Former Metro Radio logo |
|
| City of license | Newcastle |
|---|---|
| Broadcast area | Tyne and Wear County Durham Northumberland |
| Slogan | Non Stop Hits and More Music Variety |
| Frequency | RDS: METRO 102.6 MHz (Alnwick) 103.0 MHz (Fenham) 103.2 MHz (Hexham) 97.1 MHz (Tyne Tunnel Relay) 97.1 MHz (Newcastle upon Tyne)[1] |
| First air date | 15 July 1974 |
| Format | Contemporary hit radio, news, speech & talk |
| Audience share | 9.90% (March 2011, [2]) |
| Owner | Bauer Radio |
| Sister stations | CFM Radio Hallam FM Key 103 Radio City 96.7 96.3 Radio Aire 97.4 Rock FM TFM Radio 96.9 Viking FM |
| Webcast | whatsON |
| Website | Metro Radio |
Metro Radio (also known as Metro) is an independent local radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne and broadcasting to Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. The station's output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. Metro Radio is owned by Bauer Radio and forms part of the Bauer Place stations.
Contents |
This Newcastle based station, broadcasting to North East England, launched on 15 July 1974. The first Breakfast Show was presented by Don Dwyer, an Australian radio presenter formerly at ABC, Giles Squire, James Whale, Peter Wraight, Peter Sampson and Harry Rowell were also there from the beginning. The first show also included messages of congratulations from Kenny Everett at the equivalent local commercial station in London, Capital Radio, and from the station's first managing director Bruce Lewis.
The station originally transmitted from a studio in Swalwell, Gateshead, which, in later years, would be adjacent to the MetroCentre. In 2005 Metro, and sister station Magic 1152 moved to the former BT building, previously known as Swan House, now known as 55° North, in Newcastle upon Tyne.
Until 2005 the station broadcast live football commentary for the region's two biggest clubs — Newcastle United and Sunderland. In an attempt to boost ratings, the football commentary was stopped. However, a negative response from football fans prompted the owners to cover all Newcastle and Sunderland games on sister station Magic 1152.
The controversial DJ and TV presenter James Whale launched his radio career on Metro, presenting the Night Owls Show on the station between 1974 and 1980. Other well known names include Mark Goodier, Gabby Logan, Jenny Powell, Jeremy Vine and Mark Forrest.
Since 2 July 2005 Metro Radio has broadcast from the 55° North complex, next to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne.
The station is currently the principal sponsor of the Metro Radio Arena, formerly the Telewest Arena.
The station currently broadcasts on four analogue frequencies to a potential audience of 1.4million. These frequencies are on 97.1 (Burnhope for Sunderland, Newcastle & Tyne Tunnel), 102.6 (Shilbottle for Alnwick), 103 (Fenham, west Newcastle) and 103.2 (Newton near Hexham). DAB is provided by the Bauer Digital Radio Tyne and Wear 11C multiplex from Burnhope and Fenham. Metro Radio's live broadcast can also be listened to from the website along with famous past shows
Metro Radio has won many awards including the Sony Radio Gold Award for Sport, and a finalist award for Creative Services at the New York awards and Station of the Year at the EMAP Radio Awards.
The majority of programming is presented and produced locally from Metro Radio studios, based in Newcastle, broadcasting is live with the exception of:
Metro Radio produced Saturday Night Party is syndicated on sister stations CFM Radio and TFM Radio. In:Demand and the overnight programmes are produced from Key 103 in Manchester. The Vodafone Big Top 40 is produced by Global Radio at Leicester Square, London for broadcast on over 130 commercial radio stations across the UK.
On 19 September 2011, the station changed it's name to Radio Gaga, as part of a station promotion. Over the following two weeks, listeners have to spot the daily Gaga stunt and text to win a £500 prize.[3] This saw a special edition of In:Demand produced for Metro Radio based upon Lady Gaga.
After repeatedly falling audience figures breakfast presenter Tony Horne was removed from his on air position in July 2011, before the end of his contract. Controversy followed as it was revealed that he had presented most of his broadcasts from studios in Manchester (near to his home in Lymm, where he had lived since 2001) rather than Newcastle[4] Anna Foster and Brian Moore are providing interim cover. On 25 September 2011, it was announced that breakfast presenters on rival station Capital North East, Steve Furnell and Karen Wight, would join Metro Radio in Spring 2012 once their contract with Capital ends.[5]
Current presenters at the station include:[6]
|
|
|
Metro Radio has five broadcast journalists based at their headquarters in Newcastle upon Tyne. News bulletins are produced and broadcast on the hour between 06:00 until 18:00 weekdays and 08:00 until 12:00 weekends. Overnight bulletins are outsourced from Sky News Radio in London.
|
|
|
|
The official charity of both Metro Radio and its sister station Magic 1152 is Cash for Kids. The station organise events to raise money for this charity, for example an evening with Jason Donovan and a "cooks fun run".
|
||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||