Dave Sweetmore Leaves The Tameside Radio Drivetime Show

It's just over two years since I became the permanent drivetime presenter on Tameside Radio, and tomorrow, Friday February 7th, will sadly be my last day on the show.

Working in a media outlet, especially live radio, is a real privilege and honour, and I can honestly say I've loved every second of every show I have presented.

I started on Tameside Radio in December 2019, presenting my Monday night 'The Dave Sweetmore Show' alongside my long-standing radio sidekick Laura Beth.

The show, which plays two hours of Indie Rock n Roll Anthems and New Music, had been broadcasting for six years on Revolution 96.2 on a Sunday afternoon, when the station was suddenly sold to become Greatest Hits Radio.

Although I had been a guest on many radio stations over the years and had been involved with hospital radio when I was younger, I learnt more than I could ever imagine about presenting at 'Revolution 96.2' from the station manager Kev Bailey, which I'll forever be grateful for.

With 'The Rev' sold, there were several offers to move our established show to various stations, but with the Tameside Radio station Manager at the time being Andy Hoyle, who himself had moved from Revolution, Tameside Radio was one of the stations which seemed like the perfect fit, and it really has been.

Laura and I continued 'The Dave Sweetmore Show' on Tameside Radio in exactly the same format in which it had always been and remains to this day. In October 2022, I began covering the drivetime show when then presenter Mark Alston had needed time off.

In January 2023, with the news Mark wasn't returning, I was offered the show on a permanent basis, and thanks to station managers Andy Hoyle, Emma Marsh and John Dash, I was given the freedom to become creative with the show and make it my own.

One of the reasons I was also keen to take on the role, as well as it being an amazing opportunity, is the brilliant team we have always had in the offices at Tameside Radio, where the offices are also home to Tameside Reporter, Glossop Chronicle and Oldham Reporter.

Within weeks of being announced as the new presenter of the coveted drivetime radio slot, I introduced the 'Weekday Jukebox' between 3pm and 4pm and 'Guess The Track with Maisie Mc' between 4pm and 5pm.

Working in radio, unless a specialist show, music is chosen and inserted into the schedule by a programming manager, so to be able to play songs between 3pm and 4pm, which are chosen by listeners, and often unheard or forgotten about, has been another real pleasure.

Maisie Mc, who is from Hyde and now nine years old, has also been a permanent part of my weekday show. Her 'Guess The Track' feature, in which she reads lyrics from songs, and listeners would get in touch with their guesses to what the song is, has been another popular feature.

Maisie is a little legend in real life, as well as on the radio, and my show wouldn't have been the same without her.

I must also thank Maisie's mum Becky, who works in the Tameside Radio office, and dad Brian, for taking time out of their weekend each week to allow Maisie to record her clips.

Although my Monday night Indie and new music show will continue on Tameside Radio each week between 7pm and 9pm, I will be sad to leave the drivetime show tomorrow.

New opportunities have arisen, starting with the second part of the Shaun Ryder 'Happy Mondays and Fridays and Saturdays and Sundays' theatre tour in which I worked on last year, which restarts in March, and makes it impossible to commit to and dedicate five afternoons a week to a drivetime show.

It was a hard decision to leave the show, but I'm glad and thankful I am able to carry on working on the station on a Monday night and continue writing music articles for this newspaper.

Thank you to breakfast show presenter Alex Cann and Daytime presenter Martin Emery for all of their help, advice and friendship, and to all of the management and staff who work, or have worked, at Tameside Radio and the Not Really Here Group over the last two years, for being there every afternoon to help and be part of the show when needed.

Most of all, to the loyal listeners who have listened, supported, and interacted with myself and Tameside Radio during my time on the drivetime show, the interaction is what makes it the best job in the world.

Although I'll still be on air on Monday's at 7pm, I bid farewell to the drivetime show with gratefulness, thanks, and feeling unbelievably lucky to have held the position for over two years.

Good luck to the new, yet to be announced presenter who will take over my role on the drivetime show and thank you to all of the Tameside Radio daytime listeners for the most amazing two years. Long live interactive local live radio.