march/april 2006 - hospital broadcasting association · march/april 2006 issue 109 ... june’s...

MARCH/APRIL 2006

Issue 109

The Official Journal of theHospital Broadcasting Association

in this issue ...Committee Report ................................................................ 3Countrywide ... News from the Stations ........................ 5The National Hospital Radio Awards 2006 .................... 8Meet the Judges ...................................................................... 9Publicity Matters .................................................................. 12Walford Comes to Stanmore ............................................ 13SBES 2005 .............................................................................. 14All Our Yesterdays .............................................................. 15A New Chapter for Devizes ............................................ 16June’s Travels .......................................................................... 16The HBA Conference Bursary .......................................... 17Bursary Application Form .................................................. 18Regional Rep Details .......................................................... 19Who To Contact .................................................................. 20

FRONT COVER PICTURE:Radio Brockley hosts a visit by NatalieCassidy, currently in the middle of a majorstoryline in the popular soap EastEnders

Address for On-Air: The Editor, On Air, 2 Falkland Close, Boreham, Chelmsford, Essex CM3 3DD

Tel: 0870 321 6011 Fax: 0870 321 6019 Email: [email protected]

COPY DATE NEXT ISSUE 16th April 2006

Dear Reader,Welcome to the 2006 pre Conference issue; inside you

will find details of the sponsors and biographies of many ofthe judges – a veritable Radio Who’s Who – well done toDave on all his hard work for the Award ceremony ... andnot forgetting Chris Cook either for his magnificent contribu-tion.

May I offer my sincere congratulations to all those whohave been short-listed for the Awards and good luck. If youare one of the winners, why not write a report on your expe-rience of the Award ceremony – indeed, I will be delightedto hear from any of you who attend Conference.

As always, I look forward to hearing from any station andwhat they have been up to – whether fundraising, requestcollecting or outside broadcasts – it is always interesting toreceive your report.

Michelle

On Air is the Official Journal of the HBA which is the trading name of the National Associationof Hospital Broadcasting Organisations, a Company limited by guarantee.

Registered in England No. 2750147. A Registered Charity No. 1015501.Registered office: Mariners House, 24 Nelsons Gardens, Hedge End, Southampton, SO30 2NE.

On Air is distributed free of charge to all member stations of the Association plus interested parties.All material is ©2006 of HBA and may not be reproduced in any form without the written authority of the Editor.

Views expressed in the magazine are not necessarily those of HBA, or the Editor but are the personal opinion of the contributor.Whilst every effort is taken to ensure the accuracy of the publication, all advertisements and articles appear in good faith

and HBA and the Editor accept no responsibility for any errors or inaccuracies.

DIARY DATES31st March-2nd April 2006

Spring Conference, Blackpool1st April-9th April 2006

Hospital Broadcasting WeekOctober 27th-29th 2006

Autumn Conference, NorwichSpring 2007

Spring Conference, Northampton

Committee Report

ON AIR <http://www.hbauk.com> Page 3 March/April 2006

A bumper report this time, so I'll jumpstraight in…Regions

The Executive Committee formallycreated Regions under the new RegionalBylaws at its January meeting. Thisallows Paul Sysum to now formallyappoint the existing Regional Reps to theirposts under the new rules and to fillvacancies. To this end, I extend thecommittee's welcome to Bill Kilgour, IainLee and David Tysoe as our newScottish, Yorkshire and Midlands RegionalReps respectively.

Paul will be consulting with the variousRegional Reps to arrange Regional AGMsin each region, spread across the year.These meetings will now be more formalthan was previously the case, withattendees needing formal writtenauthorisation from the station to vote. Ienvisage these AGMs being very shortaffairs (if we can conclude a nationalAGM in 16 minutes, I'm sure a RegionalAGM shouldn't last much longer!)followed by the usual informal meetingwhere everyone present can have theirsay. The rest of the activities of Regionswill also be able to continue in the sameinformal way as before.Treasurer

You will be aware that John Harperhad indicated that he wished to standdown as Treasurer at the earliestopportunity. We asked for anyoneinterested in the role to contact us.Unfortunately, we had a very poorresponse to our appeal to find hissuccessor. As a consequence, John hasagreed to stay in post until the AGM inOctober and will be assisted by AngliaRegional Rep, Julie Cox – thanks Julie. Ifyou have experience of producingaccruals accounts and/or the CharityAccounting SORP, please consider if youcould find the time to take on the role ofHBA Treasurer. Anyone with anaccounting qualification would beespecially welcome!Programme Adviser

In the Informal Meeting at the Autumn2004 conference, Chris Berezaipresented his idea for a position on theExecutive Committee to help and advisemembers in their core activity –presenting interesting and relevantprogrammes to their listeners. The HBAmay move slowly but we do eventuallyget there! Following-on from his well-received seminars on programming at theAutumn 2005 conference, I am pleasedto be able to welcome Paul Easton asHBA's first Programme Adviser.

Paul started his broadcasting career inhospital radio at Radio Northwick Park inthe 1970s and was a member of the then-NAHBO Executive Committee between1973 and 1980. Professionally, he hasworked at LBC, Ocean Sound, Melody

Radio, Capital Radio, BRMB, MusicChoice Europe and UKRD beforedeciding to ‘go it alone’ as a consultant onprogramming on licence application issues.

In his role as HBA Programme Adviser,Paul is available to advise members on allaspects of programming, from how tostructure station output based onknowledge and research of theiraudience, through the importance ofpatient-oriented programming and visitingwards to collect requests, to programmestandards and training.

Paul con be contacted on 0870 3216002 or [email protected] – butplease give him time to find his feet anddon’t all contact him at once!Free access to music?

Now that PPL are charging hospitalradio stations to broadcast music in theirrepertoire, and to dub it onto a computerplayout system, it only seems fair thatstations should not have to pay twice byhaving to purchase the music to be ableto add it to their library. When HBAtackled PPL about this, they pointed ustowards the individual record labels.Rather than write to the numerous labels,HBA wrote to the Executive Chairmanof the British Phonographic Industryseeking his help. He has written backsaying that this is really an issue HBAshould be taking up with PPL!

Fortunately, we're not quite goinground in circles, as he also copied hisletter to PPL, and we understand thatPPL are going to raise the issue at thenext of their regular meetings with therecord labels. More news as we get it!Guidance regarding young personsas volunteers

In the Informal Meeting at the AutumnConference, the Executive Committeewas asked if it could provide guidance asto the legal position and best practiceregarding involving young persons underthe age of 18 as volunteers. Subsequentinvestigation by John Watson, MikeSkinner and myself has shown that theposition appears to be subtlety different

in Scotland to England, Wales andNorthern Ireland. Advice obtained fromCitizens' Advice and VolunteeringEngland also appears to conflict! Beforeissuing any guidance, therefore, we areseeking some legal advice of our own.Charity Law

The England and Wales Charity Bill isstill stuck waiting for the government tofind time for it to be debated in theHouse of Commons, although rumourhas it that it will get its ‘second reading’by the end of March. We'll see!

A consultation draft of new Charitylegislation for Northern Ireland is nowalso expected to see the light of day bythe end of March.

Scotland, meanwhile is proceedingapace with the introduction of itsCharities and Trustee Investment(Scotland) Act. As well as conducting anumber of consultations on the necessarysecondary rules and regulations, theyhave recently announced theappointment of members of the board ofthe new-style OSCR which was formallycreated on 24th February. At this time,however, it is not in charge of theScottish Charity Register, as it first needsto consult on the details of the CharityTest which charities must pass to beentered into and remain on the Register.OSCR is expected to take over control ofcharity registrations from HM Revenue &Customs in late April.Review of IntellectualProperty Law

As I mentioned last time, ChancellorGordon Brown has asked AndrewGowers, former editor of the FinancialTimes, to review the UK's intellectualproperty laws with a view to‘modernising copyright and other forms ofintellectual property so that they areappropriate for the digital age’.

