History

It is difficult to put a date on the first Hospital Radio Station due to the lack of documentary evidence. However it is safe to say the hospital radio has been around in some form or other since the late 1930s. It is estimated that well over 10,000 people are involved in producing hospital radio programmes nationwide.

THE STORY OF RADIO SUNDERLAND
In Sunderland, the association’s inaugural meeting was held in 1953 following a plea for volunteers in The Sunderland Echo. The station was formed as the Sunderland Commentators Association in 1953 with the aim of relaying live football commentaries form Roker Park direct to the wards of Sunderland's Hospitals. Broadcasting commenced during the 1954 - 1955 football season.

During those early years, in a cup tie with Spurs an over enthusiastic commentator jumped up to help a Sunderland forward head in a goal, but he forgot about the low roof of the commentary box and knocked himself out. In true Hospital Radio fashion, one of the other commentators grabbed the microphone and carried on with the commentary!

Music was added to the station output on Boxing Day 1956 with the advent of the first patients request programme "Hospital Hour". This marked the beginning of programme development. Other programmes at that time included commentaries on athletics from Ashbrook Sports Ground and Hospital Quiz shows.

Reflecting a more varied output, the association changed its name to "Sunderland Hospitals Broadcasts" in 1968 and was now broadcasting regular programmes from the old General Hospital in Sunderland on Thursday and Friday evenings.

This was followed by a move to our first permanent studio, in an old ward at what was the Havelock Hospital on Hylton Road. Equipment was begged and borrowed with Tyne Tees Television being a major benefactor, donating their old surplus equipment. Due to the enthusiasm and expertise of the then members, the ward was converted into a fully equipped radio studio.

Now that we had a studio and a full and varied programme schedule it was decided that we should have a new, snappier identification, so our present name of "Radio Sunderland for Hospitals" was adopted in 1973.

When the new District General Hospital (now called the Sunderland Royal) was opened in 1978 we transferred to a new but very small studio in the Hylton Road Block. Following a vigorous campaign for more working space, in 1988 we were again relocated to our present home in Monkwearmouth Hospital. Much of the equipment from the General Hospital Studio was transferred to the new studio but the members still set themselves a target of raising £30,000 to build and equip this new studio complex.

In 1996 a new equipment appeal fund was launched with the intention of replacing just about all the equipment currently in use. By now a lot of our equipment was over 20 years old and in urgent need of replacement.

In the autumn of 1998 we became a registered charity and after a successful application for Lottery Funding we launched our 24 hour broadcasting service.