The Royal Oldham’s Hospital’s very own Radio Cavell station is celebrating its 70th year of broadcasting to patients.
The station broadcasts primarily to an inpatient audience at the hospital and has entertained and brought smiles to many since it first aired its debut show on 29 November, 1952.
A commentary on a football match between Oldham and Scunthorpe marked the very first broadcast on the radio to the patients of the hospital. Oldham lost the game that day, but the station gained a loyal fanbase of listeners.
The station officially adopted the name Radio Cavell in honour of the WWII British nurse, Edith Cavell. At the time, the station was very active in the National Hospital Broadcasting Association and was one of the first stations to obtain an AM Broadcast licence from Ofcom in the 1990s.
What’s even more fascinating is that throughout its 70-year history, the station has been run entirely by volunteers.
Kent Wells, the Chairman of Radio Cavell, said: “We do not feel that just marking the day is enough and while we will be holding an evening celebration event in the new year, we hope to attract as many former volunteers to join us for the event and participate in our special programming throughout the year.”
Over the years, the station has hosted a number of local and national celebrities, musicians, sports personalities, actors, the most famous of which was Sarah Lancashire and several of her Coronation Street co-stars, and Professor Brian Cox with his then band, Dare, and many others.
In 1999, a special programme dedicated to Louise Brown, who was the world’s first test tube baby and who was born in Oldham, was broadcast to commemorate her 21st birthday. The programme has since gone to be part of the online collection at The Churchill Archives Centre at Churchill College in Cambridge.
Karen Coverley, the Director of Nursing at Oldham Care Organisation, said: “I cannot describe how valuable the radio station is for our patients and how much it helps brighten their day. I hope that it continues to be a voice of comfort for many, for another 70 years.”
For its 70th anniversary, the team will be broadcasting a number of one-off special programmes over the next 12 months.
To tune in or find out more, then visit Radio Cavell 1350AM
