FORMER Lantern and Heart favourites Paul Hopper and James Chapple will be returning to North Devon’s airwaves next month.

FORMER Heart FM breakfast presenters Hopps and Chapple will be back on North Devon s airwaves when a temporary radio station begins broadcasting this November. The popular duo, who lost their jobs when Global Media closed its Heart FM studio in Barnstaple

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FORMER Heart FM breakfast presenters Hopps and Chapple will be back on North Devon's airwaves when a temporary radio station begins broadcasting this November.

The popular duo, who lost their jobs when Global Media closed its Heart FM studio in Barnstaple last month, will present a brand new breakfast show when Network North Devon goes live at 9am on November 9.

The station has won the right to broadcast on the 106.0 FM frequency for 28 days under the terms of the Restricted Service Licence (RSL) granted by Ofcom. It will broadcast live programming from 6am to 10pm Monday to Friday; from 7am to 10pm on Saturdays; and from 7am to 4pm and then 6pm to 10pm on Sundays.

Station manager Ian Starling said: "The station will broadcast more than twice as much local programming than the full time 'local' licence held by Heart Devon on weekdays and nearly four times as much at weekends."

Presenters Paul Hopper and James Chapple will make a comeback with former Drivetime presenter Suse Rolfe, who was also axed under the Heart Devon merger.

Also on board are former breakfast crew presenters Spanky and PJ; Joe Hellier; Dave Gould; Martin King; Paul Andrews; Lee Francis; and Mark Barnes. Other new local talent on the station will include Roy Grimes and Dawn Connor.

"There's going to be quite a who's who of ex-Lantern FM presenters on the presentation team," added Mr Starling, who as a former Lantern presenter himself, will be getting back behind the microphone.

"There has been a tremendous outcry about the loss of local radio in North Devon and the reaction of the public has been very humbling," he added.

"I have received hundreds of emails from listeners showing their support for a new station as well as backing and support from many within the radio industry.

"I hope the November launch will be the first of a series of RSLs designed to provide 'local radio' in North Devon."

Listeners can already tune in to listen to the new station, which is already broadcasting online at www.networknorthdevon.co.uk