The review team has now issued itsformal ‘call for evidence’, with a closingdate of 21st April. One of the questionsthey ask is ‘are there other areas wherecopyright exceptions should apply?’ It isthe Executive Committee's intent tosubmit an argument that hospitalbroadcasting should be exempt. I thinkwe've got a reasonable case – but thenI'm biased!Spring Conference and Awards

Congratulations and good luck fromthe Executive Committee to all thosewho were short-listed in this year'sNational Hospital Radio Awards. Forthose of you attending the conferenceand awards ceremony in Blackpool,please feel free to take the opportunity totackle myself or any of the other ECmembers about any aspect of the HBA orhospital broadcasting; we may not havethe answer to your question but in manycases we'll know someone who might beable to help.

by Nigel Dallard, Secretary

Hospital Radio Publicationsare firmly established as THEproducers of Hospital Radio

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We look forward tohearing from you!

Countrywide ... News from the Stations


STAFFORD SCORE

Hospital Radio Stafford received acheque for £1,666 recently. Themoney came from the FootballAssociation’s Community Fund andwas presented to Mike Harker, StationManager for HRS, by Ken Hunt,Commercial Manager for StaffordRangers.

Stafford Rangers received £5,000from the FA, to be donated to localcharities, for entering into the firstround proper of last season’s (04/05)FA Cup.

Hospital Radio Stafford is mannedentirely by volunteers, does not receiveautomatic funding, every penny has tobe raised by ourselves to meet ourannual running costs of £2,000.

The station started in 1972 and webroadcast to the patients in Stafford andCannock Hospitals.

KILLING THE KIDSWirral station Radio Clatterbridge,

played its part in improving the well-being of a local school girl in March.

Mandy from Wallasey, is the subjectof a new edition of the BBC TVprogramme ‘Honey, We're Killing TheKids’ where parents are shown how toimprove their children's health prospects.

The 14 year old is interested in acareer in media, so the programme's

producers asked if they could filmMandy and her mum being shown theropes at the station.

The pair collected requests from staffand patients with volunteer SarahRussell. The pair then went on air inthe studio with Andy Bonner.

Honey, We're Killing The Kids willbe shown on BBC Three and repeatedon BBC One later this year.

RSL FOR BARNSLEYBarnsley Hospital Broadcasting will

be on air with a ten day RSL from 31stMarch until 9th April to coincide withNHB week. Programmes will be livefrom 6am (7am weekends) to midnighton 87.7fm.

Darren Holmes

A STAR FOR THE DAYGrampian Hospital Radio is offering

one lucky winner the opportunity totake to the mic and present their ownshow! The chance to be a star for aday is only one in a long list of prizeskindly donated by local and nationalsponsors. Other top prizes include aDAB Radio, donated by the StewartMilne Group, Silver jewellery fromFinnies The Jeweller and £100 ofshopping vouchers.

A range of delicious hampers fromBaxters, Walkers Shortbread andMackies Ice cream are set to temptlovers of good food and several localdistilleries have donated special editionwhiskies. Music fans may prefer theDVDs of Runrig or Daniel O’Donnellwhile sports fans will be hoping toclaim the AFC shirt or the chance toattend a match at Ibrox, courtesy ofRangers Football Club.

Tickets cost 20p each and areavailable in books of five with allproceeds going to Grampian HR andtheir children’s service Radio Rainbow.

The draw will be made on June 172006 and to be in with a chance ofwinning, contact Grampian HospitalRadio on Aberdeen (01224) 552964 oremail [email protected].

Tickets will be on sale at all GHRevents throughout the year.

21 YEARS YOUNG For Milton Keynes Hospital Radio

Service, Christmas 2005 was an extraspecial occasion, as it marked the 21styear of broadcasting for the station.

Patients in Milton Keynes Hospitalwere first treated to a broadcast fromtheir own dedicated local broadcasting

station at Christmas in 1984. In those daysthe station was on air just three eveningsa week – today we broadcast 24 hours aday through a range of live programmesand a computerised automated music andentertainment service.

A basic studio, built as the initialhome of the station, had to be moved toa new location in 1989 to facilitate theexpansion of the hospital. Since then, allthe equipment has been replaced andreplaced again, thanks to the generosityof those who respond to our fundraisingefforts. We now have a state-of-the-artstudio, featuring computer playouttechnology and satellite news and everybed in the hospital receives the stationfree of charge on their bedsideentertainment systems.

But putting technological advancesaside, it is the enthusiasm of ourvolunteers that remains the driving forcebehind the success of the radio – theirwillingness to roll up their sleeves andget stuck into all aspects of the radiowork has helped to build the stationinto a much appreciated part of hospitaldaily life and we thank them all for theirongoing help as we finally come of age!

FOX’S MOSTREQUESTED SONGS

Following Radio Redhill’s recentarticle, I thought readers may beinterested to see what the mostrequested songs of 2005 were at RadioFox in Leicester.

The station broadcasts to theLeicester Royal Infirmary and theGlenfield Hospital and broadcasts aRequest Chart of the Year everyChristmas, compiled from our weeklycountdowns.

During 2005 nearly 6,000 requestswere played and as ever, the year endcountdown contained a mix of thenew, old favourites and the eclectic.

Traditionally, listeners at the Royalhave younger tastes while Glenfield

Mike Harker (right) receives the chequefrom Ken Hunt (left) at the HRS studios

MKHRS Chairman, Phil Yates, cuts the21st birthday cake, watched by stationvolunteers

Mandy and Mum at Radio Clatterbridge

Countrywide ... News from the Stations


listeners go for the traditional favouriteslike Frank Sinatra and DanielO’Donnell. Two songs dominated theRequest Chart in 2005 – TonyChristie’s Amarillo which spent 15consecutive weeks at number one andwas asked for more than any other songsince 1999. As soon as Amarillo hadfinished its epic run at the top, JamesBlunt took over for 13 weeks withYou’re Beautiful and then replacedhimself at number one with High.

Coldplay, the Kaiser Chiefs andOasis were amongst the currentfavourite acts asked for in numberswhile Leicester’s own EngelbertHumperdinck was much in demandfrom listeners!

Surprisingly, Angels wasn’t amongstthe top ten most requested songs for thefirst time since 1998.

Here’s our year end top twenty:-1 Is This The Way To Amarillo

Tony Christie2 Release Me

Engelbert Humperdinck3 You're Beautiful by James Blunt4 My Way by Frank Sinatra5 Lonely by Akon6 Tripping by Robbie Williams7 Last Waltz

Engelbert Humperdinck8 Ghetto Gospel

2pac and Elton John9 Fix You by Coldplay

10 Speed Of Sound by Coldplay11 Angels by Robbie Williams12 Push The Button by Sugababes13 Nine Million Bicycles

Katie Melua14 All About You by Mcfly15 Closest Thing To Crazy

Katie Melua16 Bohemian Rhapsody by Queen17 High by James Blunt18 Bad Day by Daniel Powter19 Strangers In The Night

Frank Sinatra 20 I Want To Break Free by Queen

Fox launches newfund raising programme

Now that our computer play outsystem is up and running, Radio Fox islaunching a new £10,000 fundraisingdrive to transform our studio complex.

Top of the shopping list is a new splitmixer for our main studio which willreplace the current Alice desk that hasbeen reliably in use since 1997.

Also on our list are a new reporterunit, an editing computer for the officeand a complete overhaul of the recordlibrary to increase storage space forCDs and replace the vinyl rackingwhich is showing its age after almost

twenty years! There are also plans torefurbish our office and improve thestudio lighting.

All improvements are planned to beportable so when we move to our newstudios following the rebuilding work atthe Royal, we can easily set up the newcomplex without starting from scratch.Depending on space restrictions, we arealso looking to fund raise for a thirdstudio in our new complex, which willallow more extensive split broadcastingto both our hospitals.

On the subject of split broadcasts,our Saturday Sport show achieved asmall ‘first’ a few weeks back whenLeicester City and the Leicester Tigerswere both at home, on the same dayand kicking off at the same time!Listeners at the Glenfield received fullmatch commentary on City’s FA Cupgame with Southampton while Royallisteners received commentary on theTigers, with listeners in the dayroomsalso being able to hear the football.

Despite a few problems with thephone line from Leicester City, the splitbroadcast experiment was a successalthough as City lost 1-0, we mighthave been better just concentrating onthe rugby! It certainly kept the sportsteam on their toes!Radio Fox Celebrates

We will be celebrating oureighteenth birthday in April and it willbe a year since we first began 24 hourbroadcasting. To celebrate, we have aday of special programmes plannedwith all day requests and lots ofcompetitions for patients and staff.

