York Hospital Radio: Celebrating 60 years on the air for city hospital radio station

The station, a registered charity and staffed entirely by volunteers, now broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, to listeners in York Hospital.

But such is the changing world, it also broadcasts online as well and can be heard on smart speakers, and has its own free app.

Programmes include music, interviews, sport - including commentaries on all York City home games - and Outside Broadcasts from venues like the Joseph Rowntree Theatre, York Barbican, and York Minster.

The first show, on 26 January, 1964, was pre-recorded on tape and consisted of listeners’ requests. It was broadcast to the former Fulford Maternity and Naburn hospitals, and the first record ever played was ‘Thank heaven for little girls’ by Maurice Chevalier.

Live shows started in 1967, with the first sports programmes in 1968.

Over the years, the station has been based at The Grange on Huntington Road (York’s former workhouse, and now student accommodation); then studios in the grounds of the former City Hospital on Huntington Road; and today in studios off Bridge Lane.

The station has two studios and an extensive record library, but now, embracing the latest technology, many shows are recorded at home and presented remotely.

At one stage, the station broadcast to 10 hospitals in the York area, but today it focusses purely on the York Hospital in Wigginton Road.

Previous presidents include Frank Marlborough, a star of York Theatre Royal many years ago; BBC broadcasting legend Harry Gration; and York panto favourite Martin Barrass. Today, the patron of the station is Alan Dedicoat, best know as the ‘Voice of the Balls’ for the national lottery and of ‘Strictly Come Dancing’.

Ian Clennan, chair of York Hospital Radio, said: “We are very much looking forward to celebrating 60 years of broadcasting programmes aimed mainly at our listeners in hospital. We are still a unique service for the hospital, and we know we can be a valued part of patients’ recovery.

“We have a full year of activities and events lined up to mark this milestone anniversary. As a registered charity, we need financial help to survive, so we are hoping that we will be able to attract new sponsors for our shows and regular features this year, to boost our own fundraising activities.”

To celebrate the anniversary, live shows will be broadcast today from 7am to 10pm, and will include interviews with the High Sheriff of North Yorkshire, Clare Granger and the York civic party. The Archbishop of York Stephen Cottrell, has also recorded a special message.