Youth-focused radio station moves into The Landing at MediaCityUK

Independent youth-focused music platform Unity Radio has established a new MediaCityUK HQ.

The station, which broadcasts dance and urban music for the 15-to-40 demographic, is now based at The Landing.

Outside its regular programming, Unity Radio works to help young people get a foot in the door in the creative industries, focusing on engagement and outreach across Manchester.

The company started out in 2001 when founder Jon Green set up a pirate radio station in Moss Side with his friends Wesley Milne and Robert Hargreaves. Following Robert’s murder in the same year, Jon continued to run the station with others in the radio community while helping young people in care or who had been victims of serious crime.

Unity Radio was officially launched at an Ancoats studio at the end of 2010, strengthening its team with the appointment of business development manager Lee Dinsdale in 2014.

Jon said of the move to The Landing: “We’re very proud of where we came from and where we are travelling to – and we feel that being based at The Landing at MediaCityUK now really shows our young people what can be achieved.

“It’s so important to never forget where you came from and, for us, we need to keep reflecting and championing our community roots and our relationships with young people.”

He added: “This is our whole DNA and culture – and it was attracting talent from the streets which gave us the power to become an official Ofcom registered station.”

The Landing’s commercial director, Paul Billington, commented: “Unity Radio is carrying out a lot of extremely interesting, valuable youth intervention work in our local communities and we are very proud to have the team based here.

“The Landing’s businesses together contribute more than £25m to the Greater Manchester economy, as well as over 600 jobs in the Salford community. We are delighted to help and support our tenants on their journey in any way we can.”