Members are already contacting localcompanies for donations; so farLeicester City FC have kindly donateda tour of their stadium, the TigersRugby Club have donated tickets andthe Leicester Space Centre havedonated a family ticket. June Snowdenwill be our very special guest on theday and our aim will be to have lots offun and get our listeners involved asmuch as possible.

SNUGGLE UP ATEALING BROADWAYSHOPPING CENTRE

You could be forgiven for thinkingthat people have gone bananas inpyjamas at Ealing Broadway ShoppingCentre. The Centre is holding a specialevent to mark National Bed Month andthe Ealing Hospital Radio team hasbeen invited to stage a roadshow, livefrom a bed, inside the shopping centrein the town square between 12pm and

5pm on Saturday,y 18th March.Guests on the day will be

interviewed by Chris Reetham fromWard Radio and will includerepresentatives from The Sleep Counciland Allergy UK.

Ealing Gazette’s reporter LucyProctor will be in her pyjamas on thebed, interviewing Teresa Stella-Sawickafrom BackCare who will be givingadvice to shoppers about how to lookafter your back.

The roadshow will include musicand chat as well as ‘bed facts’, healthbulletins and information about WardRadio at the Ealing Hospital.

The hospital radio team will be easyto spot as they will be in their bed wearduring the event. They will be handingout all sorts of goodies to shoppers andwill be holding special competitionsthrough the broadcast where peoplewill be able to win health, lifestyle andbeauty products. The Sleep Councilwill also be handing out “Choosing theright bed” packs.

Ealing Broadway Shopping Centremanager Elizabeth Bell said, ‘This isgoing to be a unique event and we’rehoping shoppers will enjoy theinformative show. We’ll have music,giveaways and handouts as well asadvice from the experts about getting agood night’s sleep!’

LOVE ROCKS

I am about to produce the UK’s firstradio show for terminally ill children. Itwill be recorded in a local radio station,Time FM, based in Romford. Thechildren will have a chance to play theirfavourite music, share stories from theirlives and play their favourite games onthe show. Once the show has beenrecorded it will be burnt onto a CD,which will be sent to the families of thechildren. The idea is to create amemory that will live beyond the child’slife so that they can be remembered bytheir families for all time.

I am a freelance radio producer and I


Countrywide ... News from the Stationshave been presenting my own radioshow on a hospital radio station inHarlow for over a year. I am passionateabout broadcasting but also passionateabout making a difference to people’slives and at the end of 2003 I startedthe organisation of the Love Rocksconcert, which raised over £7,500 forcharity. It’s the passion aroundbroadcasting and the drive to make adifference to people’s lives that I haveused to create this event.

Also helping are: Natalie Gursoywho has great communication skills andexcellent leadership who saw the LoveRocks concert through to completion.She is leading the media side and willdeal with any media communications.Sophie Sweatman, an experiencedpublisher, trained in communicationwho will be supporting the media team.

The style of the show is light, warmhearted and fun. The children involvedwill have a large input on what iscovered on the show, the basis ofwhich will be formed by thecompletion of a questionnaire.

THANKS A LOTTIE!

A volunteer from Leigh was awardedthe prestigious Hospital VolunteerRecognition badge last week by Surreyand Sussex Healthcare NHS Trust forher contribution to improving the livesof patients through radio.

Lottie Ellis, 80, has been a volunteerfor Radio Redhill at East SurreyHospital for twenty years. On a weeklybasis she visits patients staying on theinpatient wards to collect musicrequests for the Radio Redhillpresenters.

Anthony Gordon-Wright, MedicalDirector, presented the recognitionbadge and certificate to Lottie at theRadio Redhill studio last week. He said:

‘Lottie has made an invaluablecontribution to Radio Redhill and topatients on the wards. On behalf of thestaff and management, I would like tothank her for her commitment anddedication to the role.’

On receiving her certificate andbadge Lottie said: ‘I am thrilled to beawarded the recognition badge. I can’tquite believe I have worked as avolunteer for twenty years. It has beenvery rewarding.’

NEW LIFE FORWARWICK

After 12 years of voluntary services tohospital Radio at Radio Wulfrun,Warwick has finally unplugged hisheadphones and moved on. He’s movingto Guernsey to marry Karen, awonderful person who has visited us atthe station on many occasions. Karen hasassisted in finding records for therequest shows, as well as making alovely cup of tea.

Over the last 12 years, Warwick hasworked hard for Radio Wulfrun, helpingbuild two new studios and setting up theOB unit and also making sure we have aprogramme schedule on the computer torun when Radio Wulfrun is notbroadcasting live.

During the last eight months,Warwick has completed two 24 hourmarathons, one in September 2004 tomark Radio Wulfrun's 21st birthdaycelebration and the second last July tocelebrate his final night at RadioWulfrun. Each marathon broadcastinvolves 24 hours of non stop music witha live presenter. We would like to thankWarwick for all his hard work and timehe has put into Radio Wulfrun and wishhim and Karen all the best for the future.

From the Chairman, Committeeand Radio Wulfrun members

I am very sad to let you know thatRichard Shaw passed awaypeacefully at home on January 31st.

Richard joined Radio Redhill verysoon after the first regularprogrammes began in 1975. Hepresented programmes on RadioRedhill for over 30 years, receivinghis 30 years long-service award fromJune Snowden, last April.

He was the station’s longest-serving producer, Wednesdayevenings being his regular duty inrecent years.

Everyone will remember Richardfor his comprehensive knowledge ofclassical music, which was his greatlove. His ‘Classic Hour’ programmewas broadcast every Mondayevening and once a month, he greatlyenjoyed presenting ‘Your ClassicalRequests’.

Throughout his time at RadioRedhill, he took a close interest in thestation’s progress. He was Chairmanfrom 1981 until 1984, after which hestayed on the committee for a whileas Treasurer.

He always participated actively indiscussions at Annual GeneralMeetings. Whilst he was quick topoint out any problems as he sawthem, he was also generous with hispraise to those he thought deserved it.

Richard was particularly delightedrecently when Radio Redhill won‘Station of the Year’ at the 2005 HBAAwards and he thoroughly enjoyedour 30th Birthday RSL last April on87.7FM – when we were alwaysamused to receive his e-mails from‘Richard of Merstham’.

We shall miss Richard for hisloyalty, for his friendship and for hishumour.

RICHARD SHAW

16TH APRIL 2006IS THE DEADLINE FOR THE

NEXT ISSUE OF ON AIR


Well it’s that time of the year again.The National Hospital Radio Awardsare upon us and I am delighted toreport that this year we have broken allrecords on the number of entries.

This year the Awards are supportedby both the HBA and PSquared andour category sponsors are:STATION OF THE YEARBBC Radio 2PRESENTER OF THE YEARMALE/FEMALESmooth FMSPECIAL EVENTPPLSPEECH PACKAGEIRNCHILDREN’S OUTPUTCBBCSPECIALISED MUSICPPLSPORTS OUTPUTBBC Five LiveSTATION PROMO/TRAILERContact Centre ProfessionalBEST NEWCOMERRadio Wave, BlackpoolJOHN WHITNEY AWARDThe Radio Academy

This year there were 253 entriesacross all of the awards from 53stations, 12 that had never entered theAwards before.

After the first round of judging, thejudges reported that the standard ofentries this year far exceeded previousyears and they had found it difficult tocome up with the final top ten in mostcategories. But they did and the nextround of judging has taken place andon Saturday 1st April, a host ofcelebrities will announce the winners atour awards ceremony.

The proceedings will be broadcastlive via the internet and we will alsobroadcast the ceremony via the Hotbirdsatellite.

The show will start at 9.30pm (hotelcatering staff permitting) and to helpproceedings along we will, this year,have a commentator.

