Evening Telegraph (First Edition)
Perth hospital radio is still easing pain for patients – 30 years after it first aired
THEY have been bringing cheer to people for 30 years and Perth Hospital
Radio aims to keep on doing so.
The dedicated band of volunteers who broadcast over the air and take requests have brought entertainment in a time of anxiety to the many thousands of listeners who have tuned in at
Perth Royal Infirmary.
Their efforts have gained national recognition.
On four occasions, they have been named UK
Hospital Radio Station of the Year.
However, their main aim is not to win awards, but to keep on providing a service 24 hours a day seven days a week.
Although most of the content is musical, other topics are covered with live broadcasts from
St Johnstone games being complemented by the Tuesday Teamtalk programme whereby a team of pundits discuss the weekend football action.
The team is led by John
Watson who has been with the station for all of the 30 years although he is quick to point out the idea was the brainchild of Stuart and Corrine
Kennedy who set the whole thing up.
It’s been onwards and upwards since then with various presenters and various ideas being brought in at regular intervals.
The station once did a real marathon session by playing every record which had reached
No 1 in the British charts in succession.
Getting a hold of some of these discs was a major task but it was accomplished, as was them laying their hands on a Greek LP in a Perth second hand shop for a very special reason.
John explains: “A Greek man was hospitalised for some time at Perth Royal and wanted us to put on some songs which he was familiar with.
“Like the Lone Ranger always got his man, we always get our record and, after hunting high and low, we managed to locate an LP of Greek songs in a second hand place.
“So we played a different song every night for him and he was fair chuffed.”
The station plays all sorts of music and they even had Daniel O’Donnell on one of their shows.
The Irish songster has many relatives in Perth and has holidayed there.
The chance to have him in the studio was too good to miss.
Michelle McManus has also been a guest as have St Johnstone managers and players, all contributing to making hospital stays more pleasant.