Metro Radio

Metro Radio

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), DAB and online[1]
First air date	15 July 1974
Format	CHR, news, speech and talk
Audience share	10.80% (December 2012, [2])
Owner	Bauer Radio
Sister stations	Magic 1152 TFM
Webcast	Metro Radio Player
Website	Metro Radio

Metro Radio (often referred to simply as Metro) is an independent local radio station based in Newcastle upon Tyne, England, and broadcasting to Tyne and Wear, County Durham and Northumberland. The station's output is principally contemporary pop and dance music, alongside talk programming and local news bulletins. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of the Bauer Place Portfolio of stations.

History

Launch

The Newcastle based station, broadcasting to North East England, launched on 15 July 1974.^[1] The first Breakfast Show was presented by Don Dwyer, an Australian radio presenter formerly at ABC, Len Groat, Giles Squire, Dave Gregory, 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.

Studios

Metro Radio on the Swan House roundabout in Newcastle upon Tyne

The station 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, next to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Football commentary

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.

Former presenters

The controversial DJ and TV presenter James Whale launched his radio career on Metro, presenting the Nightowls show between 1974 and 1980. Other notable former presenters include:

Breakfast show

On 14 July 2011, breakfast presenter Tony Horne left the station, prior to his contract ending.^[3]

On 25 September 2011, Steve Furnell and Karen Wight were announced as his replacements, and until 23 December 2011 they had presented on rival station Capital North East.^[4] Steve & Karen's Breakfast Show broadcast on Metro for the first time on 6 June 2012 after 5 months of being off-air due to a "clause in the contracts issued by their former employers".^[5][6][7]

TFM co-location

As of Monday 8 April 2013, all Metro's programming is shared with sister station TFM. However, the Metro Radio branding is retained along with separate news bulletins and advertising.^[8] The two stations were able to co-locate without consultation as the Metro Radio licence area is located in one approved broadcast area (North East England).^[9]

Metro Radio Arena

Programming

News

Metro Radio has broadcast journalists based at their headquarters in Newcastle. 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.

Production

Most programming is presented and produced from Metro Radio studios in Newcastle and shared with co-located sister station TFM. In:Demand, overnights and The Wrong Show are networked from Key 103 in Manchester. The Vodafone Big Top 40 is syndicated from Global Radio at Leicester Square, London.

Awards and nominations

Arqiva Commercial Radio Awards

IRN News Awards

Sony Radio Academy Awards

Charity

The official charity of both Metro Radio and its sister station Magic 1152 is Cash for Kids.^[10]

See also

• Current presenters

References

External links

• Metro Radio
• Metro Radio on Facebook
• Metro Radio on Twitter
• Metro Radio - Cash for Kids
• History of the Radio Station
• Burnhope transmitter
• Fenham transmitter
• Newton transmitter