Hospital broadcasting started in 1926. The HBA was formed in 1970. See our
history page for more
details.
Over 90% of the UK's hospital population has the benefit of hospital
broadcasting. This means that over 18 million people can hear specially
produced local programmes every year.
There is a hospital broadcasting service in almost every major town and
city in the UK, serving 250,000 beds in over 800 hospitals.
The benefits of a hospital broadcasting service to both patients and staff
is well recognised by the Department of Health, and most local hospitals
encourage and support their local station.
A typical hospital broadcasting station has some 35 volunteers who
broadcast 31 hours of programmes a week to patients in some 700 beds
covering 2 hospitals.
Stations are staffed entirely by volunteers and most are registered
charities.
A Personal Service
Hospital broadcasting provides a unique service not available from any
other source. The programmes are carefully produced to reflect the needs of
the audience. They ensure that the patient is kept in touch with their local
community, family and friends in a way no other broadcasting medium can.
Some hospital stations are now on-air 24 hours a day. Almost all stations
broadcast live programmes in the evenings and at weekends - times when there
is less ward activity or other distractions to help relieve the boredom and
isolation of a patient's stay in hospital.
Many hospital broadcasting stations also provide coverage of local
sporting events in their area including football, rugby, cricket, and even
ice hockey!
Over 11,500 volunteers are involved in providing this essential and very
exclusive radio, and in some cases TV, service to hospital patients.
Every week over 10,000 hours of hospital broadcasting is transmitted.
Technology
Although advances in technology have seen changes in the way programmes
are broadcast most stations use a closed circuit system where patients
listen on headphones beside their bed. Some stations broadcast on low power
AM or FM transmitters. Whatever the means of distributing the programme the
service is exclusively for the patients in that station's locality. Although
it may be possible to hear their programmes outside the hospital grounds the
station will not recognise any audience outside the hospital(s) they serve.
Increasing numbers of stations now utilise a computer system to broadcast
music and pre-recorded programmes when the studios are unattended, ensuring
that their personalised service is available 24 hours a day.
Fundraising
The cost of establishing a hospital broadcasting service varies greatly,
from a basic set-up costing £25,000 to a large multi-site system costing
upwards of £100,000.
The operational running costs of a hospital broadcasting station can be
from as little as £5,000 p.a. to as much as £50,000 p.a.
Hospital broadcasting stations raise their own funds to provide the
service they offer from within the local community they serve. Whilst some
help may be forthcoming from local NHS Trusts the group will have to work to
raise funds in order to maintain the service they provide.
The
award winning FREQUENCY
CAST - details of this month's shows are now
available here
The Sound of Sunday
has a brand new website - here
777000
REQUESTS and counting... Another milestone has been reached.
HM Royal
Marines Band Concert - We'll be back in St Albans for a
special concert performed for hospital radio.
National
Request Chart - Mark Snowden is back with the annual
countdown of the most requested songs on hospital radio in the
UK.
In
The News
We're
looking for ward visitors... Your job would be
to go around the wards during the day or early evening to
promote the station, tune listeners in and collect
requests. Interested? Click
here for an application form to apply to be a WARD
VISITOR
2012 is a
big year for HRB - we will be celebrating 40 years of
hospital radio in Basingstoke. Watch this space for some
exciting plans to help celebrate this milestone
anniversary.
