Our story

It was football that started it all in 1952. Equipment and a microphone rented from Rediffusion along with the services of an engineer - the costs defrayed from a sum of money raised each year by Leslie Sullivan [Sully], in order to relay a commentary of the Saints home game around the wards of the Royal South Hants Hospital, the General and the Old Eye Hospital, using the Rediffusion wired network system. We have covered every home match since 1952, but for the first 11 years football commentaries were the only form of broadcasting.

Programmes were recorded until 2nd January 1966 with the first live broadcast from a damp smelly former wine cellar under the Toc. H building at the top of The Avenue, Southampton. A complete programme service came from there, including newscasts, childrens programmes, outside broadcast coverage of the Carnival, and the Southampton Three Day Show on The Common, as well as live coverage of shows held at the Top Rank Suite. The regular request programmes flourished and a record library of shellac 78s and vinyl 45s started. In August 1971 we moved above ground having raised £9,000, representing the cost of a single storey, two studio building erected in the cabbage patch alongside the Toc. H Mark V Youth Hostel.

In 1978 the developers moved us along, starting a search for our next new home: The Western Hospital site was slowly being run down and we were granted a 21 year lease on a piece of land within the 20 acre grounds, next door to the Old Chest Hospital in Millbrook, so more serious fundraising required. It cost £50,000 to build the studio complex - this time in brick with a tiled roof. Programmes started from these new studios in 1980 opened by Lord and Lady Romsey on 11th December 1981.

Just ten years later Tesco came along wanting our piece of land to use as the entranceway, off Tebourba Way, for their new superstore. This led to them building and fitting out a magnificent Studio Centre for which we had a new lease on our piece of land from the Hospital Authority and started broadcasting from there on the 12th December 1993. These purpose-built premises had five rooms with three sound desks, a record library, office, conference room, kitchen, engineers' workshops and a first floor used as storage space.

Our final broadcast from the Tebourba Way site was on the 13th November 2015, before moving - seamlessly achieved without a break in transmission - to our current home in Normand House along Tremona Road within the grounds of Southampton UHS Hospital.

Our annual running costs are now in excess of £18,000 with around 100 members involved and we continue to broadcast our own radio programmes 24 hours a day.

The Music Library

Although you may hear the voices of the presenters during programmes there are lots of others involved. A majority of our programmes involve music so the historical library proves a vital resource running counter to our modern playout system.

Each track or download is catalogued by artist and title so when you ask for a particular song or piece of music by your favourite singer or group we can see all their songs at-a-glance.

In a station offering patients the opportunity to ask for requests, finding the right music at speed is very important. In recent years we started putting the library onto a computer database simplifying the search for a song just by using a key word in its title. 

If you are interested in helping Southampton Hospital Radio in its work, but reluctant to appear in front of a microphone, then our library is the place for you.

Alumni

Were you a member of Southampton HBA in the past? We'd love to reconnect and hear what you're doing now! Whether you followed a career in broadcasting or found a new passion, let us know how your experience at Southampton HBA influenced your journey. It doesn't have to be related to radio—maybe you discovered a love for charity work or picked up skills that have shaped your life. We'd be excited to share your story!

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  Tim Marshall

  Tim Marshall contributed to Southampton HBA from 1972-1975, which led to a career at the BBC, Disney, and as CEO of Janet (UK).

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  Pete Simpkin

  Pete Simpkin, a member from the mid-1960s to 1971, credits Southampton HBA for launching his BBC career.

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  Alina Jenkins

  Alina Jenkins, now a BBC South Today weather presenter, credits her experience at Southampton Hospital Radio for building her confidence and launching her media career. She fondly recalls her early days there.

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  Tim Cole

  Tim Cole, former HBA member (1997-2001), is now a presenter at Suffolk’s SGR FM. He credits Southampton HBA for helping launch his successful radio career.