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About us

In 1970, Mike Button, while lying in the bath, thought it would be a good idea if patients at St Helier Hospital had their own radio station. The thought became a plan, then the plan became a reality. On the 6th June 1970 Radio St Helier was launched to an unsuspecting, captive audience. Programmes were presented from a small room that was shared with the hospital chaplain. To say the room was crowded!

Almost 40 years later and Radio St Helier now broadcasts 365 days a year from a purpose-built studio complex on the first floor of the hospital between A and B block. Our existing studios were opened in 1991 and were built using money raised by providing public address and music at a variety of local events, and from donations. A fundraising method that we're proud to continue today.

Patientline and FM

Hospital patients listen to Radio St Helier using their Patientline bedside units. We transmit our programmes daily on radio channel 1.

Every few years we apply for a special 4 week licence to allow us to broadcast 24 hours a day on the FM band in the local area. Although this can be very hard work for our members, there are many benefits. During this time relatives and friends of patients can contact us to request/dedicate songs, which can help our listeners feel closer to home. Being on FM also means we can demonstrate to those outside the hospital what our service is all about - which has lead to donations, sponsorship and advertising. All funds raised go straight back into the organisation to help buy music, equipment and pay our running costs.

Funding

Radio St Helier is a registered charity and is not funded by the government, NHS or BBC licence fee. If you'd like to make a donation (please make cheques/postal orders payable to 'Radio St Helier'), book us for an event, apply for membership or simply ask a question, we'd love to hear from you.

The music we play

We're always being asked, "I don't suppose you've got that one I want?", or "What sort of music do you play?". Well the answer to the first question is we probably have, and to the second - almost anything from Enrico Caruso (1913) to the current UK chart number 1. We don't have playlists, because our listeners choose the music!

Radio St Helier's music collection has grown and grown. We started in 1970 with a small, donated collection and a few records that the original DJs bought themselves. Today, we have tens of thousands of songs in digital, CD and vinyl formats.