Hospital Radio Station Closes After Six Decades, Volunteers Emotional

Dedicated individuals at a hospital radio station were visibly emotional upon learning of its impending cessation of broadcasts, following sixty years of operation. The governing body of Luton and Dunstable Hospital Radio (L&D Radio) confirmed its closure on 30 November, citing that “the media landscape has changed significantly”. Station manager Glyn Davies, 72, attributed the closure to insufficient new volunteers and declining financial resources. “Volunteers were in tears, sadly. Everybody was. I’ve got one friend who has done it for 30 years,” he said. He added: “We opened a bottle of champagne and now some people have gone on to arrange other programmes elsewhere already.” Initially, the station transmitted its programming from Harpenden, reaching medical facilities in Luton, St Albans, Stevenage, and Welwyn Garden City. Mr Davies indicated that while the station previously boasted 30 volunteers, its active membership had decreased to just eight by its final period, with the majority of these individuals exceeding 70 years of age. He explained: “If you’re doing a fundraising event you could get people out, but with only a small number of active members we were asking the same people all the time.” Mr Davies noted that the station maintained a loyal listenership, despite acknowledging that “it became harder” for patients to tune in. The former manager recounted: “We had one lady [who] used to ring up on a Monday morning with a list of 10 songs she wanted played.” He further elaborated: “We were on AM and our signal was quite strong. We’ve had people listen in Sweden. We had somebody last week from Germany.” In correspondence addressed to its audience and personnel, the trustees communicated: “Each of you has played a vital role in our journey, and we will cherish the memories we’ve created together.” The letter concluded: “Thank you for being a part of our story. We hope to carry the spirit of L&D Radio with us as we move forward.” Updates on news from Beds, Herts, and Bucks are available via BBC Sounds, Facebook, Instagram, and X. Copyright 2024 BBC. All rights reserved. The BBC bears no responsibility for material found on external websites. Information regarding our policy on external links is available.