Walsall Hospital Radio

Shows were primarily presented in the evenings or at weekends, although some volunteers would occasionally host shows during the daytime as well. Following a training period lasting between 4–8 weeks, new volunteer presenters were able to fill a vacant slot and host a show of their choosing. The station had a wide range in terms of broadcast content with presenters hosting shows playing music from Country to R&B, Bhangra to Rock and also spoken word and sport programmes etc.

Upon joining Walsall Hospital Radio, new volunteers interested in presenting were initially placed with the station's Training Officer who teaches them the basics of operating the mixing desk. Items on the syllabus include how to properly cue tracks, how to use the computer playout system and how to configure the studio patch board. Once the new volunteers were confident in the studio they were then assigned to a presenter and sit in on his/her show for 3–4 weeks as an observer. The final stage of the training process involved making a demo tape of an off-air show which if reviewed by either the Training Officer or the Programme Manager. Providing that the demo tape is acceptable, the new volunteer was then able to take up a show of their own.[3]

Shows were presented either solo or with up to two co-presenters. Both studios were connected to internal phone lines allowing patients to phone in direct to interact with live shows, for example to make requests or dedications. The phone lines were integrated with the mixing console meaning that callers could be put on air. DJs were able to bring in their own records or use the station's record library and computer system, the library was especially useful for locating older albums and songs. Audio could be played from many different sources including CD, MiniDisc cassette, Vinyl and from portable digital devices via a radio transmitter adapter tuned into the mixing desk's receiver.

Pigeon-holes for correspondence at WHR

Administration can include tasks such as responding to correspondence, updating the record library, recruitment, walking the wards to collect requests, maintenance and training. The task of station administration was generally spread out across the volunteer staff, although some members took special responsibility for jobs requiring specific knowledge such as studio maintenance, the website etc.

As the station was normally unmanned during daytime in the working week, checking for, and responding to, answer phone messages is an important job and will be done at least twice a week. Post was also read and acted upon as required with special items such as bills being forwarded on to the appropriate person at the station. In addition to post and telephone correspondence, volunteers would also check for new emails. This is done as regularly as possible because new volunteers often first approach the station via email.

Studio maintenance tasks included updating the station's digital record library and taking care of any problems with the broadcasting facilities. Volunteers can use specialist programmes installed on the station's computers to import music from CDs or to download it from the internet and then add it to the existing record library. Routine maintenance usually involved replacing blown bulbs, debugging networking, configuring wiring etc.

A volunteer committee was responsible for WHR's day-to-day activities and meets on a casual basis. A station AGM for all volunteer staff is held once a year, usually in January. The following table details the role of each WHR Committee position –

As Walsall Hospital Radio was not funded by Manor Hospital, fundraising is an especially important role. Volunteers would both arrange and take part in regular fundraising events for the station. Frequently employed fundraising methods include –

• Table Top Sales – Held in the hospital's entrance foyer and involved station volunteers selling items donated to the station. Bric-a-brac style items such as videos, books and ornaments are commonly found on the table and are priced according to their condition. Sales last for the duration of an afternoon, usually during visiting hours and raise between £30–60.[4]
• Tin Shakes – Station volunteers take donation tins out into the centre of Walsall and encourage members of the public to make contributions. Tin Shakes are seen as useful because they help raise awareness of the station's cause, although they can be tricky to arrange requiring permission from the town council several weeks in advance.
• Broadcast Marathons – The station holds 'broadcast marathons' either once or twice annually. They work by volunteers collecting sponsorship to take part in an extended broadcast spanning 48 hours with the aim to span the denoted period unbroken. The most recent broadcast marathon, held in late 2007, raised approximately £450.[4]