Metro Radio
Metro Radio is an Independent Local Radio station based in Newcastle, England, owned and operated by Bauer as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to Newcastle upon Tyne and North East England. As of December 2021, the station has a weekly audience of 320,000 listeners according to RAJAR. History. Launch. The 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 and the United Biscuits Network. The first show included messages of congratulations from Kenny Everett at  the equivalent local commercial station in London, Capital Radio. Studios. The station transmitted from a studio in Swalwell, Gateshead, which in later years would be adjacent to the Metrocentre and is now Metropolitan House—a business centre providing serviced office accommodation. Metro, and sister station Magic 1152, moved in 2005 to the former BT building previously known as Swan Housenow known as 55° Northnext 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. TFM co-location. From 8 April 2013, all Metro Radio's programming has been shared with TFM. However, the Metro Radio branding was retained along with separate advertising and local news bulletins. The two stations were able to co-locate without consultation, for the Metro Radio licence area is located in one approved broadcast area (north-east England). Programming. Networked programming originates from Bauer's Manchester headquarters. Regional programming is produced and broadcast  from Bauer's Newcastle studios, weekdays 6-10am ("Steve & Karen's Breakfast Show") and is syndicated with sister station TFM. The station's long-running talk show "Night Owls", presented by Alan Robson since 1983, ran for over 40 years before airing its final edition in June 2019. It now airs weekly on GHR North East and GHR Teesside. News. Bauer's Newcastle newsroom broadcasts local news bulletins hourly from 6am-7pm on weekdays, and from 7am-1pm on Saturdays and Sundays. Headlines are broadcast on the half-hour during weekday breakfast and drivetime shows, alongside traffic bulletins. National bulletins from Sky  News Radio are carried overnight with bespoke networked bulletins on weekend afternoons, usually originating from Bauer's Leeds newsroom.