STEPS to establish a radio station for the Mon-mouthshire community is gathering pace.

Research has already proved that local people were fully behind Mon-mouth Local Radio's first trial broadcast during the summer.

The reaction to the broadcast has been unprecedented, according to bosses at Laser Broadcasting, the company behind the project.

And now almost half the available shares of Monmouthshire Local Radio being released to the public have been purchased.

Local financial adviser Drewe Lacey is looking to put together a board of directors, who it is hoped will mostly be from the county, and have expertise in business, media and the arts.

Following the success of the initial survey, a second professional market re-search project will be undertaken in 2006, to establish what type of programming local people would be interested in and any other suggestions that could be followed up.

Information from this and the initial survey will be collated to form the basis of a report to persuade the regulators Ofcom to put Mon-mouthshire on the working list for new radio stations.

Monmouth MP and AM David Davies, who supported the trial broadcast, was last week invited to listen to the station's ambitions from Mr Lacey.

Mr Davies was given a copy of the business plan and said that he would be seriously considering in investing in the station.

He said: "I thoroughly enjoyed the Monmouth Local Radio during its trial broadcast earlier this year.

"I am confident that the station will one day become a reality, and I for one shall be looking forward to that day.

"I wish Drewe and project director Andy Sherwill every success with this venture, which will be a real benefit to the county."

The next opportunity to become a share holder in the station is at the Green Dragon inn on Tuesday, December 6 at 6pm.

l A project to bring community radio for Torfaen has just been given approval. Regu-lators Ofcom announced last Thursday that the station can begin broadcasting in the new year.

Toradio will cover the entire county on AM for at least five years, and follows on from the two trial broadcasts undertaken in the area during 2004.