Roch Valley Radio is an Ofcom licensed community radio station based in Rochdale and Bury broadcasting to Rochdale, Bury, Bolton and Oldham.
Roch Valley Radio began life as three separate stations: Birch Radio at Birch Hill Hospital, Bury Lions Hospital Radio at Fairfield, and Heywood FM. Birch Radio first went on air in 1980. In 2006, the three joined forces to create Roch Valley Radio, broadcasting from Fairfield General Hospital in Bury.
The COVID-19 pandemic marked a turning point. With volunteers unable to access hospital sites, the station adapted and redefined itself as a community radio service.
The timing coincided with the end of a key era in local broadcasting. Revolution 96.2, Rochdale and Oldham’s former commercial station, was sold to Bauer Media in 2020 and shut down as an independent broadcaster that November. Its replacement, Greatest Hits Radio, offered regional content but left a vacuum in genuinely local radio.
No longer limited to hospital wards, the station secured a DAB licence and expanded its reach. Due to broadcasting regulations, Ofcom classed Rochdale and Oldham as one area, and Bury and Bolton as another. That meant applying for and running two separate licences, doubling the workload for the volunteers, compliance requirements and running costs. Despite the challenge, the station pressed ahead to ensure Rochdale and Bury continued to have a local voice on the airwaves.
Alongside its growing online presence across Rochdale, Bury, Bolton, Oldham and Tameside, Roch Valley Radio also began delivering local news. Radio remained its primary focus, but the newsroom was growing.
When Rochdale Online ceased publication in early 2025, that balance shifted again. In response, Roch Valley Radio launched a daily volunteer-led news service, keeping local reporting alive across the borough at a time when independent coverage was disappearing.
By the end of 2025 reporting year, Roch Valley Radio had broadcast 4,212 hours of live radio, supported by 6,651 volunteer hours. It delivered 54 outside broadcasts, attracted over 600,000 online listening sessions, and grew its social media reach to 35.2 million views.
How To Listen
Tune in to Roch Valley Radio in your car, at home and at work, on DAB radio, as well as online through the app.
How To Get Involved
Roch Valley Radio enables the local community to get involved - from contributions to programming through to volunteering.
As a not-for-profit community radio station, Roch Valley Radio relies heavily on volunteers from presenters through to admin and production. Even if you have microphonebia, there’s still lots to get involved with outside of the studio. It’s a great way to learn new skills, add experience to your CV and make new friends too.
