A day-long programme of live broadcasts (from 7am to 10pm) will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the hospital’s very own radio station – York Hospital Radio.
Among those interviewed will be the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Chris Cullwick, and the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Clare Granger. The Archbishop of York, Stephen Cottrell, has recorded a special message.
These days, the radio station – a registered charity, staffed entirely by volunteers – broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, both to listeners in York Hospital and also online.
Programmes include music, interviews, sport – including commentaries on all York City home games – and outside broadcasts from venues like the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York Barbican, and York Minster.
It was all very different 60 years ago, when the station’s very first show was broadcast, on January 26, 1964.
Pre-recorded on tape in response to listeners’ requests, it was broadcast to the former Fulford Maternity and Naburn hospitals. The first record ever played was ‘Thank heaven for little girls’ by Maurice Chevalier.
The technology has changed. But the underlying ethos remains the same.
York Hospital Radio chair Ian Clennan said: “We are still a unique service for the hospital, and we know we can be a valued part of patients’ recovery, whilst also providing information and entertainment for patients during their stay.”
The station’s first live shows started in 1967, and the first sports programmes were broadcast in 1968. Broadcasting around the clock started in 2001, with the advent of computer technology on the station, and online broadcasting began in 2017.
At one stage, the station broadcast to no fewer than ten hospitals in the York area, but today it focusses purely on York Hospital in Wigginton Road.
The station now has two studios and an extensive record library. But the latest technology means many shows are recorded at home and presented remotely.
Mr Clennan said volunteers at the station were looking forward to Friday.
“We are very much looking forward to celebrating 60 years of broadcasting programmes aimed mainly at our listeners in hospital,” he said.
“I am truly proud of the hours put in by so many people both on air and behind the scenes.
“We have produced many professional broadcasters over the years, but most of our presenters do it simply for the love of it, and the knowledge that they are playing a part in the recovery of many of our listeners.”
A full year of activities and events is already lined up, he added – and there are opportunities for more people to get involved.
“I hope that more people will want to join the station in 2024, whether as broadcasters, technicians, or fundraisers,” Mr Clennan said.
“As a registered charity, we need financial help to survive, so we are hoping that we will be able to attract new sponsors.”
To find out more about York Hospital Radio visit www.yorkhospitalradio.com
