It's the radio station which helped launch the broadcasting careers of people like Sky Sports presenter Jeff Stelling.
And now, 40 years after Radio Tees first hit the airwaves, former presenters, staff and listeners are reuniting for a party.
When Les Ross hosted the first Radio Tees breakfast show on June 24, 1975, it heralded a new era for radio on Teesside.
Broadcasting from old water board offices in Dovecot Street, Stockton, Radio Tees - 257m on the medium wave, 95VHF - was our area’s first commercial radio station. And over the years, through its Radio Tees and Tfm guises, it has helped give several top brodcasting names a springboard to success.
As well as Jeff Stelling, behind the microphone in those Radio Tees days were the likes of news man Mark Mardell, who now presents on Radio 4 and was the BBC’s Europe editor, Alex Lester, who found fame as the “Dark Lord” of BBC Radio 2, Welsh Rugby Union chief executive Roger Lewis, Peter Bowes, who is now the BBC’s correspondent in LA, former Walt Disney Company senior vice president Paul Robinson and Boro announcer Mark Page, who had a stint with Radio One from 1983-86.
Others included Kevin Keatings, now a TV football commentator, Alastair Pirrie, who presented hit TV kids’ pop show Razzmatazz with Lisa Stansfield, former breakfast TV weathergirl Wincey Willis, Recognition PR founder Graham Robb and John Simons, now a respectednational radio executive.
By 1988 the station relaunched as Tfm 96.60, with popular names like Les Gunn, Mark Matthews, Nick Piercey, John Foster, Mark Powell, Tom Davis, Judie McCourt and more.
And even though the Tfm name still lives on, broadcasting moved from Teesdale to Newcastle in 2013.
The party organisers are John Foster - now a presenter on BBC Tees - and Richard Kell, who fondly recall working for the station.
Richard said: “Down the years, former employees have been in touch, wondering if there was going to be a reunion and because we both love the history and heritage of the stations, we decided to go for it.”
The party will be held on Friday, June 19 at the Thistle Hotel in Middlesbrough. Tickets are £10, including a donation to the Butterwick Hospice.
For more information, visit www.tfm257.co.uk
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