Unity Radio mark fifteen years on the FM Dial on the 10th Dec!
In the heart of Greater Manchester, our voice, once a whisper at the turn of the millennium, now speaks with confidence, warmth and purpose.
As we mark fifteen years on the FM dial, Unity Radio 92.8FM has never been just a station to us. It has always been about people, about roots, and about reflecting the living, breathing rhythm of the city we serve.
What began from grassroots as a pirate radio station in Moss Side with determination has grown into something woven into everyday life, establishing ourselves alongside global media corporations at MediaCityUk.
We know radio listening today is shaped by movement. Research from Radioplayer UK confirms what we see and hear every day: the car is now radio’s most important room. In that precious space between leaving work and arriving home, between the rush of the day and the promise of the night ahead, radio becomes more than sound. It becomes company, culture and connection.
That is why the rise of Prime Time with Kai Jasper in our 15th year, feels so natural. Broadcasting morning and evenings, the show meets our listeners exactly where they are, in traffic, in transition, in motion. KJ doesn’t just play records; he builds conversations and communities, spotlighting Greater Manchester’s grassroots voices alongside national and global artists.
In returning to mentor emerging broadcasters through our Unity Radio Academy, he completes the circle, turning Prime Time radio into a place where futures are shaped. This is programming with intent, perfectly tuned to the connected commuter.
Extending far beyond the studio. In a city facing real challenges around youth violence and exploitation, we have chosen to be present, proactive and trusted. Through workshops in music production, broadcasting, creative Hip Hop arts, media and virtual reality, we offer young people something real: skills, mentorship and a platform for creative enterprise. Hip Hop culture at Unity Radio is lived and used as a tool for transformation. It is a lifestyle. Globally resonating as the most important youth movement and spanning across every major industry harnessing young talent.
Many of our presenters come from the same communities they now inspire, standing as proof of what is possible when opportunity meets belief. This is radio as intervention and catalyst, meeting young people where they are and placing microphones in their hands, for their dreams and ambition to be heard and seen.
That same sense of purpose runs through the partnerships we choose. In 2024 we worked with NGY on the “Stay Free, Not Trapped” takeover, raising awareness of the dangers surrounding exploitation. We delivered summer graffiti workshops with MCRactive and brought the genuine inter-generational connection to our Hip Hop base at Central Library, celebrated with international stars at Street Heat, with the North’s leading street culture festival.
During our last 5-year license we have also stepped into the role of cultural guardians. Through our Greater Manchester Hip Hop Archive based at Manchester Central Library, we are helping preserve the voices and stories of the North’s Hip Hop pioneers, ensuring they are protected, archived and passed on to the next generation.
Building that future is central to everything we do, and nowhere is that clearer than in the Unity Radio Academy. Our 2025 term closed with fantastic success, with young people completing hands-on training in broadcasting and music technology. Applications are now open for the 2026 intake at MediaCityUK, offering young creatives the chance to begin their journey in a truly world-class environment.
Our growth is supported by solid foundations. This year we secured an Ofcom licence extension, guaranteeing our place on the FM airwaves until at least 2030. It is a powerful vote of confidence in independent, community-owned radio, and a promise that our voice is here to stay. We also strengthened our leadership with the appointment of DJ Basha as Deputy Director, ensuring our future is guided by people who are deeply rooted in both culture and community.
As we stand on the edge of our fifteenth year on FM, we see Unity Radio as more than a broadcaster. We are an Academy, an Archive, a Platform, a Partner and a Home of Talent. We are where heritage meets horizon, where drive time becomes Prime Time, and where Manchester’s stories, especially those of its young people, are always heard.
Unity Radio wish to thank all presenters, artists, producers, partners, stakeholders and supporters who work hard to shape the region. Here’s to fifteen years on air, and to all the voices still to come!
On Air!
Joins us from 7am to 7pm on the 10th December as we will be joined by Special Guests and the full Unity Radio Presenter team to celebrate!
Then from 7pm, catch all the Unity Radio DJs on air for a special open deck B2B session transmitting unity family vibes, as we live broadcast our 15th Birthday Party live from Media City UK!
Listen in on 92.8 FM or online at unityradio.fm Only on Unity Radio, The real Sound Of The City
07:00-10:00 – Primetime, Hosted By Kai Jasper
w/ special guests Ebube, Kay Rico, Prose
and Unity Radio’s Envy, Charlotte Carter, Tasi
10:00-13:00 – Ceej w/ special guests Prido, Pique Roscoe, July 7
and Unity Radio’s Ellie Price, TT Mags, Jay Kurdy, Red Venom, Twinny, Studio 88
13:00-16:00 – SaadiNasty w/ special guests Lab 51, Mya Lashantai, Che3kz
and the Unity Radio Academy, S Man, Omega, Imogen Delooze
16:00-19:00 – Primetime, Hosted By Kai Jasper
w/ special guests Oneda, David Rey
and Unity Radio’s Daiz, Rauu, Tsana, Jermaine Lee, Harvey Bishop
19:00 Onwards – Unity Radio’s 15th Birthday Part
Open Deck Live Broadcast From Media City, UK
Unity Radio, The Real Sound of the City!
