ANYONE who has dreamed of becoming the next Terry Wogan is being invited to volunteer to help run a new community radio station.

For four weeks, starting next month, Radio Teesdale will broadcast to Barnard Castle and the surrounding area.

The station has been granted a temporary licence from February 23.

If it proves successful, station manager Brian Lister hopes it will become a permanent fixture.

Communications watchdog Ofcom has the power to grant licences to non-commercial radio stations and Mr Lister hopes to obtain a licence for Radio Teesdale.

He was formerly with BBC radio, Metro Radio, and TFM, and was the managing director of Sun FM and an advisor to Alpha 103.2 in Darlington.

He said: "It's an exciting time for local radio as you have now got three types of radio, BBC, commercial and now community radio, like Radio Teesdale.

"I am just really here as a consultant. The idea is not to have this run by professional broadcasters but by local people for their community."

For the past three months, Mr Lister has been running training courses for nearly 40 people interested in helping with the station.

He said: "We have got a great bunch here from school-age children to retired people."

It is anticipated the station will offer a variety of programmes. As well as DJ-style programmes, people have expressed an interest in farming news, specialist music and a number of other topics.

The radio will broadcast from shopfront premises in Barnard Castle, and initially will have a range of more than five miles. It will also be streamed on the Internet.

Anyone interested in becoming involved with Radio Teesdale is asked to contact Kevan Swain at the 2D Volunteer Bureau, on (01388) 762220.