THE future of staff at East Lancashire's independent radio station has been thrown into question after announcements by a media conglomerate.

2BR is set to be relaunched as Capital Lancashire this April, it has been confirmed.

It has been reported that their studio in Clayton-le-Moors will close as part of a national shake-up.

But bosses at Global, which bought the broadcaster last July, refused to confirm this when contacted by the Lancashire Telegraph.

A Global spokesman said "local elements" would be included in news and travel broadcasts when the station is rebranded as Capital.

However the company would not be drawn on whether this will be produced in East Lancashire or elsewhere, or what will happen to local presenters.

An announcement is understood to have been made to staff earlier today about the reorganisation.

Global has confirmed that workers there are now under a 60-day consultation period over their futures.

Graham Liver, host of the breakfast show on BBC Radio Lancashire, tweeted that he was "thinking of everybody at 2BR", following the announcement.

2BR has been broadcasting since 2001 and was originally based on the Lomeshaye Industrial Estate in Nelson, taking in Burnley, Pendle and Hyndburn.

The Bee, covering Blackburn, Hyndburn and Ribble Valley, was first established in 2004 and merged with 2BR in 2016.

Capital is understood to be merging its holdings in Manchester and Lancashire into one, as a result of the reshuffle, which also incorporates their Heart and Smooth networked stations in certain locations.

Ten of their sites are supposed to be closing, following the moves, with 14 remaining, though the 2BR site does not form part of either list.