Riverside Radio broadcasts arts, culture, and music news from studios in Battersea, South West London, under the slogan "Switch on SW London." The station reaches four boroughs, Wandsworth, Lambeth, Merton, and Richmond, all connected by the Thames and the smaller River Wandle that gave the station its current name.
From a Public Meeting to a Full Station
Riverside Radio started life as Wandsworth Radio, born out of a public meeting BBC Radio London presenter Jason Rosam held at Battersea Arts Centre in May 2013. A crowdfunding campaign raised £3,000 for studio equipment, and the station launched on January 12, 2015, with Martin Harris and Samantha Baines presenting the opening show alongside remarks from the local mayor and MP. The station rebranded as Riverside Radio on April 7, 2019, when it expanded beyond Wandsworth into the neighbouring boroughs it serves today, and it began broadcasting on DAB in August 2020 before joining the South of the River DAB multiplex in November 2025.
Recognized Community Radio
The station's growth has come with recognition: in 2018 it won Digital/RSL Station of the Year at the Community Radio Awards, a category that rewards small, volunteer-driven stations for punching above their weight. That combination of local ownership and professional-grade output is what let a station that started with a £3,000 crowdfunding target grow into a genuine four-borough broadcaster within a decade.
A New Voice for AFC Wimbledon
In August 2026, Riverside Radio began carrying live commentary for AFC Wimbledon, broadcasting home matches from Plough Lane as part of its Saturday afternoon sports show. Picking up a League One football club's commentary rights is a significant step for a station that began as a single-borough project just over a decade ago, and it puts Riverside Radio directly into the matchday routine of one of South West London's best-known football clubs.
Why Tune In
Riverside Radio offers exactly what its slogan promises, a genuine local voice for South West London, mixing arts and culture programming, a running book club in Riverside Reads, and now live football commentary, all from a station that grew out of a single community meeting in a Battersea arts centre.