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Hits Radio Teesside
Hits Radio Teesside, formerly TFM, is an Independent Local Radio station for Teesside, England, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to areas of County Durham and North Yorkshire.
As of September 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 136,000 listeners according to RAJAR.
Radio Tees opened at 6 a.m. on Tuesday 24 June 1975, broadcasting on 257 metres medium wave (1,169 kHz) from the converted Water Board buildings at 74 Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees.
The first presenter on air was breakfast show host Les Ross and the first record played was "Everything's Tuesday" by Chairmen of the Board. By the autumn of that year, Radio Tees was also broadcasting on 95 VHF – the first local radio station in the area to broadcast on FM.
By the mid-1980s Radio Tees found itself in financial difficulties, and in 1986, its parent company, Sound Broadcasting (Teesside) Ltd, was bought by Metropolitan Broadcasting (or the Metro Radio Group as it was known, for it owned Metro Radio in Newcastle upon Tyne). In November, that year Radio Tees moved its FM frequency to 96.6 in a direct swap with BBC Radio Cleveland (currently known as BBC Radio Tees). and from this point, evening programming was a relay of Metro Radio in mono - originally their overnight programme, expanding it to include Alan Robson's Night Owls on weeknights and a music show with John Oley on Fridays and by the summer of 86, it was further extended to 7 pm to include Nicky Brown, resulting in Radio Tees being Radio Tees from 7 am to 7 pm and at night, "Metro And Tees Together!".
In January 1988, thirteen years after launch, Radio Tees was rebranded to TFM 96.60 after being taken over by Newcastle upon Tyne-based Metro Radio Group. This relaunch also helped modernise the brand.[citation needed] . The evening networking continued for a short time, as "Metro And TFM Together", but just before Easter, TFM became its own station whilst still remaining part of the Metro Radio Group, but, apart from overnight, it no longer broadcast any output from Metro.
In April 1989, its 257 metres/1170 kHz medium wave frequency was split and this became Great North Radio (GNR). This was launched after broadcasting rules meant TFM could not broadcast on both FM and medium wave.
In 1992, TFM vacated its old Dovecot Street studios and moved to new, purpose-built studios in Thornaby-on-Tees. In 1995 Metropolitan Broadcasting was taken over by EMAP; 'TFM' was renamed '96.6 TFM' and brought into EMAP's north of England Independent Local Radio Big City Network.
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Hits Radio Teesside AI simulator
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Hits Radio Teesside
Hits Radio Teesside, formerly TFM, is an Independent Local Radio station for Teesside, England, based in Newcastle upon Tyne. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Media Audio UK as part of the Hits Radio network. It broadcasts to areas of County Durham and North Yorkshire.
As of September 2024, the station has a weekly audience of 136,000 listeners according to RAJAR.
Radio Tees opened at 6 a.m. on Tuesday 24 June 1975, broadcasting on 257 metres medium wave (1,169 kHz) from the converted Water Board buildings at 74 Dovecot Street, Stockton-on-Tees.
The first presenter on air was breakfast show host Les Ross and the first record played was "Everything's Tuesday" by Chairmen of the Board. By the autumn of that year, Radio Tees was also broadcasting on 95 VHF – the first local radio station in the area to broadcast on FM.
By the mid-1980s Radio Tees found itself in financial difficulties, and in 1986, its parent company, Sound Broadcasting (Teesside) Ltd, was bought by Metropolitan Broadcasting (or the Metro Radio Group as it was known, for it owned Metro Radio in Newcastle upon Tyne). In November, that year Radio Tees moved its FM frequency to 96.6 in a direct swap with BBC Radio Cleveland (currently known as BBC Radio Tees). and from this point, evening programming was a relay of Metro Radio in mono - originally their overnight programme, expanding it to include Alan Robson's Night Owls on weeknights and a music show with John Oley on Fridays and by the summer of 86, it was further extended to 7 pm to include Nicky Brown, resulting in Radio Tees being Radio Tees from 7 am to 7 pm and at night, "Metro And Tees Together!".
In January 1988, thirteen years after launch, Radio Tees was rebranded to TFM 96.60 after being taken over by Newcastle upon Tyne-based Metro Radio Group. This relaunch also helped modernise the brand.[citation needed] . The evening networking continued for a short time, as "Metro And TFM Together", but just before Easter, TFM became its own station whilst still remaining part of the Metro Radio Group, but, apart from overnight, it no longer broadcast any output from Metro.
In April 1989, its 257 metres/1170 kHz medium wave frequency was split and this became Great North Radio (GNR). This was launched after broadcasting rules meant TFM could not broadcast on both FM and medium wave.
In 1992, TFM vacated its old Dovecot Street studios and moved to new, purpose-built studios in Thornaby-on-Tees. In 1995 Metropolitan Broadcasting was taken over by EMAP; 'TFM' was renamed '96.6 TFM' and brought into EMAP's north of England Independent Local Radio Big City Network.