SHOPPERS at a Weymouth supermarket will be invited to send and best wishes to people in hospital thanks to an original idea from Ridgeway Radio.
Broadcasters from Dorset County Hospital’s radio station will be setting up at Morrisons this Friday and Saturday to relay requests and dedications directly to the studio for playing on air over the weekend.
A team from the station will be in the supermarket foyer, while presenters in the studio will have Ridgeway Radio’s vast collection of music on vinyl, CD and online to try and meet the requests.
The station says it may not have every single track requested but the team will do its best to find a relative piece of music or select something appropriate if one cannot be met.
The aim of the ‘request stop’ at the supermarket is also to raise money to fund new studio equipment.
Having lost a major source of funding, Ridgeway Radio is faced with having to raise money itself to completely re-equip its studio with the latest technology.
The only alternative for the station is to go off air.
John Shepherd, from the fundraising team, said: “Ridgeway Radio is the most listened to station in the hospital and going silent is not an option.
“Local businesses have been very supportive.
“We started the year needing five new computers and four have been donated.
“We hope with Morrisons help we will raise enough to buy the fifth computer and then we will start raising money for new broadcasting equipment used by the presenters.”
As well as taking requests, Ridgeway Radio’s young broadcasters - who play an active part in making and presenting programmes for patients in the children’s Kingfisher Ward – will be helping shoppers to pack their bags at check outs.
There has been a hospital radio station broadcasting at various hospitals in the area for 49 years.
Ridgeway Radio has been broadcasting at Dorset County Hospital since it first opened.
Its team of broadcasters and technical staff are all volunteers.
For more information about the station visit ridgewayradio.org.uk
CONTACT ME
t: 01305 269801
e: harry.hogger@dorsetecho.co.uk
twitter: @echodorch
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