Budding broadcasters are being urged to take to the airwaves at this year's Shipley festival.

Organisers of the town's Community Radio Project are hoping to build on the success of last year's Shipley Corner programmes aired in November and December by broadcasting direct from Shipley town centre during the town's festival in May.

The group is hoping to secure a ten-day radio licence, costing £1,500, to air programmes about life in and around Shipley to thousands of listeners.

Project coordinator Mary Dowson said: "We're hoping the station will be broadcast from Shipley town centre so that people can see us making the shows and can drop in and make it a real community-led initiative.

"The project will be open to anybody who's interested. We want people from all walks of life, young and old, to be involved in the broadcasts. It will be by Shipley people for Shipley people.

"You don't have to be Terry Wogan or Jo Wiley to get involved, there's lots of backroom stuff to be done as well - like driving the desk. The experience of working on the radio is beneficial for people's own skills and development.

"We hope that all the community groups or individuals out there that want to get involved will get in contact with us."

Project leaders are also on the lookout for local firms to help meet the estimated £10,000 running costs of the project which started last September.

The search for broadcasters begins tomorrow in Windhill where support for the radio project has been particularly strong. The festival bid follows the success of the Shipley Corner programmes aired by Bradford Community Broadcasting. A presentation on the project will be made at Windhill Community Forum, at Windhill Community Centre, Church Street, from 7.30pm.

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