Wycombe Hospitals Broadcasting Association
(Broadcasting under the name of)
Wycombe Radio

In 1967, Wycombe Radio was born out of a meeting of the High Wycombe Film Society, when five members discussed the possibility of broadcasting request shows to the patients of Wycombe Hospital. They used the network of ducts and cables already incorporated into the structure of the then new Wycombe Hospital to send a programme of music requested by the patients, direct to their bedsides from a simple studio on the ground floor.

Wycombe General Hospital

Local groups helped financially and with a great deal of hard work Wycombe Radio was born. It has been said that most of the equipment was home made and some housed in an OXO tin! A look in the studios now will show what progress we have made since then.

The first broadcast was on Monday 10th October 1967 and the show was called `Monday Date at Eight`. The requests were collected on the Sunday, the records borrowed from Percy Prior's Music Shop on the Monday, played that evening and returned the next day to go back on sale!

Soon more and more patients got to hear about the regular weekly broadcast and placed request cards in various locations within the hospital buildings. Now over thirty years on, Wycombe Radio has almost sixty members and transmits almost every day of the year.

In the early 1980s a second studio at Amersham Hospital allowed Wycombe Radio to expand its output. The Wycombe Radio service was also expanded to Booker Hospital. We still use the old duct systems to broadcast to the hospitals, although our service to Booker has ceased. We are looking into new ways of improving our method of broadcasting and try to ensure that through regular maintenance, as many patients as possible can hear our programs.

Amersham General Hospital

Over the years Wycombe Radio and its members have had many achievements, here are just a few -

• Established a hospital broadcasting service for High Wycombe and Amersham
• In the 1970s raised money by pushing a hospital bed to the Channel Islands
• Several members have moved on to "proper" broadcasting with the BBC or commercial radio
• Several members have moved on to a career in journalism and writing
• Broadcast via an FM link from the Wycombe Show
• Broadcast numerous live concerts from venues all over the area
• Broadcast live from Wembley Stadium following Wycombe Wanderers
• Broadcast Wycombe Wanderers first League match from Carlisle
• Members have taken part in the London Marathon
• Interviewed many celebrities
• In the 1990s raised money by pushing a hospital bed to Holland
• Equipped two studios to broadcast quality
• To date raised over £100,000 (estimated since 1967)
• Provided public address facilities for local events
• ... and much much more

Our principle is precisely the same in the 21st Century as when the service was first set up, -- playing music, providing information and news on an individual basis for our listeners, to make the prospect of a spell in hospital less frightening and more enjoyable as far as we can.

Wycombe Radio is operated by the Wycombe Hospitals Broadcasting Association, a registered charity.

All running costs are met by volunteers through membership fees, donations and fund-raising. As well as collections, other fund raising activities includes jumble sales, concerts, line dancing and sponsored entries in the London Marathon.

Wycombe Hospitals Broadcasting Association Registered Charity Number 254676

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