TUNING into one of Scotland’s oldest hospital radio stations, the jingle goes: “From the heart of Burns country, bringing you entertainment for more than 70 years.”
Ayr Hospital Radio (AHR) began broadcasting in 1953 and has provided more than seven decades of songs and chat of all styles for its listeners – and like many others, is serving up important entertainment and opportunities to this day.
Plus, as another jingle adds, you’ll find something to enjoy “even if you’re not in hospital”.
From the home of Ayr United Football Club, Somerset Park, volunteer-led live matchday commentaries have been relayed to the local hospital hubs in South Ayrshire alongside scheduled shows of music ranging from soul, latest hits and classic favourites.
AHR chair John O’Donnell says that the running of this radio station is “tailored to the needs of their listeners”.
“This service helps alleviate loneliness and anxiety, creating a sense of connection for patients who may feel isolated from the outside world,” he explains.
For Niall Anderson, chair of the Hospital Broadcasting Service in Glasgow, hospital radio is a “great training ground for future broadcasters” with household names such as George Bowie and Ken Bruce first heard here.
“I’ve been involved in hospital radio since the 1970s,” he says.
“The reason I’ve stayed is that I quickly saw the positive impact it had not only on listeners but also on those volunteering to deliver service.
“Originally hospital radio could only be heard using a headset installed at the bedside. These days we stream on the internet and not only does this mean higher sound quality, but it also allows real interaction between patients and their loved ones.
“For hospital radio to remain relevant, it needs to keep pace with the times and offer what people would expect from any radio station including features such as Listen Again – giving the chance to hear a show at a time that suits them.”
Live football commentary is a key part of the puzzle. AHR has included visually impaired supporters at the Honest Men’s home fixtures. O’Donnell believes this item offers a “sense of normality and escapism.”
An “inaugural match” against Dundee United in November 1953, according to club historian Duncan Carmichael, started this journey. An upgrade followed, with the opening of a studio in 1959 tucked away in the stadium’s southwest corner hiding an interior that feels like you’ve stepped into a time capsule.
One man’s vital contribution in constructing this unit, and whose presence preserves the origins of the commentary relays, is that of former army and telecoms worker Willie Shields.
At the age of 96, his services providing vivid and professional commentary in the role, as an Ayr supporter, means he still “feels like a young boy”.
He can still recall how he got himself up to this historic studio that is nearing its 66th anniversary.
“The room you’re sitting in, I did all the electrical work and a fair bit of the woodwork for it, we built this ourselves,” he says.
“Being a commentator made you more interested in the club, and you were doing something for them. They didn’t pay us at all, we were doing it for free, but we had to get the money in to go on air every time.”
HBSA Radio’s offering chimes with Shields’s assessment.
Based in Crosshouse since the mid-1970s, the second Ayrshire hospital broadcast service has provided audio descriptive commentary from rivals Kilmarnock Football Club from their home fixtures at Rugby Park since 2018.
Station manager Mark Fisher believes that offering the commentary throughout the seven years has “raised the profile”.
He says: “This has been great for listeners and has provided some amazing opportunities for our local volunteers to get into this very niche activity. The club is a huge part of local life, so it is great to be associated with them.
“The programmes are all presented by local people and we never air syndicated shows from elsewhere. Hospital radio is a valuable resource run by people from the community and hopefully that community benefits from it.”
Community, engagement and uplifting others are the outstanding sentiments from the long-running radio broadcast systems throughout Scotland operating on a stalwart, voluntary-led basis.
As AHR chair O’Donnell adds: “Whether it is music, requests, football, cricket, or other major sporting occasions, the volunteers who run these stations bring dedication and enthusiasm ensuring that the content is relevant to those in care.”
