A rival bid for Hertford's local radio station was launched at a reception recently at The Shire Hall by Hertfordshire Radio Ltd.

Present at the reception were Marty Wilde, who is a non-executive director of the company and Prof. Eric Moonman, who is the chairman of the parent company DMG Radio.

A short presentation explaining the new station was made to local officials and representatives, including The Mayor and members of the town and local councils.

The station will broadcast to Hertford, Ware, Welwyn Garden City and Hatfield, with the possibility of a relay transmitter to cover Stevenage. The latter point prompted questions about whether the focus of the station might concentrate on the new town, given it's population and large number of businesses. Prof. Moonman acknowledged this concern by saying that the interests of Hertford would be covered, although he also commented that local radio has to follow business. It is also rumoured that the station may open a studio in the town. However, it was pledged that Stag FM would be firmly based in Hertford, with studios and offices in the town.

Hertfordshire Radio Ltd are in competition with The Radio Hertford Consortium, who broadcast to the town for two weeks last year and who have the support of local businesses, the local authorities and the region's MPs.

The bidding opened on Monday 7th June following an advertisment by The Radio Authority in The Hertfordshire Mercury on Friday 4th June inviting tenders for the station, which will transmit on a frequency of 106.9MHz.

Companies operated by The Daily Mail Radio Group also run local stations Ten17 in Harlow and Oasis, which covers St.Albans, Watford and Hemel Hempstead.

The Radio Hertford Consortium recently announced that they would be calling their station HertBeat.

Submissions to The Radio Authority, including comments by the public, will be accepted up until October, with a decision being announced around the end of the year.