RADIO fans in west Wiltshire will get a taste of a new station from tomorrow when Moonraker 106.8FM goes on air from Trowbridge College for another month's trial.

The Moonraker team has a temporary licence from the Radio Authority to run for 28 days but has its sights set on a full-time permanent radio station for north and west Wiltshire.

All comments, letters and calls received by the station will form part of the application to Ofcom for the full time station.

Head of broadcasting Jonathan Hewat said: "We will start the ball rolling with our application once we have come off air with this trial.

"I gather it can take at least 18 months to process the application and because the Radio Authority has just turned into Ofcom it may mean it takes longer to process.

"We will also have to secure backers as we need at least £1m for the application.

"We also need to find premises to set up a studio, which would preferably be in Trowbridge since it is the county town."

The station will broadcast live from Wiltshire College Trowbridge where media students are helping with the station's output, giving them firsthand experience to complement their coursework.

Moonraker's two previous trials in the past 18 months have been well received.

Weekend breakfast presenter David Garwood said: "People forget that many more people listen to the radio than watch TV.

"They treat Moonraker FM as a 'friend of the family' and we have already received over 500 letters of support.

"Mix that with the great Moonraker music and it's a formula for success which will hopefully carry us forward to a full time permanent licence in the future."

Mr Garwood is the station's engineer and is responsible for making sure a clear enough signal gets out to the 55,000 potential listeners. He said: "There are quite a few hills in our area and the FM signal doesn't like hilly terrain.

"Our transmitter mast is at the top of the Wiltshire College main building in Trowbridge and is quite well placed to reach into the borders of Chippenham and our west Wiltshire towns."

For the latest trial the team have secured sponsorship from Asda in Trowbridge and Causeway Saab, Chippenham, whose sales director David Emery said: "I tuned into Moonraker when they were on from Chippenham last October and I liked what I heard.

"We wish them well when they apply for a full time licence for our area.

"It's exactly the kind of station we need for north and west Wiltshire."

Throughout the trial roadshows will be held every Saturday outside Asda, Trowbridge, from 11am-2pm.

The team hope by meeting and greeting their listeners they will get more people to switch on to their station.