The Broadcasting Commission of Ireland is hearing applications for the local commercial radio service for Co Kildare this morning.
There are five groups bidding for the licence. Louth/Meath station LMFM is behind the bid by Kildare 97FM, and CKR FM is seeking a licence under the name KFM - Kildare Radio. Kildare Sound is also linked to CKR and is backed by UTV.
East Coast Radio and the Midlands Radio group are shareholders in the KFM consortium, while Kildare's KFM is being put forward by Radio Kerry and Dublin station Life FM.
The Chairperson of the Commission, Mr Conor J. Maguire, said the BCI was pleased with the standard of applications received. "They were sufficiently high to warrant all applicants being invited to present at oral hearings," he said.
The public hearings will give an applicant group an opportunity to present its case for the licence in a public forum and allow the Commission to clarify certain issues in an applicant's submission.
A decision on the licence is likely to be made at a board meeting in October.