This year we have 30 judges, anincrease on previous years and you willfind profiles of them elsewhere in thisedition of On Air.Judging this year: Station of the YearAlan Dedicoat, Head of ContinuityBBC Radio 2Paul Easton, Radio ProgrammingConsultantJodie Keane, Producer BBC Radio 2

Paula Rogers, Promotions ProducerBBC Radio 2Presenter of the Year – MaleRoy Bennett, Managing Director,Smooth FMMel Booth, Station Director, RadioWave, BlackpoolJohn Rosborough, Managing DirectorU105, BelfastPresenter of the Year – FemaleAlly Ballingall, Managing Director,Radio Tay, DundeeRoy Bennett, Managing Director,Smooth FMAlex Hall, Presenter, BBC NorthSpecial EventTony Clark, Director of Licensing, PPLIan Harkness, Senior BroadcastJournalist, BBC Radio KentJonathan Morrell, News andProgramme Presenter, Tyne Tees TVSpeech PackageNeil Gardner, Radio Executive, OfcomJohn Perkins, Managing Director, IRNIan White, Senior Broadcast Journalist,BBC North, Leeds

Specialised MusicPaul Bajoria, Producer, BBC Radio 4Jill Drew, Public Relations Manager,PPLAndrew Friend, Head of ProgrammeOutput, Tyne Tees TVChildren’s OutputChris Jarvis, Presenter CbeebiesBarney Harwood, Presenter CBBCSophie McDonnell, Presenter CBBCSports OutputMick Lowes, Sports Commentator,BBC Radio NewcastleBill McGregor, Freelance SportsBroadcasterCharles Runcie, Head of Sport, BBCEnglish RegionsBob Shennan, Controller of BBC RadioFive LiveStation Promotion/TrailerAlex Hall, Presenter, BBC NorthBarney Harwood, Presenter, CBBCAlan Soady, Senior BroadcastJournalist, BBC Radio KentNewcomer of the YearMel Booth, Station Director,Radio Wave, BlackpoolMike Parr, Presenter/Producer, BBCRadio NewcastleMark Warr, Newsreader Tyne TeesTV /GMTVJohn Whitney AwardJohn Bradford, Director, The RadioAcademyJohn Whitney

I think it proves how high theNational Hospital Radio Awards areheld within the media across thecountry, when you read that list of busypeople, who are prepared to give ustheir time, by judging the variouscategories.

It is hoped many of them will attendthe awards ceremony.

I hope this gives you a look behindthe scenes as what has been going onover the past three months as we reachthe big night and I look forwardmeeting up with you all then.

Dave NicholsonVice President/Awards Organiser

There will be exhibits from:PSquared

WestcountryBroadcast 2001

Sonifex LtdRadica Broadcast Systems

GBG SolutionsMAKE SURE TO

GIVE THEM A LOOK!


PAUL BAJORIAPaul started his career in hospital

radio whilst attending the RoyalGrammar School in Newcastle uponTyne. He went on to take a degree inEnglish Literature at Oxford Universityand the University of Toronto, wherehe did some work for a local station.

On returning to this country hejoined BBC Radio Newcastle bothpresenting and producing.

Since 1996 he has been a produceron BBC Radio 4 based in Manchesterand currently produces Round BritainQuiz along with a range of otherfeatures and documentaries.

He has also recently written twochildren’s books which have recentlybeen published.

He still lives in the North East withhis partner Jacqui who is a TVproducer and they have two children.

ARTHUR BALLINGALLfondly known as ‘ALLY BALLY’

Born in Buckhaven in 1952, Ally’slove of fine food and wines led him tobelieve his career lay in the cateringindustry, so he trained as a chef andworked at the Invercarse Hotel inDundee. During this time he was afounder member of the Victoria RadioNetwork, the hospital radio service inKirkcaldy.

A change of career to retailing took himto the west of Scotland to live and workfor ten years, however he was fortunateto be able to continue with his enthusiasmfor radio when he became a member andthen chairman of Hairmyers HospitalRadio in East Kilbride.

Ally returned to Fife in 1980, just asRadio Tay was about to take to theairwaves. He was recruited by RadioTay, initially to work in sales and presenta weekly programme. But within a fewmonths, it was recognised that his talentslay behind the microphone and he wasgiven the task of heading up the muchsought after Breakfast Show. Ally wasfast becoming a household name in Tayterritory and it wasn’t long before hewas appointed Programme Controller,then Programme Director and in 2000Managing Director.

Despite all the work involved withthe post of MD, Ally still finds time topresent a weekly Saturday morningshow on Tay AM plus the muchaccredited Sunday ‘Tay Talk-In’. He isalso a member of the Association ofScottish Motoring Writers and presentsa weekly programme called MotoringMatters.

Career highlights include:Sony Radio Awards – Voted UK’s Top

Local BroadcasterSony Radio Awards – Best OutsideBroadcastHost of Glasgow’s George SquareHogmanay 1999 Celebrations when70,000 attendedInterviews with Sir Cliff Richard andDoris Day

JOHN BRADFORDJohn started his career in the film

industry but a passion for radio led himto campaign for the introduction oflocal commercial radio.

In 1974 he was founding ManagingDirector of Radio Tees (now TFM).Whilst there he employed the likes ofJohn Simons, John Myers and PaulRobinson. In 1979 he moved to MerciaSound then four years later to RadioWest in Bristol.

He was Chief Executive with theGWR Group until leaving to found themedia consulting practice ofaccountants KPMG.

John returned to radio in 1990 atJazz FM and became Director of theRadio Academy in 1994.

TONY CLARKTony has worked in the music

business for over twenty years. Hestarted his career at CBS Recordsbefore moving onto A&M where hewas Deputy Managing Director andthen to Sony where he headed theStrategic Marketing Division. He iscurrently Director of Licensing forPPL/VPL, the music industryorganisation that collects and distributesairplay and public performance royaltieson behalf of over 3,500 recordcompanies and 40,000 performers.

ALAN DEDICOATAlan was born in Hollywood, a

village in north Worcestershire andeducated at King Edward V1 CampHill School and at BirminghamUniversity reading Law. After leavinguniversity he worked for BBC RadiosBirmingham and Devon.

In 1987 he joined the PresentationDepartment of BBC Radio 2 in London.Since then he has been heard reading

the news and voicing many trails andpromotions as well as the lively banterwith Terry Wogan. Alan currently leadsa dozen or so announcers that keepsthe network on air, he is also the ‘voiceof the balls’ on the National Lottery TVprogrammes. A great supporter ofhospital radio.

JILL DREWJill was born in the north east of

England and attended the University ofHumberside. Her first job was withEMI Music Publishing; she joined PPLin 2000 and is Public RelationsManager where she handles thecompany’s media relations, eventmanagement, corporatecommunications and all generalinformation enquiries. In her spare timeshe writes songs and records andperforms live with her band.

ANDREW FRIENDAndrew was born in Durham and

started his broadcasting life at DurhamHospitals Radio. During his time atcollege he worked for Pennine Radio inBradford and Metro Radio on Tyneside.After he graduated, he became a BBCtrainee in London, travelling round thecountry, learning the ropes. He workedas a producer and presenter at BBCRadio Newcastle then joined Tyne TeesTV in 1990 as their York reporter. Hehas presented various programmes,including the nightly news programme,even a cookery show.

Andrew is now responsible for theoutput of all local programmestransmitted by ITV Tyne Tees.

NEIL GARDNERNeil was Station Manager of his

student radio, UKC Radio (University ofKent) for two years between 1994 and1996 during which time he organisedtwo RSL broadcasts. After leavingUniversity, he joined the radio travelnews supplier Trafficlink (formerlyMetro Networks) as a broadcaster andinformation editor, presenting bulletinsfor a number of stations. He joined theRadio Authority in 1998.

For four years he worked in theAuthority’s development departmentassessing new applications for newlocal radio licences.

He then transferred to theProgramming & AdvertisingDepartment. When OFCOM tookover the work of the Radio Authority,Neil moved across to them and is nowa Radio Executive responsible forcontent and standards withinIndependent Radio.

MEET THE JUDGESThis year we have 30 judgeshelping decide the winners inthis years National Hospital

Radio Awards, ten of whom arejudging for the very first time.

Find out a little moreabout some of them ...


IAN HARKNESSIan was born in London but moved

to the north east as a child. At 16 hejoined hospital radio in Newcastle,presenting feature type programmes.After completing his education hejoined the Police force and moved backsouth and to join the Met but the drawof journalism was too strong and afterfive years he decided to quit. Heembarked on a journalism course atDarlington and on completion, gainedemployment with BBC Radio Kentwhere he has been for over 15 years.He is now a Senior BroadcastJournalist. Married to Ros, Ian has twochildren and lives in Kent.

