TFM Radio
TFM is an independent local radio station. Launched in June 1975 as Radio Tees, with the callsign "You've got a friend on 257" it was the first independent local radio station serving County Durham, the Tees Valley and North Yorkshire. The station currently broadcasts on 96.6 FM, DAB and online with DAB services provided by Bauer Digital. The station is owned and operated by Bauer Radio and forms part of the Bauer Place stations.On 8 April 2013, the station merged with Metro Radio in Newcastle.HistoryFrom the start of broadcasting in 1975, TFM was owned by Sound Broadcasting Ltd and originally broadcast on 257 Medium Wave only, with a later launch on 95 VHF. After a government radio frequency re shuffle in the mid-1980s, the FM frequency was swapped with BBC Radio Cleveland and Radio Tees shifted to 96.6 FM in 1986. In 1988 Radio Tees was relaunched as TFM 96.6 after being taken over by Newcastle upon Tyne based Metro Radio Group. Shortly after this, a new Medium Wave station called Great North Radio was launched after broadcasting rules meant TFM could not broadcast on both FM and Medium Wave.
