View Comments

Metro Radio is an Independent Local Radio station broadcasting to North East England. Its output is principally contemporary pop and dance music. It is owned by Bauer Radio and is part of their Big City Network of stations.

This Newcastle based station, broadcasting to North East England, launched on July 15th 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 55ยฐ North, in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Until 2005 the station broadcast live football commentary for the region's two biggest clubs โ€” 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 know names include Mark Goodier, Gabby Logan, Jenny Powel, Jeremy Vine and Mark Forrest.

Since 2 July 2005 Metro Radio has broadcast from the 55 Degrees North complex, next to the Tyne Bridge in Newcastle upon Tyne.

The station is currently the principal sponsor of the MetroRadio 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 EMAP Digital Tyne and Wear 11C multiplex from Burnhope (strongest signal) 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.

Night Owls is almost an institution in the North East of England. It is a late night radio phone-in show, and is broadcast on Metro Radio. The current host of the show is Alan Robson, who has fronted the show since 1983.

After the departure of James Whale, Giles Squire, Alan Beswick and Tony Crosby, Dave Porter presented the Night Owls show for a short period, before Alan Robson began presenting in 1983.

The show has won over 30 national and international awards including in 2005 the New York radio award for Worlds Best Talk Show.^{[citation needed]}

The majority of programming is presented and produced locally from Metro Radio's Newcaslte studios although In:Demand and AfterHours are produced from Key 103 in Manchester while JK and Joel's Saturday Night Thing is produced from Radio Aire in Leeds. The Big Top 40 Show is produced by Global Radio in London for broadcast on over 130 commercial radio stations across the UK.

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".

Big City Network: CFM ยท Hallam FM ยท Key 103 ยท Metro Radio ยท Radio City 96.7 ยท 96.3 Radio Aire ยท 97.4 Rock FM ยท TFM Radio ยท 96.9 Viking FM

Big City Scotland and Northern Ireland: 102.5 Clyde 1 ยท Cool FM  ยท Downtown Radio ยท 97.3 Forth One ยท Tay FM ยท 97.4 MFR ยท Moray Firth Radio 1107AM ยท Northsound 1 ยท Radio Borders ยท 96.7 West FM ยท West Sound FM

Kiss Network: Kiss 100 ยท Kiss 101 ยท Kiss 105-108

Magic Network: Magic 105.4 ยท Magic AM ยท Magic 828 ยท Magic 999 ยท Magic 1152 ยท Piccadilly Magic 1152 ยท Magic 1161 ยท Magic 1170 ยท Magic 1548

Scottish AM stations: Clyde 2 ยท 1548 Forth 2 ยท Northsound 2 ยท Tay AM ยท West Sound (AM)

Other radio assets: Kerrang! 105.2 (West Midlands FM and national digital)  ยท Wave 105 ยท City Talk 105.9

UK Consumer Titles: Angling Times ยท Bella ยท Bike ยท Bird Watching ยท Car ยท Classic Bike ยท Classic Cars ยท Closer ยท Country Walking ยท Digital Photo ยท Empire ยท FHM ยท First ยท Freesail ยท Garden Answers ยท Garden News ยท Golf World ยท Grazia ยท Improve Your Coarse Fishing ยท Heat ยท Instant Beauty ยท Kerrang! ยท Land Rover Owner International ยท Match ยท Max Power ยท Model Rail ยท Mojo ยท More! ยท Mother & Baby ยท Motorcycle News (MCN) ยท New Woman ยท Parker's ยท Performance Bikes ยท Pop ยท Practical Classics ยท Practical Fishkeeping ยท Practical Photography ยท Pregnancy & Birth ยท Puzzle Magazines ยท Q ยท RAIL ยท RiDE ยท Sea Angler ยท Shopping for Baby ยท Skiing ยท Steam Railway ยท Spirit&Destiny ยท Take a Break ยท That's life! ยท Today's Golfer ยท Top Sante ยท Total TVguide ยท Trail ยท Trout & Salmon ยท Trout Fisherman ยท TV Choice ยท TV Quick ยท Waves ยท What Bike? ยท Your Horse ยท Yours ยท Zoo

US Consumer Titles: ASTROgirl ยท First for Women ยท In Touch Weekly ยท J-14 ยท Life & Style Weekly ยท Life Story ยท M ยท QuizFest ยท Soaps in Depth ยท Twist ยท Woman's World

German Consumer Titles: Bravo ยท Das Neue Blatt

Business Publications: AM ยท Fleet News ยท Pet Product Marketing ยท Sewells Information and Research

Distribution: Seymour ยท Frontline

Comments about "Metro Radio"

Post your Comment

Name

E-mail Address

Comment Body