CHRIS JARVISChris is currently performing on

CBeebies, the BBC’s channel for 0-7s.In ‘Step Inside’ he brings tales to lifewith impressions and funny voices. Youcan also hear him in CBeebiesanimations: ‘Bear & Butterfly’ andvarious characters in the new cartoon‘Underground Ernie’. Other TV creditsover the past 13 years include ‘JungleRun’ and ‘Dream Street’ for ITV and‘Maths Mansion’ for Channel 4.

He’s mainly a BBC man and starredin a variety of shows for CBBCincluding ‘Fully Booked’, ‘Wood Lane’,‘The Friday Zone’, ‘Short Change’,‘Look Sharp’, ‘Playdays’ and the ‘BroomCupboard’. Around the country Chrishosts family concerts mostly with theLondon Philharmonic Orchestra.

He got his lucky break with his ownshow on Radio Orwell at 18 then atLBC Radio in London. He’s also gainedinvaluable experience at Butlin’s andvarious theatres and live events.

He’s at his busiest around Christmaswhen he directs, writes and stars inpantomime, he has 14 professionalstage pantos under his belt. Chris wasinvolved in amateur dramatics andpantos from an early age but hisgreatest influence and inspiration washis grandmother who was a dancer insome of the great London Palladiumpantomimes.

BILL MCGREGORBill was born in Comrie, a small

village in Central Scotland. He grew upin an area with a sporting passion,especially for football and golf. He waslucky to become a professionalfootballer playing for Crystal Palace,Peterborough, Falkirk and St Johnstone,until a knee injury robbed him of hiscareer in his twenties. In 1973, afterobtaining his full FA Coaching Badge,he started Cramlington Junior Football

Club, running it for ten years. He hascommentated on sport in the NorthEast for both radio and television andalso for hospital radio in Sunderland.He also has written for sportingmagazines. Having been a judge for thepast two years in the sports awardcategory, he applauds the standardsshow by the participants and says keepup the good work.

JONATHAN MORRELLJonathan started his career at 17 at

Hospital Radio Plymouth before joiningBBC Radio Cornwall as a freelancepresenter. He moved to the north eastin 1988 to study at University. Whilstthere he did weekend work at BBCRadio Newcastle, Metro FM and TyneTees Television. After graduating, hetrained as a journalist and has frontedthe breakfast show for BBC RadioNewcastle and news programmes forBBC Radio Cleveland.

He joined Tyne Tees TV in 1996 asa reporter/presenter on news andfactual programmes. He turnedfreelance in September 2001 andworked for Yorkshire TV. He is nowback at Tyne Tees where he presentstheir nightly news programme.

MIKE PARRMike currently hosts the Breakfast

Show on BBC Radio Newcastle. It'sbeen a good year for Mike with theshow winning the title of Best BBCLocal Radio Breakfast Show. He's alsoreceived a Sony nomination and hasjust notched up record listening figures.

Mike started out at Radio Haven thehospital radio station for WestCumbria. Since then he's worked forthe BBC in London, Carlisle,Northampton and Newcastle. He's alsoworked on Century Radio in the NorthEast. Mike's your man if you're lookingfor ‘info-tainment’... A mix of news,talk, entertainment & phone-in.

He thinks your local hospital is thebest place to start out in radio. ‘You getto do everything and it's great fun too!’

JOHN PERKINSJohn started out working on various

newspapers back in 1963 which hecontinued doing until 1974 when hejoined Radio City in Liverpool at itslaunch, as their political reporter. Thefollowing year he moved to LBC againas a political reporter and then went onto be the presenter of their first rollingnews programme.

He joined IRN in 1978 as HomeAffairs Editor moving on to becomingIndustrial Editor and then Editor and in

1989, he was appointed ManagingDirector, a post he still holds.

He has also spent some time inNorth America where he studied newsradio, which resulted in IRN switchingto satellite distribution and theintroduction of a computerisednewsroom.

PAULA ROGERSPaula started out at hospital radio in

Wakefield and then moved onto AARoadwatch in Leeds and Cheadle. Shethen joined BBC Radio Clevelandwhere she worked as a trails producerand a weekend presenter.

She has, for the past seven years,worked as the Promotions Producer forBBC Radio 2 being responsible for theiron air promotions and is responsible forthe Children in Need radio event.

JOHN ROSBOROUGHJohn recently celebrated thirty years

in the radio industry, having joinedDowntown Radio in December 1975as a Sound Engineer prior to the stationgoing on air. He soon moved intocommercial and programme productionand then became Head ofProgramming, adding Cool FM to hisresponsibilities in 1990.

In October 2000 he moved to BelfastCity Beat as Station Director and duringhis time there, audiences rose to theirhighest ever levels, the quality ofinteractive programming wasrecognised through winning five SonyGold Awards and a Sony Silver andCitybeat was named NTL CommercialRadio Station of the Year in 2003.

In January 2004, John was made aFellow of the Radio Academy and inMay that year he joined UTV to leadthe company's application to Ofcom forthe new Belfast FM licence.

This was awarded to U105 lastMarch and 36 weeks later the stationwent on the air, with John at the helmas Managing Director.

CHARLES RUNCIECharles is Head of Sport for BBC

English Regions, co-ordinating theoutput of over 150 people in the sportsdepartments of England's 40 BBC localradio stations, 12 regional televisionnewsrooms and their associated textand online services. He is responsiblefor the management of the many BBClocal radio sports commentarycontracts, the coverage from majorsporting events such as theCommonwealth Games, Wimbledonand the World Snooker championship,and developing TV output on

programmes and series like theSuperleague Show.

He also works for BBC Sport on anumber of areas in which network andregional sport work together to shareeditorial content, resources and talent.

Charles is a veteran of hospital radio,having been with the Royal FreeNetwork in Hampstead fromDecember 1976 to June 1980.

He started his full time broadcastingcareer at Radio Orwell in Suffolk andafter four years at BBC Scotland movedto BBC Radio Sport in London in 1987.He held a number of positions there,including being one of the launcheditors for the new Radio 5 Live inMarch 1994. After helping to set up theBBC Sport website in 2000 he startedhis current job in June 2002.

BOB SHENNANBob is Controller of BBC Radio Five

Live, Sports Extra and BBC AsianNetwork. He started his career as ajournalist for Hereward Radio inPeterborough. In 1997, Bob was ActingHead of BBC Sport, the newly createdmultimedia sports departmentcombining radio, television and onlineservices. From 1998 to 2000, heheaded BBC Sport, responsible for theproduction of sports services on BBC 1,BBC 2 and BBC News 24, Radios 1, 2,4 and Five Live, the World Service.

He was appointed Controller of Five

Live in August 2000.

ALAN SOADYAlan’s career began whilst at

Newcastle University. He joinedhospital radio and was also editor of thestudent newspaper, The Courier. Aftergetting his degree, he moved toSheffield where he gained aPostgraduate Diploma in BroadcastJournalism. During his time in Sheffield,Alan freelanced at radio stations acrossthe north of England, includingLiverpool's Radio City 96.7 and Galaxy102 Manchester where he filled in fortwo months as a breakfast journalist.

After finishing his course he workedfor almost a year as the breakfastjournalist back in the north east atGalaxy 105-106. From there, Alan wastaken on as a Broadcast Journalist atReal Radio Yorkshire in March 2002,when the station launched. In April2003 he became a Senior BroadcastJournalist and Morning Editor, frontingthe breakfast bulletins and the News AtOne programme. Last year he movedacross to the BBC and is now workingat BBC Radio Kent.

MARK WARRMark started his career at hospital

radio in St Albans then moved up to thenorth east to train as a school teacher.Unfortunately due to illness he had toabandon that idea and as a temporary

employment started answering thetelephones for a late night phone-in onBBC Radio Newcastle.

This led to other work behind thescenes before being offered the earlybreakfast show on the station. Thismeant getting up at 3.00am, which hesays, ‘he enjoyed’. He must have as henow works as the early morning newsreader on both GMTV and Tyne TeesTV. He says the advantage of workingon TV is that now he doesn’t have toget up until 3.30am!

Mark is single and lives just north ofNewcastle. His interests are music andgardening.

