Radio Sunderland for Hospitals
Encyclopedia
Radio Sunderland is the hospital radio
station for Sunderland Royal Hospital and the St Bendedict's Hospice in the City of Sunderland
, England
. On the air since 1953, the station provides music, entertainment and information for patients. Since August 1998 the station has been broadcasting continuously 24 hours a day.
Programmes include Ward Call (patients request and dedications), specialist programmes covering country
, classical, dance
, jazz
, easy listening
and world music
, extensive sports coverage, general entertainment and information for patients.
Radio Sunderland provides full match commentary of all Sunderland A.F.C.
home matches live from the Stadium of Light
with their own commentary team.
Radio Sunderland is a registered charity
and relies entirely on donations and fundraising
to stay on the air. The station is run entirely by volunteers, no one is paid for the services they give.
, for volunteers. Broadcasting commenced during the 1954/1955 football season. The station was formed as the Commentators' Association in 1953. The aim was to relay live football commentaries form Roker Park
direct to the wards of Sunderland's Hospitals.
During those early years, in a cup tie with Spurs
an over enthusiastic commentator jumped up to help a Sunderland
forward head in a goal, but he forgot about the low roof of the commentary box and knocked himself out. One of the other commentators, in true Hospital Radio
fashion, grabbed the microphone and carried on with the commentary!
Music was introduced to the station output with the advent of the first patients request programme "Hospital Hour", first broadcast on Boxing day 1956. This marked the beginning of programme development. Other programmes at that time included commentaries on athletics from Ashbrook Sports Ground and Hospital Quiz shows.
Reflecting the wider programming, and following an influx of volunteers the association changed its name to "Sunderland Hospitals Broadcasts" in 1968 and was now broadcasting regular programmes from the old General Hospital in Sunderland on Thursday and Friday evenings.
This was followed by a move to the first permanent studio which was based in an old ward at what was the Havelock Hospital on Hylton Road. Equipment was begged and borrowed, Tyne Tees Television
being a major benefactor, donating their old surplus equipment. Due to the enthusiasm and expertise of the then members, the ward was converted into a fully equipped radio studio.
Now that they had a studio and a full and varied programme schedule it was decided that they should have a new snappier identification, so the present name of "Radio Sunderland for Hospitals" was adopted in 1973.
When the new District General Hospital (now called the Sunderland Royal) was opened in 1978 the station transferred to a new but very small studio in the Hylton Road Block. Following a vigorous campaign for more working space they were on the move once again & in 1988 the station transferred to its present location in the former nurses home of Monkwearmouth Hospital. Much of the equipment from the General Hospital Studio was transferred to the new studio but the members still set themselves a target of raising £30,000 to build and equip this new studio complex.
Hospital radio
Hospital radio is a form of audio broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of hospitals. It is primarily found in the United Kingdom.-History:...
station for Sunderland Royal Hospital and the St Bendedict's Hospice in the City of Sunderland
City of Sunderland
The City of Sunderland is a local government district of Tyne and Wear, in North East England, with the status of a city and metropolitan borough...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. On the air since 1953, the station provides music, entertainment and information for patients. Since August 1998 the station has been broadcasting continuously 24 hours a day.
Programmes include Ward Call (patients request and dedications), specialist programmes covering country
Country music
Country music is a popular American musical style that began in the rural Southern United States in the 1920s. It takes its roots from Western cowboy and folk music...
, classical, dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
, jazz
Jazz
Jazz is a musical style that originated at the beginning of the 20th century in African American communities in the Southern United States. It was born out of a mix of African and European music traditions. From its early development until the present, jazz has incorporated music from 19th and 20th...
, easy listening
Easy listening
Easy listening is a broad style of popular music and radio format that emerged in the 1950s, evolving out of big band music, and related to MOR music as played on many AM radio stations. It encompasses the exotica, beautiful music, light music, lounge music, ambient music, and space age pop genres...
and world music
World music
World music is a term with widely varying definitions, often encompassing music which is primarily identified as another genre. This is evidenced by world music definitions such as "all of the music in the world" or "somebody else's local music"...
, extensive sports coverage, general entertainment and information for patients.
