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 It’s only a hospital radio service,
but the service we provide, must deliver a presentation style which is
equal to any local or national radio station output.
The service you hear today is very much different from those early days;
where if you could put a record on: you were automatically given the
freedom of the airwaves.
Today's presenters must undergo a comprehensive training on equipment and
presentation, this will include the guidelines as laid down by OFCOM. |
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A trainee may
have to wait 6 months before he/she is allowed to broadcast on their own.
In the early days the quality of presentation output was unique; under
today's guidelines from OFCOM: it wouldn’t be tolerated.
One of the
rules for all presenters is they must carry out ward rounds and collect
requests before their program. This is strictly adhered to and makes Radio
Heatherwood one of the many hospital radio services which is valued by the
patients. Our early service prior to 1982 did not enforce this condition
and therefore led to some very poor program content.
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 The radio
service is a service funded for the basic running costs from the League of
Friends. All other costs have to be raised by Radio Heatherwood Staff.
This has steadily increased over the years from £250 to £3000 a year.
It’s a hard
task each year raising the running costs. The fundraising by the
volunteers takes various forms from appeals for old records and tapes; to
dinner dances ( Sweethearts ball ) charity stalls at Bracknell market,
annual grand draw, and charity coach outings. We also receive support for
the service from local businesses, local trust funds and members of the
public who all contribute in their own way.
The station
relies on the commitment of 20-25 volunteers each year to maintain the
radio service.
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 The first
discs spun at Heatherwood were by the then works foreman Bill Berry.
The first record request service was broadcast from a room in the main
administration building. The league of friends provided the first
equipment so the service could get off the ground. Records show that this can be traced back to 1969. Bill was providing a
record request program to the general wards on a Tuesday evening for two
hours. The league had agreed to fund the rental of records at £50 a year
so that the programs could go out. Bill used some of his own 78's along
with those of family and friends.
This early service was plagued by faulty equipment on the wards. The
service was very much a one man band operation. It was a request to the
league of friends that prompted the investment in new equipment and the
launch of Radio Heatherwood.
It wasn’t until an injection of £5000 on
equipment and bed-head units in early 1976, that Radio
Heatherwood could begin regular un-interrupted transmissions.
Old Studio
The service was provided each evening on channel 3 and was broadcast from
the new studio room made available in the ground floor of the Maternity
unit.
The launch of
the radio service on the 10th June 1976 was officiated by Michael Parkinson
who was then honorary patron.
After an
ambitious start by the station, by the end of 1981, the station had fallen
into the red and was in danger of being closed down.
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In 1982 the
present manager Dave Smith was appointed along with his brother Peter, to
try and bring some discipline and turn the fortunes of the service around.
Over the next
eight years the service went through a complete restructure of it’s
facilities and the way in which it is maintained and received on the wards.
Large amounts of sponsorship from local trusts and businesses etc. All
contributed to the service you hear today.
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One of the
major advances for the service came in 1987 when during this year over
£10,000 was raised to provide the AM service, which is available today.
The
introduction of the AM service and the need for this type of radio was
prompted by the deterioration of the bed-head units, which are very costly
to repair. Each replacement bed-head unit above your bed costs £70 to
replace. The plastic headsets are also £2-3 a time. ( this system is
maintained by the hospital ).
In February
1988 the AM service was switched on and a new era for the radio station
began. Radio Heatherwood was the fifth hospital radio station in the UK to
have this service.
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In 1990 the
Sunninghill Fuel Allotment trust, one of the major contributors to the
radio service: opened the second studio which allows production and
training. It was the end of an era for the station, all the old bad
practices had been thrown away, the station was very much in the black and
the praise for the service from patients and staff, has vindicated the new
set up.
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This is by no means the end of the story: 1990 saw the launch of the loan
radio service. The loan radio service was the main stay of the listening
service on the wards for over 13 years, at it's close in 2003 we had
provided 295 units on the wards. |
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In 1994 the
trust management board allocated another adjoining room to the studios,
which has allowed us to provide proper reception facilities for visitors
and allow wheelchair access to the production area. This was completed in
July 1995.
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In July 2000
the radio station was asked to vacate it’s premises in the ground floor of
the maternity unit. After 8 months of behind the scenes work by the
engineer the new studio’s are now available.
On the 9th June 2001 the new
studio complex was officially opened by the chief executive of the trust
Margaret Edwards. It was also an opportunity to celebrate the 25th birthday of
the radio service.
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In April 2003 The first transmissions of the Rhapsody service commenced
and by June 2003 the radio station is delivering music news and
information 24 hours a day. |
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On 27th February 2004 the station delivered a stereo signal to the
patients of Heatherwood.
As the new bed-head system provided by hospicom was completed on the
hospital site the radio station was able to use the new terminals to
deliver it's signal in stereo |
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After many years of various on the job training at the end of 2004 a new
planned training schedule was implemented for all staff. A potential
presenter will now undergo extensive training on nights set aside from the
normal duties. This has proved fruitful as presenters now are more aware
of all aspects of broadcasting and with their new found skills are raising
the overall quality of the station output
This has been achieved by the extra commitment of the station engineer PJ
and Team leader Roger Hawkes. |
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Radio Heatherwood looks to the future, after 30 years delivering the
patients choice the station in June 2006 launched a new station id and
program service. The day time service will reflect an up tempo style from
the night service. The new night time service will run from 10.30 each
evening till 6.30am. The rhapsody service which provides the 24 hour
service has been the most significant change to the station in recent
years and has been well received by the patients and staff. |
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 After
twenty eight years with the station Dave Smith & his
brother Peter are still steering the radio along a path of development
never wishing to sit back and rest on our laurels. The station will
continue to develop as it grasps more new ideas and technology.
It’s a never ending story as the station strives to
provide a quality service for the patients of Heatherwood.
Apart from the contribution in man hours which the
volunteers have provided over the years. The station has raised over
£80,000 for the development and maintenance of the hospital radio service.
We mustn’t
forget the contribution of those people who in their own way, offered
support over the years and allowed Radio Heatherwood to be truly a friend
at the bedside.
In 2006 the radio service celebrated 30 years of broadcasting. A
magnificent achievement and testimony to the dedication of all it's
volunteers and supporters.
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