IAN WHITEFrom an early age Ian wanted to be

a newsreader and got the chance whenhe joined hospital radio in Newcastlewhen he was only 16 and still atschool. After leaving school he workedon a programme about thedevelopment of the bicycle which hasbeen screened around the world. Hethen worked for a subtitling companybefore getting work with the BBC inNorwich, both on radio and tv.

Ian moved to the BBC Leeds in 1996to produce and read both the breakfastand evening news bulletins. He thenmoved over to TV and is seen regularlyreading the 10.25 bulletin on BBC 1and regularly deputises on the nightlyLook North programme.


Radio Wave in Blackpool willbe presenting their Saturdaymorning show (10.00am to1.00pm) live from the Hotel

Conference weekend.

The National Hospital Radio Awards ceremony will be broadcast livevia the Internet and on Hot Bird. Details are the same as last year:

13° East 12,597MHz Vertical PolarisationSymbol Rate 27,500MSy/s FEC 3/4 Programme 'WRN EventsThe show hopefully will begin at 9.30pm and this year we will have

a commentator for continuity purposes, Tony Sloan.

CLEAR OUT YOUR JUNK AND BRING IT TO BLACKPOOLIf you are attending the HBA Spring Conference in Blackpool, here is an opportunity to clear out your

junk room as we will be running an auction of your surplus equipment on Sunday morning.What an opportunity to clear out your junk room (admit it – every station has one) and turn your sur-plus equipment into cash. Bring your junk to Blackpool and let the HBA Auctioneer, John Watson, sell

it for you. The HBA will not be taking any commission, all the cash goes to your station.We are hoping to publish a gallery of equipment on offer on the HBA website.

To be included in the gallery, please send brief details of anything you will be bringing and preferablya picture to [email protected] and we'll get it displayed.

All entries are anonymous. We will not be publishing details of the seller.On the day you can set a reserve price if you wish but be prepared to take your junk home if the

reserve is not met.Please note: once a bid is accepted it becomes the responsibility of the buyer and seller to arrange payment.

So get your junk room sorted and get your details to meas soon as possible.

John Harper, Treasurer

Publicity Matters


Extreme DreamsWould you like to get away from it

all? Are you looking for adventure?Maybe it is time you did something foryourself? Ever dreamed of climbing amountain? Trekking in extremelocations? Perhaps you know someonethat really deserves to go on a life-changing adventure? Whatever it is wewant to hear from you! Please callCharlotte Robinson or the ExtremeDreams Team on 0870 490 9764 oremail [email protected] tofind out more!

Ricochet TV (makers of Supernanny,No Going Back, Selling Houses, Bornto be Different are making a new seriesfor BBC2 called Extreme Dreams withpresenter Ben Fogle.

We are looking for people to go ona personal and physical journey to someof the earth’s most incredible locations.We are sending groups of deservingpeople to the Peruvian jungle, thearctic, to climb mountains and thedesert.

In the coming months we will befollowing these groups of people asthey go on the trip of a lifetime. Thetrips will last ten days to two weeks and

take place between the end of Marchand the middle of June.

We are looking for people thatperhaps are really deserving to go onthis lifetime experience – maybesomeone who has devoted time tohelping the community or someonewho has recovered from illness or a lifechallenge. If you could mention oursearch on your hospital radio station,we would be really grateful as we aretrying to find the right people to sendon this adventure of a lifetime!

Our aim is to hear from the peopledirect or from people nominatingsomeone they know. Previousexperience isn't important at all. Wewant people for whom this would be atruly life changing experience.

* * * * * * * *HBA offer reminder

Remember www.expertsonline.tv willprovide you with a CD containing a rangeof audio interviews to be played on yourhospital radio station. Interviewees includepeople like Eamonn Holmes, Max Clifford,Sam Allardyce and Rosemary Conley.

This is an ideal opportunity for you to getlocal newspaper, radio and TV coverageand provide hospital listeners with access to

mainstream celebrity interviews. Photos ofthe celebs can also be provided to go withyour press release.

There is no cost to you for this CD, sojust e-mail Managing Director PhilCrowshaw at [email protected] your CD will be sent to you.

Here is an example Press Release youcan use to send to the local media:

Top celebrities help local hospital patientson the road to recovery

XXXX hospital radio has partnered withweb portal www.expertsonline.tv to providepatients and visitors with a range of celebrityinterviews to entertain them during theirtime in the hospital.

Celebrity interviewees include suchnames as Eamonn Holmes, RosemaryConley, Max Clifford and Sam Allardyce.

YYY from ZZZ hospital radio said ‘Weare always striving to bring our listeners thevery best entertainment during their timespent in our hospital and these interviewsfrom Expertsonline.tv allow us to ensurethat the listening experience remains at thehighest quality.

Philip Crowshaw, Managing Director ofweb portal Expertsonline.tv added ‘It is akey part of our values as a business to assistsocial causes. Hospital radio provides a vitalservice to people who are in hospital and weare delighted to be able to help them out’.

Mike Skinner, Public Relations Manager

Walford Comes to Stanmore


Walford came to Stanmore recentlywhen EastEnders star Natalie Cassidyvisited the Adolescent Unit at the RoyalNational Orthopaedic Hospital inStanmore.

Radio Brockley hosted the visit byNatalie Cassidy, currently in the middleof a major storyline. Ms Cassidy visitedthe children's ward during the station'sflagship show, Bedside Bingo (whichwas presented live from the wards asan outside broadcast) and then returnedto the studios to present requests andanswer questions, from the patients.

Trustee Daniel Gee, who inter-viewed Ms Cassidy commented,‘Natalie said she's always wanted topresent on radio and we are proud shechose London's longest running hospitalstation on which to do this. She reallyenjoyed her time on air, the patients onthe ward loved chatting to her and sheeven asked if she could visit us again.

We were amazed at how down toearth she was and she wasn't phasedby the questions we put to her, rangingfrom her current racy storyline to hermusical tastes and her recent cosmeticsurgery! One patient even dared askingwho was a better kisser, her on screenhusband or her girlfriend (she repliedthat she preferred the former!)However, she was caught off guardwhen I mentioned her appearance onCelebrity Mastermind but she held herown and cheekily slated me for notbeing able to iron properly, judging by

the state of my creased shirt!’Natalie also recorded a message for

Radio Brockley for on air use during thestation's fortieth anniversary year (thestations celebrates forty years inOctober 2006) and signed pictureswhich will be auctioned during theevent.

Natalie's visit helped raise the profileof the hospital's radio station, RadioBrockley and her visit came in the weekthat viewers will see the 22 year oldstar in one of her most shocking story-lines, when her character leaves herhusband for another woman.

Daniel Gee further said, ‘We are sograteful that Natalie is supporting ourcharity, which is run entirely by volun-teers and is self-supportive. RadioBrockley is appealing for donationstowards new studios; we have themembers' commitment to continue toserve the patients in the new building(which is due to open in 2011) but thehospital cannot fund the studios, asclinical services, understandably, musttake precedence in the project.However, a new studio facility couldcost the charity as much as £50,000;funds which we simply don't have.’

A huge Arsenal fan, Natalie had ajoke with Jonathan Shotts, who is astaunch Chelsea supporter!

RUBY CELEBRATIONSFOR RADIO BROCKLEY

As part of Radio Brockley's RubyAnniversary Celebrations, our fortymembers are tasked with obtaining fortymessages from forty celebrities, for useon-air during our fortieth year andactress

Natalie Cassidy was one of thoseapproached. Imagine our surprisewhen she suggested she's like to popdown to Radio Brockley to meet thepatients and join in with Bedside Bingo!

Radio Brockley is proud to serve theRoyal National Orthopaedic Hospital, anational centre of excellence. Patientscome from all over the world to benefitfrom a team of highly specialised con-sultants and, during their stay, theyoften end up taking part in RadioBrockley’s legendary ‘Bedside Bingo’programme, as well as enjoying theirselection of music played in our nightlyrequest shows’.

Radio Brockley is looking for newvolunteers to help with ward visiting,fund raising, producing/presentingshows and to get involved with ouranniversary celebrations.

For details on how to get involved,see www.RadioBrockley.org or call thestudio on 020 8954 6591.

