An announcement is expected to be made today or tomorrow on whether the Island is to get four new radio stations.

Minister of Tourism, Telecommunications and E-commerce, Renee Webb is expected to hold a Press conference to say whether Christian, jazz, urban and easy listening stations will get the go ahead.

The Telecommunications Commission heard submissions from two separate groups last month and they passed on recommendations to the minister for her to make a decision.

She has apparently made that decision and will make it public this week ? by holding a Press conference.

One bid is from Inter-Island Communication Ltd. to get a licence for two FM radio stations, Hott 98.1 FM and Smooth 107.5 FM.

The owners propose to have Hott as the main money earner, going head to head with Power 95, in a bid to attract its audience as an ?urban? or black radio station playing hip hop, reggae, Caribbean, R&B, old school and popular music.

Smooth will be an interactive community, new and talk format with live sports and political debates as well as religious programming.

Both stations will broadcast seven news programmes daily, with Hott having local programming and live DJs from 6 a.m. to midnight.

And one of the pulls for the programme will be holding a ?Bermuda Idol? competition in a bid to help identify local talent.

?The buzz on the Island would be as if Oprah had landed,? said Elroy Smith, a Bermudian broadcaster based in Chicago who is the chief executive officer of the new company. ?I want to feel the same local flavour that you find when you listen to the radio in Barbados or in Bahamas. I want Bermuda?s radio to be exciting again.?

The other bid is for a full-time Christian station and another devoted to jazz and community issues by LTT.

LTT plans to bring public service broadcasting from Public Radio International and National Public Radio in the United States including local and international news programmes on the hour.

And, according to a written submission, it aims to have news programmes which get behind the headlines on issues such as the involvement of young black men in crime, and examining if ex-pats are really the cause of problems such as high rents and traffic congestion.

LTT plans live programmes of community events such as public meetings and forums.

There are more than 110 churches in Bermuda but they are not served adequately by existing Christian broadcasts on BBN, they argue.

All the people behind LTT are Christians, but the company said the stations would accept advertising for alcohol from companies such as Goslings and Bacardi, provided it was tailored sensitively.

Vice-president Craig Harris, who has a long record in the media, said: ?If you build it they will come. We will present content that is not being presented, or we will present what is already here in a new way and give it a fresh perspective.?

Bermuda Broadcasting Company and Defontes Television opposed both the applications yesterday, saying there was not enough advertising money to support more competition.

Delano Ingham, representing BBC, said it may be forced to shut down news services if new competition was allowed to come into the market.

?We are concerned about the dollar bite out there, and how we can share those dollars,? he said.

LTT company president Leo Trott said that the jazz and community station could be up and running within four to six months of getting a licence, with the Christian station on the air within nine months of approval.

Mr. Smith of Inter-Island said its new radio stations could be up and running within six months as well.