A year after making its first regular digital broadcasts, Swindon FM is preparing to broadcast a prestigious blues awards ceremony live from the States on Saturday.

The station, which two months ago started broadcasting seven days a week, is the only one in the UK covering the WC Handy Awards in Memphis and DJ Chris Kerslake will be presenting his blues show from the ceremony.

Programme co-ordinator Carl Humphreys said: "We are doing a live link with the local station WROX and Chris will be broadcasting to their listeners as well ours."

Currently volunteer-based it is lobbying Ofcom for an FM licence which will enable it to expand.

"The future of radio is digital. The problem we have at the moment is that there are not enough people with digital receivers for us to gain advertising revenue from that," explained Carl.

"At the moment we have one or two advertisers which gives us enough money to keep the station afloat with a fully volunteer staff.

"If we were able to get an FM licence we would be able to bring in more advertisers enabling us to sustain the service and pay our staff for what they do."