Pictured, from the top: Natalie and DanielGee in the studio; A huge Arsenal; fan,Natalie jokes with Jonathan Shotts, aChelsea supporter; Trustees alan Joyce andKeith Reeve with Natalie; Natalie with onscreen husband James Alexandrou; Nataliewith Menayami Lenia from Edgware

Natalie reckons it’s a plum job at RadioBrockley

SBES Builds on Success


2005 was the year of the thirtiethSound Broadcasting Equipment Show.With the show now entering its fourthdecade organisers, Point Promotions,are working on the 31st SBES, takingplace this November.

Preparations to date includeconfirmation that the 2006 show willonce again include increased floorspace compared to the previous yearand plans to expand the number ofsmaller stands for first time exhibitors,as well as increasing the number ofoutdoor exhibits.

Of the various exhibitors who tookpart for the first time last year, mostexpect to be back again for the 31stSBES. Commenting on the success ofthis year's show, Terry Tew, of TerryTew Sound and Light, explained thatSBES 2005 had been: ‘the first timethey had exhibited anywhere’ anddescribed it as being: ‘a very goodnetworking opportunity’.

Elsewhere, at West CountryBroadcast, Nick Beer pronouncedhimself ‘very pleased’ with the event,explaining that specific face-to-facecontacts ‘had made it all worthwhile’.He went on to describe SBES as a‘great networking’ event and one whichhe ‘would be back for 2006’.

Meanwhile, Audio Emporium's IanOakland said that he had been: ‘verypleased’ with the event which hadallowed them to ‘meet lots of customersand achieve a good profile’, adding thathe was ‘glad that they had gone for alarger stand space’.

M I Broadcast, had kit installed in theBBC OB vehicle which was one of theexternal exhibits, as well as a standwithin the show. Robert Mackman ofMI praised SBES for its ‘good on-siteorganisation’.

As soon as the doors closed on thesuccessful 2005 show, organiser DaveMcVittie announced that some 40% ofavailable exhibitor space had alreadybeen booked for 2006. ‘We alwaysgive existing exhibitors the exclusive firstchance to book space for the nextSBES up until the New Year’ Daveexplained, ‘but now other potentialexhibitors can make their spacereservations whilst a wide range ofoptions remain available’.

Amongst the numerous exhibitorsthat have already booked to be part ofSBES in November are a wide varietyof well-known names, including: mixermanufacturers Sonifex, SoundcraftStuder and Chilton; computer play-outand automation specialists, includingBarrcode, RCS UK and P Squared,along with a wide variety of other

companies including Broadcast Bionics,HHB, Calrec, Beyer Dynamic andRadica Broadcast Systems Limited. Byfar the largest exhibitor spaceconfirmed to date is for long-term SBEScontributor, Preco Broadcast, who havebooked a bigger stand for 2006 in orderto accommodate the very wide rangeof products which the companyhandles across the UK market.

Of course, exhibitors are only onehalf of the equation when it comes toprofessional exhibitions. Just asimportant are the individual visitorswho come along when the doors areopened. SBES has always been good atattracting a wide range of relevantprofessionals, and in addition totechnical staff from both the BBC andindependent commercial radio, visitorsinclude other audio professionals andsome overseas engineers. Last yearnumbers were added to by thepresence of various representativesfrom the growing Community Radiosector, many looking to buy equipmentfor their newly licensed stations, due onair over the next few months. WithOfcom planning to award many moresuch licences over the coming monthsthe numbers at SBES 2006 certainlylook set to increase once again this year.

The 31st Sound BroadcastingEquipment Show takes place at theBirmingham NEC Pavilion next year onWednesday and Thursday the 15thand 16th November 2006. For moreinformation, visit the SBES web-site at:www.sbes.com/

Third Year of Special Jingles for Radio WeekDevaweb and the Hospital Broadcasting Association has launched a special kit of jingles

and voice-overs to celebrate Hospital Broadcasting Week.The special week of programmes runs from 31st March 2006, celebrating all that’s great

about Hospital Radio across the UK and Devaweb have created a package of jingles and linersto promote the programmes, available free of charge to all hospital stations.

Mike Skinner, Public Relations Manager of the Hospital Broadcasting Association said,‘This is the third year that Devaweb have supported Hospital Broadcasting Week and theprofessional sound of their production work adds a real shine to the week of shows. We offeran essential radio service that no other station can provide and thanks to Devaweb our stationsound is as good as the other stations on the radio dial.’

As well as the sung and spoken jingles, Devaweb’s kit includes endorsements from BBCRadio 2 presenters Terry Wogan, Ken Bruce and Alex Lester, all of whom support the work ofHospital Radio in the UK. The full package of jingles can be downloaded free of charge fromDevaweb’s website at www.devaweb.co.uk.

Contact: Chris Stevens @ Devaweb – 0701 741 3382 or Mike Skinner at the HBA on 0870 321 6008.

All Our Yesterdays


First off, humble apologies for beingmissing from the last issue. I’ve beentelling the few who were interestedthat it was all down to dreadedcommittee censorship over somecartoons I’d found showing them incompromising positions but truth to tellmy ageing computer rolled over anddied.

Mind you. it’s not the first time someof us have found our selves in hotwater. Normally it was at someconference. So step forward theunnamed now senior ageing hospitalradio broadcasters who were involvedin the shifting of the piano up to acertain hotel room for a party at oneconference. Or at another, moving alarge potted plant and armchair into alift, to help ease the strain of thejourney.

Off course our younger delegatestoday are far better behaved then theirelders. They wouldn’t, as one stationsdelegates did, overcome the problem ofbooking a room, happily drink the nightaway down in the bar. By eight AM thebarman had just about had enoughDown came the shutters. Five minuteslater, he realised that he’d left a vitaltool of his trade on the bar and liftedthe shutters again – only to be met bythe hopeful faces of another grouplooking forward to a post breakfastdrink.

Finally, and this was at a holiday campon the south coast: the world recordattempt at how many delegates could youcram into a holiday chalet. Not that you’dhave been able to read about thesevarious shameful activities in our houserag of course. Well, we wouldn’t wantto ruin the reputation of hospitalbroadcasting personnel would we!

If you can remember back a feweditions, I was moaning that by andlarge ON AIR covers were so boring,new studio openings, chequepresentations and so on. Well gazingthough my dog eared pile of old On-Air’s my eyes fell upon the very firstedition to be edited by our presenteditor, Michelle back in 2000. Andwhat do we find, why a cover featuringsome rather fetching dancing ladies,who had entrained the lads during theLiverpool Conference Hospital RadioAwards. If I remember correctly, thevote on our table was that the eveningwas only ruined by the constantprocession of delegates collectingcheques and things. Giving less time tothe dancing ladies.

Elsewhere in that October 2000

edition, I see that Denon werepromoting their range on mini discmachines I still think Sony came upwith a fine recording medium withtheir Mini Disc concept but you’d behard put to find an example on the highstreet today. Indeed, I’m wonderingwhen the time comes how to replacemy trusty miniature unit. And was itreally 1996 when Denon announcedthe world’s first professional mini disclocation recorder. I don’t know if theirDN-80R is still available but with itscannon inputs and outputs, I’d still giveit house room.

And just for you old timers, as somefourteen years previously theNovember 1986 edition featured an adfor the following Spring’s AGM atChichester. Bearing in mind the cost ofconference going these days, it’sinteresting to note that the location wasto be a holiday camp with an all incharge of £44. A most enjoyableweekend if I remember correctly.

And who remembers RogerRichard’s Record Library Managementprogramme, claiming to find any recordin your library within seconds. Amongits features was a special top twentyscreen, designed, said Roger in hisadvertising copy, ‘for the convenienceof your members.’ I know many groupsmade use of this programme andRoger’s back up service for aprogramme that was almost unique inthose days before computer assist.

Finally, who remembers theinfamous NAHBO toy bus offer forsale in this edition for £6. Must be acollectors item by now, I still have oneand did I not see a fleet of the littlevehicles brought out of retirement for arecent conference promotion.

Dennis Rookardlooks back at past editions

of On-Air

Devizes Begins a New Chapter


Devizes Hospital Radio in Wiltshireentered a new phase in its history onSaturday 4th February, when its newstudios were officially opened atNorthgate Gardens, Devizes.

