AN EBBW Vale radio station will close in less than four weeks unless a buyer is found.

Owner of Valleys Radio, UTV Radio, held a meeting with staff on Friday to let them know about the uncertain future faced by the station.

If new investment is not found inside the time limit, Valleys Radio's licence will be handed back to Ofcom and it will cease broadcasting.

UTV said it has written to Ofcom twice in the past to request that Valleys Radio be allowed to relocate to premises in Swansea in order to share with its sister stations, The Wave and Swansea Sound, but this was rejected both times.

Director of local radio at UTV Radio, Calum Macaulay, said they had explored every possible alternative which would have allowed Valleys Radio to stay open.

"We are obviously keen to try to ensure that the Valleys continues to have its own local radio station and therefore we have agreed a further month's extension on our lease in order to give us more time to find a buyer, allowing the station to be sold as a going concern," he added.

Mr Macaulay said that if no buyer is found and the station is closed, everything would be done to relocate its permanent members of staff to different positions within the group.

"The inability of Valleys Radio to make a profit does not reflect the professionalism, hard work, commitment and dedication the station's staff have shown during what have been trying times," he said.

The popular station has on average 46,000 listerners every week.