Doctor Feelgood

Last Saturday evening I had the pleasure of attending the Hospital Broadcasting Association's Awards and annual conference near Maidstone, and also presenting the Gold, Silver and Bronze Awards for 'Station of the Year' to the worthy winners.

I've been a judge for the Awards for the past few years and always been impressed by the overall standard of those who have made it through to the nominations stage and, especially, into the final three.

Congratulations to all those who triumphed in Maidstone, especially Hospital Radio Plymouth who won Station of the Year.  A full list of winners is available here.

The Awards and the annual conference also marked the start of 'Hospital Radio Week'. Organised in association with the Hospital Broadcasting Association - the national charity that supports and promotes Hospital Broadcasting in the UK - this has become a regular annual event and a good opportunity for hospital stations around the country to gain valuable publicity.

It was through hospital radio that I gained what I refer to as my ‘apprenticeship’ for several years  so, as one of their original 'Day One' people in 1971, it was a pleasure to be able to present my former station, Radio Northwick Park in Harrow, with the 'Silver' Award for 'Station of the Year' on Saturday.

Of course back in the early-1970s there was nothing like the same choice of listening we have today; just four BBC national networks, a cluster of BBC local stations and Luxembourg in the evening. ILR, in the form of LBC and Capital, was still a couple of years away.

My own station provided 'full-service' programming consisting of magazine shows, features, interviews, OBs and local news, as well as the obligatory record requests, so, my time there provided me with a very good introduction to many basic radio skills.

It’s all too easy, and sometimes fashionable, to knock hospital radio for its “old-fashioned”, MOR-style programming and playing nothing but Perry Como and Jim Reeves for “Mabel in Ward C”. I think that’s often a rather unfair image; it’s also increasingly inaccurate. One of the most important things any good station does is to be listener-focussed and through its teams of ward visitors and request collectors hospital radio is probably the only broadcaster that carries out face-to-face research with its target audience on a daily basis. No callout research or auditorium testing for them.

Which means hospital radio stations are using their own research to get to know their audience and make programming decisions based on that knowledge; just like any other station really.

The development of affordable computer-based playout systems has made it possible for hospital radio to use automation to extend broadcasting hours as well as build and equip studios that are comparable with many small-scale commercial and community radio stations in terms of facilities.

I do feel rather concerned, though, when some hospital stations boast about sounding “much more professional” and having “better jingles” than some local commercial stations. I’ve never understood why this is quite so important; especially as those concerned seem to think that’s all that matters.

While there’s nothing wrong in striving to sound the best you can there’s far more to radio than having ‘hot’ jingles, the latest studio technology and ‘professional-sounding’ presenters. If those hospital stations don’t remain listener-focussed they end up being little more than a group of wannabes ‘playing radio’, where the emphasis is on providing what they want to hear rather than what their audience wants.

While it should not be seen purely as a training ground or stepping-stone to professional radio, hospital radio is still a great way to learn your craft, try out new ideas, get involved with many different aspects of radio, make mistakes (and hopefully learn from them) and generally have some fun while doing it; for many volunteers it’s simply a great hobby.

Most importantly you’re helping your listeners feel better.