, who is also the station's managing director and John Brocks will present the drive time show.

The station wants to put itself at the heart of the community and will be offering free airtime to charities and other non-profit groups.

Any groups which would like to record a community action package can call the studios direct on 01622 662500. Travel weather and news headlines will be broadcast every 20 minutes in addition to regular updates on local events and listener dedications.

The CTR news team headed by Moira Mitchell and Helen Fisher will broadcast regular bulletins from 6.20am to 6pm during the week.

There will also be two news magazine programmes, County Town at One and County Town at Six, giving a more in-depth look at the day's events.