A nostalgic look back to the pioneering days of 8 Towns Radio,

originally known as Heartbeat Radio, which broadcast to the patients and staff at Tameside Hospital, Ashton-under-Lyne, from 1983 until 1997.

 

From October 1992, the station was also heard across the borough of Tameside in a series of 28-day 'trial' broadcasts, firstly on medium wave (AM) and later on FM.

 

These special 'limited period' broadcasts helped to generate much-needed funds to keep the hospital radio service on the air and also gave Tameside its first taste of what a truly local, licensed radio station could offer

to listeners of all ages, across the borough

 

The dream finally came true more than a decade later and a full-time community radio station was eventually launched in 2007:

103.6FM Tameside Radio, also available online at tamesideradio.com