A few years ago, the thought of being able to broadcast from the safety of our own homes would have just been a dream. In the current lockdown situation, with no studio access being the only safe way to proceed, Royal Free Radio would have ceased to broadcast patient information and music requests until restrictions were lifted.
Thankfully the software we use in our current studio, Myriad 5 from Broadcast Radio, allows our presenters to keep patients up-to-date and all our usual programmes ‘on-air’ by using their own home ‘studios’.
Many of our volunteers have cobbled together their own setups of microphones and laptops to continue presenting their shows which include music requests, local news and hospital information for the patients listening in The Royal Free, Chase Farm and North Middlesex hospitals.
By picking up our telephone messages remotely and being able to access all the requests that patients send in via the website we can continue to put out patient request programmes. Our large database of music enables us to find most music that the patient’s request.
Of course with no visitors allowed at the current time we can also pass on messages to patients from loved ones not able come into the hospitals.
Every Thursday we are able to join in with our ‘Clap for Carers’ feature. The ‘Weekday Brunch’ programme has new quizzes and teasers and the ‘Afternoon Delight’ programmes feature up to date hospital information. You’d hardly notice that we haven’t been near our studios for weeks!
This is all thanks to our two dedicated engineers Andy and Martin who set up the system for us in the first place and continue to ensure its smooth operation as they work ‘behind the scenes’.
If anyone wants a request just go to the “Request” tab on the website home page, it will be played in the next request programme on air Sunday through to Friday at 8pm – just the same as always!
