Radio Free Barcelona, the city's first English-language station, has started. But they promise it will be more than a group of moaning expats taking to the airwaves.

If you flick the dial on your radio in Spain, you should have little problem finding an English-speaking radio station somewhere.

There is already a raft of stations, mostly n Madrid, on the Costa del Sol, the Canary Islands and in the Balearics, where they are gabbling away in ingles.

There is also a music show in English on Radio Pica (Friday's at 5.30, 9.30pm, 96.6FM) which broadcasts to most of Catalonia.

It has to be said, though, they are mostly filled with the familiar fare of expat preoccupations, Seventies hits, BBC news and a DJ talking inanely.

Now there is a new kid on the block – and it's promising to do something a little different.

Radio Free Barcelona hit the airwaves last week for two hours with little fanfare.

So far, it only has the unpopular early Saturday morning slot between 9-11am on Radio Gracia 107.7 FM  with which to make its mark.

But instead of going down the same road as many other more commercial stations, it will be a talk radio station in English for everyone living in the city.

And that means the natives too.

So their 'round table discussions' will focus on things which the average Catalan might get steamed-up about, as well as British, American or Indian expats.

Such as: new parking restrictions in Barcelona, the regional government's latest lunatic scheme to spend your money or those loutish tourists who will insist on visiting the city.

Presenter John Barrass says: "We will have a mixed group of expats and Catalans to make our roundtable discussions address things which everyone here is concerned about.

"We don't want to have a group of expats moaning about problems with Telefonica. We all know about that and it will not attract people to the station."

The station will give radio listeners in Spain something new

In a former incarnation, Barrass edited the weekly Barcelona Business newspaper, which was never afraid to take on big business and the authorities in this part of north-east Spain.

His confrontational style will not change with Radio Free Barcelona.

A somewhat colourful character, who once described himself as "really fat and really ugly", Barrass has a delivery which is made for the airwaves.

The programmes themselves, which will be interspersed with music, are to start with controversial subjects.

So first up next Saturday, they are to have a representative from the conservative Popular Party talking about immigration – a divisive subject in a city with one of the highest populations of new arrivals from Africa, Europe and Asia.

They will also invited groups to join in and talk about what they do. Teachers from the school International House will be one of the first.

But what is really interesting about this new venture is they want Spanish radio stations to take some of their programming - and spread the word in ingles.

Already there has been some interest from one Catalan radio station, but Radio Free Barcelona hopes there will be more. 

Barrass' dream is to have 24-hour English language radio as is the case in Paris – the capital of a country renowned for policing the airwaves to ensure not too much anglais  is aired.

It would not be before time.

Barcelona is currently the only major European city without its own English-speaking talk radio station.  

Yet, it has more of an international feel and population than the capital Madrid or any of Spain's other major cities.

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Subject: Spain; English-speaking radio in Barcelona