Launch as Metro Radio 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 . Metro Radio vacated this building in 2021. 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. In April 2021, it was announced that Metro Radio were relocating their studios once more. Later in 2021 as planned, they relocated their broadcasting studios to the
Grade II listed building, Gainsborough House on Newcastle's
Grey Street. Before the move, the studio had undergone a purposed fit-out which included 2 additional studios and a contemporary, flexible office space.
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).
Hits Radio rebrand On 17 April 2024 at 6am, Metro Radio was rebranded to Hits Radio North East, officially marking the end of the end of the Metro Radio brand after nearly 50 years of broadcasting. The website for which had been replaced with the Hits Radio website earlier that morning. The station's local news and regional output was not affected as a result of the relaunch at the time. The rebranding was part of a network-wide relaunch involving 17 Bauer-owned local radio stations in England and Wales. From 10-14 February 2025, no local breakfast programming was broadcast from studios in Newcastle. Instead, London-based networked programming was relayed. This was partially because of the new Media Act which now allows 24/7 programming from outside the broadcast area, and was the first time that Bauer has used the existing Hits Radio national station's breakfast show as cover, instead of a using a local cover presenter. On 20 March 2025, Bauer announced it would end its regional Hits Radio breakfast show for the North East to be replaced by a new national breakfast show for England and Wales on 9 June 2025. Local news and traffic bulletins continue and the station's Newcastle studios were retained. The station's final regional programme aired on 6 June 2025 with
breakfast presenters Steve Furnell and Karen Oxley moving to a national breakfast show on sister stations Hits Radio 90s, broadcast from Newcastle. ==Programming==