20 Years of Gaydio

Twenty years on from its first two week broadcast for Manchester Pride, Gaydio continues to grow, evolve and serve LGBTQ+ communities across the UK.

On 15 August 2006, at 7am, Toby Whitehouse and I switched on a small radio station created to support Manchester Pride. It was only ever intended to be a two week broadcast, and at the time I do not think either of us had any real sense of where it might lead. It sounded a little rough around the edges, we were learning as we went, and the whole thing was built on a mixture of enthusiasm, improvisation and a belief that there should be a radio station that genuinely reflected LGBTQ+ people.

What followed was a series of short term trial broadcasts, each one helping us understand a little more about the audience, the responsibility and the potential. In 2009, Gaydio was awarded the UK’s first FM community radio licence specifically for the LGBTQ+ community, and we began permanent broadcasting in 2010. In 2013, we took over the licences previously operated by Gaydar Radio, expanding our reach and taking Gaydio beyond Manchester in a much more significant way.

Toby and Ian with the original Gaydio Branding, 2006

Looking back now, I think what strikes me most is not the scale of the organisation we have become, but the fact that the original purpose has remained consistent. Gaydio exists because LGBTQ+ people deserve media that reflects their lives properly, not just occasionally and not just during Pride. We exist to create a space where our community is central rather than peripheral, and where LGBTQ+ people can hear voices, stories and experiences that feel familiar to them.

Over the years, Gaydio has become much more than a radio station. We are now a media platform, an events business and a training organisation. Through the Gaydio Academy, we help people develop skills, confidence and experience in radio, audio, media and the creative industries. Through our networking events and the Gaydio Awards, we bring people together and celebrate those making a contribution to LGBTQ+ life across the UK. I am proud of that growth, but I am even more conscious of what sits underneath it. The important thing is not that Gaydio has become bigger, it is that being bigger allows us to do more for the people we are here to serve.

Breakfast show host, Dave Cooper

For me, the most important part of Gaydio has always been the relationship we have with the people engaging with us, on air or online. We are part of someone’s journey to work, something they have on in the background at home, or a familiar voice at a point in the day when they might otherwise be on their own. That can sound small, but I do not think it is. For many LGBTQ+ people, particularly those who feel isolated from a wider community, having something that feels familiar and welcoming can mean a great deal.

We often get messages from people that tell us how something they have heard on air or their participation in our events or at the Academy has had a positive affect on their life, and it reminds me why we do this. That is one of the reasons I feel such a strong sense of responsibility about Gaydio. Being able to reach people is a privilege, but it is not something I think we should ever take for granted. We have to keep earning the trust of our listeners, our volunteers, our partners and the wider community. We have to be useful, relevant and honest about who we are here for.

Gaydio Academy Students

The world around LGBTQ+ people has changed enormously over the last 20 years. There has been real progress, but I also think there are people in our community who feel less secure, more isolated or less certain about the future than they did a few years ago. There is more division, and too often conversations about LGBTQ+ lives happen around us rather than with us. Gaydio cannot solve those things, but we can make sure LGBTQ+ voices are heard, we can share useful information, we can create opportunities, we can celebrate our community and we can stand alongside people when things are difficult.

I also think it is important to be honest about the fact that Gaydio has not been built by one or two people. Hundreds of volunteers, presenters, producers, team members, board members, partners, supporters and friends have shaped the organisation over the past 20 years. Some have stayed for a long time, others have only been part of the journey briefly, but all of them have contributed something. I think particularly of those members of the Gaydio family who are sadly no longer with us, including Nicksy, Simon, Jeff, Brian and Lisa. They remain part of the story of the organisation and are remembered with enormous affection.

Opening speech, Gaydio Awards 2026

I feel very proud when I look at what Gaydio has become, but I also feel a sense of perspective. An anniversary like this is not a point at which you declare the job finished. It is a reminder that the organisation has to keep adapting to the community around it. The next chapter has to be about reaching people we are not yet reaching, creating more opportunities, representing the full breadth of LGBTQ+ life and making sure that Gaydio continues to be useful in the lives of the people who choose to spend time with us.

Twenty years ago, Gaydio was an idea and a two week radio station for Manchester Pride. Today, it reaches LGBTQ+ people across the country and has become part of many people’s daily lives. I am enormously grateful for that, and for every person who has helped us get here.

More than anything, I hope we continue to deserve the place Gaydio has in our community.

Ian Wallace, Founder and Business Director - Gaydio