An online dating company from Birmingham has entered into a major £1.6 million air-time and sponsorship deal with radio giant GCap Media

DatingDirect.com which is based at Holiday Street in the city centre says the scheme should open up a wide new audience for its operation.

The deal means that business will supply a dating service across station websites including The One Network,

* What do you think? Visit our messageboard and give us your opinion or click herel to email The Post *

Century FM Network, The Gold Network, Choice FM, Capital Radio and Classic FM.

GCap owns BRMB and the tie-in will include a presence on the station's Sunday to Thursday late night show The Sanctuary, and sponsorship on the company's city-based station Capital Gold.

Dating Direct.com was founded in January 1999 and is regarded as one of the UK's largest online dating services, with over three million members.

A spokesman said turnover for last year was forecast at £10 million, which resulted in £1.5 million profit after major reinvestment

Next year the company -which employs 13 people in Birmingham - is predicting a £5 million profit on a £15 million turnover.

The initiative runs for 12 months and means the online company will sponsor nearly every late night show in the GCap Media portfolio in 2006.

A male and female profile will be read out live on air each night encouraging single listeners to go online and sign up to the online agency.

Organisers believe that the deal further illustrates the "synergy between internet usage and the power of radio to drive listeners online."

GCap was formed in May 2005 following the merger of Capital Radio and GWR Group.

Darren Richards, chief executive and co-founder of DatingDirect.com said: "The success of the previous sponsorship deal with the former GWR owned Mix Network meant that an extension of our activity across other GCap Media networks made perfect

sense and we are looking forward to a very successful partnership in 2006 and beyond".

DatingDirect.com provides services to companies includingAOL.co.uk, Tiscali.co.uk, gm.tv, Channel4.com, ITV.com, Handbag.com, iVillage.co.uk and NewWoman.co.uk.

DatingDirect.com competes directly with both traditional and online dating agencies