Radio Sunderland provides full match commentary of all Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
home matches live from the Stadium of Light
Stadium of Light
The Stadium of Light is an all-seater football stadium in Sunderland, England. With space for 49,000 spectators, the Stadium of Light has the fifth-largest capacity of any English football stadium. The stadium primarily hosts Sunderland A.F.C. matches...
with their own commentary team.
Radio Sunderland is a registered charity
Charitable organization
A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization . It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A charitable organization is a type of non-profit organization (NPO). It differs from other types of NPOs in that it centers on philanthropic goals A...
and relies entirely on donations and fundraising
Fundraising
Fundraising or fund raising is the process of soliciting and gathering voluntary contributions as money or other resources, by requesting donations from individuals, businesses, charitable foundations, or governmental agencies...
to stay on the air. The station is run entirely by volunteers, no one is paid for the services they give.
The Story of Radio Sunderland
The association's inaugural meeting was held in 1953 following a plea in the local newspaper, The Sunderland EchoSunderland Echo
The Sunderland Echo is an evening newspaper serving the Sunderland, South Tyneside and East Durham areas of North East England. The newspaper was founded by Samuel Storey, Edward Backhouse, Edward Temperley Gourley, Charles Palmer, Richard Ruddock, Thomas Glaholm and Thomas Scott Turnbull in 1873,...
, for volunteers. Broadcasting commenced during the 1954/1955 football season. The station was formed as the Commentators' Association in 1953. The aim was to relay live football commentaries form Roker Park
Roker Park
Roker Park was an English football stadium situated in Roker, Sunderland. The stadium was the home of the English football club Sunderland A.F.C. from 1897 to 1997 before the club moved to the Stadium of Light. Near the end of the stadium's history, its capacity was around 22,500 with only a small...
direct to the wards of Sunderland's Hospitals.
During those early years, in a cup tie with Spurs
Spurs
Spurs are tools worn on the heel of a boot, used when riding horses.Spurs can also refer to:* The Chancellor's Spurs, a traveling trophy awarded to the winner of the college football game between Texas Tech University and the University of Texas at Austin...
an over enthusiastic commentator jumped up to help a Sunderland
Sunderland A.F.C.
Sunderland Association Football Club is an English association football club based in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear who currently play in the Premier League...
forward head in a goal, but he forgot about the low roof of the commentary box and knocked himself out. One of the other commentators, in true Hospital Radio
Hospital radio
Hospital radio is a form of audio broadcasting produced specifically for the in-patients of hospitals. It is primarily found in the United Kingdom.-History:...
fashion, grabbed the microphone and carried on with the commentary!
Music was introduced to the station output with the advent of the first patients request programme "Hospital Hour", first broadcast on Boxing day 1956. This marked the beginning of programme development. Other programmes at that time included commentaries on athletics from Ashbrook Sports Ground and Hospital Quiz shows.
Reflecting the wider programming, and following an influx of volunteers the association changed its name to "Sunderland Hospitals Broadcasts" in 1968 and was now broadcasting regular programmes from the old General Hospital in Sunderland on Thursday and Friday evenings.
This was followed by a move to the first permanent studio which was based in an old ward at what was the Havelock Hospital on Hylton Road. Equipment was begged and borrowed, Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television
Tyne Tees Television is the ITV television franchise for North East England and parts of North Yorkshire. As of 2009, it forms part of a non-franchise ITV Tyne Tees & Border region, shared with the ITV Border region...
being a major benefactor, donating their old surplus equipment. Due to the enthusiasm and expertise of the then members, the ward was converted into a fully equipped radio studio.
Now that they had a studio and a full and varied programme schedule it was decided that they should have a new snappier identification, so the present name of "Radio Sunderland for Hospitals" was adopted in 1973.
When the new District General Hospital (now called the Sunderland Royal) was opened in 1978 the station transferred to a new but very small studio in the Hylton Road Block. Following a vigorous campaign for more working space they were on the move once again & in 1988 the station transferred to its present location in the former nurses home of Monkwearmouth Hospital. Much of the equipment from the General Hospital Studio was transferred to the new studio but the members still set themselves a target of raising £30,000 to build and equip this new studio complex.