Nation Radio North East

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Nation Radio North East is a Sunderland-based independent local radio station serving the North East of England. It broadcasts on FM, DAB and online, playing a mix of contemporary and classic hits with local news and travel updates. It is owned by Nation Broadcasting and brandings focus on providing “The Best Variety of Hits.”

History in brief
- Launched in 1990 as Wear FM from the University of Sunderland; won the Sony Award for UK Radio Station of the Year in 1992.
- Rebranded to Sun City FM in 1995 after a takeover by Minster Sound; later became Sun FM under various owners.
- Over the years it changed hands several times, becoming part of The Local Radio Company and then UKRD Group.
- Sold to Nation Broadcasting in 2018; in 2020 Nation merged Sun FM with nearby Durham and Alpha stations to extend the network.
- On 2 April 2024, Nation Broadcasting announced Sun FM would be rebranded Nation Radio North East, effective 1 May 2024, with expansion onto DAB across Newcastle, Gateshead, Middlesbrough, Bishop Auckland and Darlington.

Programming and listening
- Local programming runs 6am–10am and 3pm–7pm Monday to Friday; outside those times, networked programming from Nation Radio UK is carried, with local news, sport, travel and weather updates.
- The station is part of Nation Radio UK’s network, offering a mix of regional shows and networked content, with a separate local playlist during local air times.
- Notable local presenters have included Simon Grundy and Dave Sherwood.

What you’ll hear
- Branding: The Best Variety of Hits.
- Format: Contemporary and classic popular music, with local news and travel updates.
- Coverage area: Tyne and Wear, County Durham, Northumberland, Teesside and parts of North Yorkshire.

Where to listen
- Frequencies: FM broadcasting across the North East (examples include around 103.2 MHz in Darlington, 102.8 MHz and 106.8 MHz in Durham, and 103.4 MHz in Sunderland/Wearside).
- Transmission: 300 watts ERP from a transmitter at Haining Farm, southwest of Sunderland.
- Online: Radioplayer stream and the official site at Nation Radio North East (via Nation Radio North East pages).

Audience
- RAJAR reports a weekly audience of about 80,000 listeners (as of October 2025).

Additional
- Webcast and online presence: listeners can tune in via Radioplayer and the station’s official online pages.