With the new premises comes a newname for the service – Devizes Hospitaland Community Radio – DHCR. Thestation will continue its existing serviceto Devizes Hospital and residentialschemes in the Devizes CommunityArea, whilst looking to move forward toattract new audiences.

Devizes Town Mayor, Cllr. PeterEvans officially opened the studio withDave Nicholson, MBE, Vice-Presidentof the HBA. Cllr Evans said that this isa wonderful service that is muchappreciated and said he looked forwardto seeing it develop further into thecommunity. Dave Nicholson praised

the station for its forward thinkingapproach to Hospital Broadcasting andsaid that its extended work into thecommunity was something for otherstations nationally should look to follow.

DHCR Chairman, PaulaWinchcombe, congratulated everyone

involved in achieving the move to thenew studios and had special thanks forSarsen for providing the premises andfor all their help and assistance. Sheadded that fundraising now begins inearnest to enable the service to reach awider audience.

Pictured, from left to right: Cllr Peter Evans, Mayor of Devizes, Paula Winchcombe,Chairman of DHCR, John Godfrey, Presenter for DHCR, Dave Nicholson, MBE, Vice-President of the HBA and Sue Evans, Mayoress.

From Rowland Myers, Managing Editor of Soundings.The audio support service run by the Soundings magazine is to be suspended at the

end of March 2006 due to lack of funding.We apologise for the inconvenience that this will cause but it is unavoidable.Funding ran out at the end of March 2005 and it has become impossible to sustain

the professionally-run service without income, although we have attempted to do justthat for a year.

Soundings (which has recently become a national registered charity) willcontinue to produce a free monthly audio magazine for visually-impaired peopleliving in the UK – still called ‘Soundings’. It will be supplied direct to any visually-impaired person who requests it – whether or not they are registered as blind orpartially-sighted.

To be put on the mailing list, all they need to do is to phone Soundings on thelocal call rate number 08457 258 852 or e-mail [email protected].

More details are also available on the Soundings web site atwww.soundings.org.

We would be extremely grateful if you would publicise this information to yourlisteners, as we are keen that all visually-impaired people are aware that theSoundings magazine is still freely available to them.

Although, as from April, we will not be able to formally support `media´organisations with audio and text material, we don’t want to hinder anyone usingSoundings material in any way that benefits their listeners. So, we will continue to makethe audio (but only the audio) of the magazine available on our web site in two ways:

• the whole magazine (55-60 mins in duration)• the two sides of the cassette version audio (to fit on a c60 cassette)These mp3 files, which won’t usually be posted up onto our web site until the first

of the month, may be used in any way that you wish. The one web site address that you’ll need to access everything will be

www.soundings.org/media.With your approval, after the end of March, we wouldlike to keep the mailing data that we hold for you on record as we are in ongoingdiscussions with the HBA – which has always been extremely supportive ofSoundings – in the hopes that we may be able to revive our media support service toyou in the future.

Soundings Media Support to be Suspended JUNE’S TRAVELSI’m afraid the report on my travels is

somewhat curtailed due to the repairingwrist. It has meant driving proved a littledifficult.

My last visit mentioned in issue 108 wasto Radio Fox, Leicester. Since then our lastEC meeting took place in London, inJanuary. I also managed to attend tworegional Meetings – Basingstoke andNorwich. I was pleased to see how wellattended these both were and it was anexcellent opportunity to once again see thestudio at Basingstoke and the incrediblenew hospital in Norwich. It was also agood opportunity to get some feedback inpreparation for the Patientline meeting andin the case of Norwich, particularly appro-priate as the Autumn Conference will be inNorfolk for the first time in over 20 years.

The conference is now only a couple ofweeks away and the numbers booked areexcellent so I look forward to meeting manyof you in Blackpool – I am sure we’re goingto have a wonderful weekend. I hopemany of you are going to recognise HospitalBroadcasting week.

I have still been producing the muchdeserved Long Service Certificates andlook forward to receiving many morerequests. This year alone, so far, 64 havebeen produced.

I now some visits planned includingGuildford and Birmingham with others justneeding to be confirmed and I look forwardto them very much.

For those able to attend conference –have a good time.

I look forward to getting out and seeingsome of you soon.

you may photocopy this form

Regional Reps detailsREGION REP ADDRESS PHONE E-MAIL

Regional Paul Sysum 7 Queens Square 0870 321 6005 [email protected] Chippenham

WiltshireSN15 3BL

Anglia Julie Cox 37 Alford Street 0870 765 9601 [email protected] 8BX

Home 0870 765 9602 [email protected]

London Ben Hart 20 Church Avenue 0870 765 9603 [email protected] HA5 5JQ

Midlands David Tysoe 0870 765 9604 [email protected]

North 0870 765 9605 [email protected]

Northern Davey Downes 19 Collingbridge Drive 0870 765 9606 [email protected] Glengormley

NewtonabbeyBT36 7SX

North West David McGealy 40 Saffron Drive 0870 765 9607 [email protected] 2PU

Scotland Bill Kilgour 27 Carroll Crescent 0870 765 9608 [email protected] GroveMotherwellLanarkshire ML1 5AT

South Neil Ogden 63 Franklin Avenue 0870 765 9609 [email protected] 4EZ

South East Dave Lockyer 54 School Lane 0870 765 9611 [email protected], RochesterKent ME3 7JF

Wales & West Paul Sysum 7 Queens Square 0870 765 9613 [email protected] 3BL

Yorkshire Iain Lee 0870 765 9614 [email protected]

Who to Contact on the Executive Committee

P resident June SnowdenP.O. Box 76, Ely, CB6 3WH Tel: 0870 321 6009e-mail: [email protected] visits, represent HBApublicly, print and present longservice certificates

Chief ExecutiveJohn Watson, MBE13 Trinafour, Perth, Perthshire PH1 2SSTel: 0870 321 6000e-mail: [email protected] contact with statutorybodies. Ambassadors

Treasurer John Harper50 Neale St, Fulwell, Sunderland,SR6 9EZTel: 0870 321 6004Fax: 01268 565759e-mail: f [email protected] matters (other thansubscriptions)

Administrator/MembershipMarie Harper50 Neale St, Fulwell, Sunderland, SR6 9EZTel: 0870 321 6017e-mail: [email protected] of contact for outside bodieson all HBA matters. HBA EC diary.Membership records, address changesand all subscriptions

Technical AdviserGeoff FairbairnFlat 6, 4 Blunt Rd, South Croydon CR2 7PATel: 0870 321 6012e-mail: [email protected] matters

Vice PresidentDavid Nicholson, MBEEast Cottage, Milbourne Hall, Milbourne,Newcastle upon Tyne NE20 OEBTel: 0870 321 6016e-mail: [email protected] visits, represent HBA publiclyAwards sub committee chairman,present long service certificates

Deputy Chief ExecutivePhil Moon82 Greenleaf Gardens, Polegate, ESussex BN26 6PHTel: 0870 321 6014e-mail: [email protected] committee chairman.Special projects

General SecretaryNigel Dallard54 St. Annes Close, Badger Farm,Winchester, Hampshire SO22 4LQTel: 0870 321 6003e-mail: [email protected] correspondence, CompanySecretary, annual review

P u blic Relations ManagerMike Skinner6 Batchelor Way, Uckfield, East SussexTN22 2DDTel: 0870 321 6008e-mail: [email protected] & public relations, charityprofile

Regional Manager Paul Sysum7 Queens Square, Chippenham,Wiltshire SAN15 3BLTel: 0870 321 6005e-mail: [email protected] meetings, contacts,setting up a region etc.

Editor Michelle Newstead2 Falkland Close, Boreham, Chelmsford,Essex CM3 3DDTel: 0870 321 6011Fax: 0870 321 6019e-mail: [email protected] Air magazine

Sales & AdvertisingE xecutive Gary King62 Chanctonbury Road, Burgess Hill,West Sussex RH15 9EYTel: 0870 321 6026e-mail: [email protected] Corporate sales for HBA

WebmasterMark Venus

Tel: 0870 321 6018e-mail: [email protected]

IT Co-ordinator

Tel: 0870 765 9616e-mail: [email protected]

P rogramme AdviserPaul Easton

e-mail:[email protected]

march/april 2006 - hospital broadcasting association · march/april 2006 issue 109 ... june’s...

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