A NEW online community radio station has been launched in Westhoughton.

Howfen Radio plays a variety of music and hosts a range of talk shows six days a week from its base at the Westhoughton Community Hub.

The station broadcasts live from noon to 3pm on weekdays and from noon to 4pm on a Saturday with the hope of extending hours once more listeners start tuning in.

Andrew Partington, aged 40, radio chairman and station manager, said: “We like to think of ourselves as broadcasting from Westhoughton, to the rest of the world.

“We are now in our third week and have already had listeners in Spain, Turkey and the USA as well as all over the country tuning in to listen to us.

“We have around 20 volunteers helping us run the station who all having fun doing it, from presenting to production and editing, and we are always looking for new volunteers.”

The money to run the station and pay for the studio has been fundraised at events and local fun days held by station founders. Howfen Radio has also received grants from Westhoughton Area Forum and Westhoughton Town Council.

The station launched on the back of a Guinness World Record Attempt, where Sid Sloane from CBeebies spoke live on Howfen Radio about the event.

Some of the weekly shows that have been launched so far include The Retro Rewind Show with Lisa Reilly, the Dial-up Decade with Chris and Pete and the Tim Eden’s 1960s Plus show. Anyone from the Westhoughton area who wants to get involved with the station, promote their event or band or talk about a local issue, is encouraged to get in touch.

To listen to the station live visit howfenradio.co.uk, where you can also listen to previous shows and interviews.