Wave Radio at Dr Gray's celebrates 25 years on the air
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THE broadcasting service at Dr Gray's is celebrating 25 years of existence.
Wave Radio, based within the hospital in Elgin, has been entertaining patients since 1997.
It's a double anniversary for the radio station – as in 2012 it became Wave Hospital and Community Radio, broadcasting online to the people of Moray.
Lots has changed over the last 25 years. When Wave Radio started it was vinyl records and cassette tapes, which progressed to compact disks and MiniDisks. Now it is all computerised using a variety of digital media.
Originally it was only a “closed loop” system within the hospital that patients could listen to in mono at their bedside using a headset. Now they can also listen online or through a smart phone or tablet.
Something that has not changed in the last 25 years, though, is that Wave Radio is operated and run by volunteers who give up their own time to produce and put out programmes.
When the Covid-19 pandemic started, the radio station faced another challenge as it had to find a way to continue operating without the need for the presenters to go into the hospital studio.
It was quickly worked out that presenters could to do live shows from home into the studio and the shows continued to be broadcast in the same way.
The station continues to combine presenters working from home and from the studio at Dr Gray's.
Wave Radio needs donations more now than at any point during its quarter of a century long existence – with events and fundraising hit badly by the coronavirus pandemic.
The station is funded wholly by donations. You can donate at www.justgiving.com/campaign/whcrfundraising.
To celebrate their anniversary year, Wave Radio has launched an updated version of their website (www.waveradio.org.uk), designed by Elgin-based Nightingweb, and has released a new schedule.
