SEASIDE HOSPITAl RADIO
Broadcasting to the hospital community for over 50 years
Seaside Hospital Radio broadcasts to the patients, staff, visitors, and volunteers but you don’t have to be in hospital to hear us!
SEASIDE HOSPITAL RADIO – OUR HISTORY
They say the past is always present, and so it is with SEASIDE HOSPITAL RADIO (SHR) because, although founded 50 years ago, we are still present and still proudly offering a broadcasting service to those in hospital and those who choose to listen to us from anywhere in the world, 24×7 every day of the year at seasidehr.com or via your smart device.
It all started in February 1972, when plans were laid for a hospital patient radio service and a disused butcher’s store in the grounds of Southlands Hospital in Shoreham-by-Sea, West Sussex, was converted to a studio. Named after the hospital, an extension of the main NHS unit in nearby Worthing, the founding volunteers of what was then called RADIO SOUTHLANDS raised funds, secured the required licenses, planned, practiced and readied themselves for the station’s opening on 24th September 1972, back when they broadcasted for two hours a day, Sundays, Mondays & Tuesdays. Among the current membership are a few who’ve been around so long, they are rumoured to have been assistants to a Mr. Marconi, and can remember that the first tune RADIO SOUTHLANDS played was Dean Martin singing ‘Gentle On My Mind’.
By the 1980s, the butcher’s store was a thing of the past and BBC radio disc jockey Alan ‘Fluff’ Freeman was invited to celebrate the opening of a new studio within the hospital itself. Now re-named SEASIDE HOSPITAL RADIO, that decade also saw regional TV presenter Fred Dinenage visit the studio and become the station’s Vice-president for 20 years, BBC Radio 4 came to make a programme about hospital radio, and national radio/TV personality – and former member – Simon Mayo opened yet another refurbished studio.
Ward visits had always been core to SHR, meeting patients and offering to play their requests or just to have a friendly chat that would be continued live ‘on-air’ later. However, 21st century advances in medicine mean that patients spend less time in hospital, there are increased hygiene and safety concerns post-Covid, and sophisticated communication formats have contributed to the loss of personal contact. Nevertheless, the invention of the interweb means that SHR can still reach listeners in hospital and also attract a local and global audience, broadcasting 24 hours a day, every day of the year. As it was in 1972 and in 2022 when the station celebrated its 50th anniversary, the belief remains that the listener comes first and while aiming to relax, distract and entertain, it’s not what we say or play that matters but how we make our listeners ‘feel’.
Read our latest Seaside Hospital Radio Magazine MYEBOOK – Worthing Hospital Radio 2023
1970s – The Early Days of Seaside
Our very first studio was based in a disused butcher’s store in the hospital grounds; it needed to be fully converted into a studio before the radio station could go live on the air!
After several fundraising events, including a Charity Disco and raffle, and a donation from the hospital’s League of Friends, the service was off to a flying start!
Whilst construction of the studio was carried out, a constitution was agreed and plans were also underway for programming material, and these included contacting Kenny Everett and Cliff Richard. Tony Hender was the first Chairman, and was in charge of programme content and seeing that the presenters were up to standard.
By July 1972, the studios were fully operational and so the presenters began practising to ensure they were ready for the inauguration. The first show was broadcast on Sunday, September 24th 1972 and the first tune played was “Gentle On My Mind” from Dean Martin.
1980s – A Busy Time
By 1980 the station was getting set to start broadcasting from its brand new studios within the newly-constructed main hospital building at Southlands, and in June of that year the team of volunteers welcomed popular DJ and celebrity Alan Freeman (then at Capital Radio) to officially open the new home for Radio Southlands.
A researcher from BBC Radio 4 visited the studios in March 1985, to make a programme about the role of young people in hospital radio. The feature was based entirely upon Radio Southlands and was later transmitted during the ‘Programmes for Schools’ slot.
In 1987, celebrating 15 years of the service, we invited national radio and TV personality (and former member) Simon Mayo to officially open the refurbished Studio 2. That same year, the station became an officially registered charity.
1990s – More birthdays, more studios
What a task! By the early 1990’s (and shortly after our 21st birthday celebrations), the station underwent some major structural changes, with 2 brand new studios and reception area. Studio 1 was extended, while Studio 2 took over the old storage room for the power and transmission. The former studios were now a very large reception area and record library!
Yes, we celebrated yet another birthday at Southlands in 1997, surpassing the 25 year mark. The whole year was dedicated to this anniversary, with various events throughout the year, maximising fundraising, publicity and volunteer potential, and a special ‘anniversary dinner and dance’ for all of the station’s members and their families
The 2000s – Welcome to the new Millenium… and Worthing Hospital!
In late 2003, discussions with Coastway Hospital Radio (based in Brighton) raised the possibility of Radio Southlands providing programmes to the patients, staff and visitors of Worthing Hospital, thus taking the burden off Coastway for transmission from Brighton to Worthing.
At the Radio Southlands Annual General Meeting, held the following February, members voted to change the name of the organisation to “Seaside Hospital Radio”, as part of the extension of our broadcasting services to include Worthing and, on 1st April, Radio Southlands officially took on the broadcasting responsibility for Worthing Hospital.
The station as it’s now known – Seaside Hospital Radio – was officially launched during an open day at the studios on 15th May 2004, and our new website went live. During this broadcast, Dave Field received a certificate live on air, for his 30 years’ service to the organisation.
At 1pm, Chairman Dean Fieldus launched the all-new Seaside Hospital Radio service and the first record played was “Seaside Rendezvous” by Queen.
On Thursday 28th July 2005 at 10.35pm, Seaside Hospital Radio began broadcasting to Worthing Hospital and Southlands Hospital.
In 2009, the station entered the world of 24-hour broadcasting, with a non-stop service of entertainment and information for the listeners, featuring both pre-recorded and live studio output, round the clock.
The 2010s
Over the weekend of March 15th and 16th, Seaside Hospital Radio moved out of its studio in Southlands Hospital’s Harness Block, to a new purpose-built studio in the newly-constructed semi-permanent structure in the North car park.
The move to the new studio was a mammoth task, as broadcasting had changed much since 1980 and SHR was now transmitting via computer links to Worthing Hospital as well as via radio frequencies to Southlands Hospital, so a great deal of planning was required to enable SHR to move seamlessly with the minimum of radio downtime.
SHR’s new home is still within Southlands Hospital in Shoreham-by-Sea, and can be found along the corridor from the League of Friends’ cafe, heading west, then through a small walkway which connects the new structure to the hospital main building. The new studio is bright and modern, with air conditioning and double-glazed windows.
2019 was also an important year for us, as we held our very first charity concert! This was a special event, held at the St Paul’s Centre in the middle of Worthing. A variety of local musical acts and performances made an appearance on the stage, to audience acclaim!
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Seaside Hospital Radio is a Registered Charity #297515
Address
Seaside Hospital Radio
Southlands Hospital
Upper Shoreham Road
Shoreham-By-Sea
West Sussex
BN43 6TQ
Phone Number
+44 (0)1273 446084