Hospital radio hopes to go online to grow audience

Media students Evie and Robert have their own show on Cirencester Hospital Radio

A community hospital radio station that has been running for 50 years is hoping to grow its audience by moving online.

Cirencester Hospital Radio started off by playing vinyls at Gloucestershire's Cirencester Hospital to cheer up patients.

"What we need to do now is diversify a bit and spread our audience I think," said station chairman and volunteer Peter Beach.

The station, which offers air time to media students at Cirencester College, recently became a charity in its own right, allowing it to apply for grants to fund an online radio licence.

The station broadcasts to around 100 patients 24 hours a day, and is run by a small group of volunteers.

"When we first started, we were in a studio in an old part of the hospital, it was all vinyl," said Mr Beach.

"We've just become much more digital over time."

The station hopes to get its online licence in the next few years.

"A lot of the radio stations will go online now, so they'll actually broaden their audience and then they'll broadcast to their local area or even to the world," Mr Beach added.

Peter Beach says the station has had to keep up with technology changes

Students Robert, 17, and Evie, 17, have been volunteering at the station since January and say they "love the creativity of it".

"We have a show which is all about [patients'] requests so it gives us a chance to make sure our shows are linked to what they want – it's sort of a collaboration," said Robert.

Evie said she has played music to "appeal to everyone".

She added: "In your general life, you don't really think about people who are just sat in hospital but doing this you sympathise with them."

'Elated and happy'

Patients on the hospital's Windrush Ward say they "can't help but sing" to the music.

"It cheers you up if you're feeling down and it's something you can always sing to, it's a bit of everything," said Trevor.

"We live in a world of misery and trouble, and when you hear music you're elated, you're happy," Kenneth added.