3 years at Coventry Hospital Radio

3 Years at Coventry Hospital Radio-High's and Low's  

I have been at Coventry Hospital Radio now for more than 3 years so I decided to write a little blog about my 3 years there. I have seen the station grow and grow to being number 1 at University Hospital Coventry and Warwickshire for more than 2 years and now maybe going internet (if money will let us too).

When I started as a trainee in May 2011 the station was still using mini-disks/CD's/Vinal and we had no computer apart from the playout system which had to keep changing every 30 Days or so. We had no internet access or website just a basic information details and email address to the volunteers office then they would pass the information up to the CHR committee at that time through meetings. 

When I passed my training in July 2011 I was on a Friday afternoon between 1-2pm presenting a sports/music show and had to get all my information printed out before I went to the studio's due to no access to the internet while LIVE on air. The phone call's were very minimum and they had to use the 02476 number which would put people off thinking it would cost them to phone us. I then moved to Thursday afternoon's due to college lesson's. I was given a 2 hour show alongside a request show from 2pm and then CHR started to pick up with ratings and new ideas were brought into the station.

In 2012 the CHR started to climb from 4th/5th in the TV/Radio ratings to 1st and for the first time in ages. A new website was then being built with a very long complicated name with something called coventryhospitalradio.webatu.org. When it came to middle of the year Coventry Hospital Radio had also gone into the social media world by having a facebook and twitter accounts and interacting with the audience that but we still didn't have no internet in the radio studio's for LIVE shows. It was also CHR's 40th Birthday that year so were organizing a BIG birthday bash with people new and old from the past at CHR.
They also appointed a Patron who is Barnie Choudhury and some ambassadors and they were:

1) Hazel O'Connor-Singer,songwriter
2) Pauline Black-Singer,Musician
3) Vic Minett-BBC Coventry and Warwickshire Presenter
4) Brody Swain-Ex 96.2 Touch FM Breakfast presenter and now works for BBC Coventry and Warwickshire and Inrix Travel

 In that year was also when CHR won a few awards at the Hospital Radio Broadcasting awards including a 48 hour show. By the end of 2012 CHR has already improved within a year and half I have been there and slowly started to bring internet in within the hospital wifi.

   

The start of 2013 saw Coventry Hospital Radio have internet and looking at getting there own internet. Within the CHR studio's there was more audience interaction then before a *800 number started getting rid of the 02476 number. An official website was brought and up running on the internet. Presenter's had there own presenter profile and promo on the internet and things were looking good for Coventry Hospital Radio. At the start of 2013 I moved to a Wednesday evening between 7-8pm but within a few months I changed back to a Thursday Afternoon between 1-3pm with requests at 2pm. Social media sites like facebook and twitter had interaction with people from outside the hospital asking people to play certain songs for people who are in hospital. The playout system was changed with the music sorted out and shows going out in the evening /overnight. Loads of events were also happening for Coventry Hospital Radio they went LIVE at ASDA at Brade Drive in Coventry, They went to the Godiva Festival, Coventry Market with a LIVE show and they had singer Krystal Mills in the studio playing LIVE songs on air and questions being asked from the presenter and since then she has been backed plenty of other times. By the end of 2013 it looked like another great year for Coventry Hospital Radio and with the Lord Mayor of Coventry visiting once again and wishing patients a peaceful new year. 

The start of 2014 continued like 2013 with many events/fundraising ideas being mention including competitions. Every week the radio station keeps improving and is still number 1 with great audience interaction from the Coventry public and people who are unfortunately in hospital. Coventry Hospital Radio are always on the look out for new volunteers young and old to help out the station in many ways from getting requests to being a radio presenter.




   

I always interact with my Thursday afternoon audience on social media on my facebook page: www.facebook.com/simontidmarshdj or on twitter @SiOnTheRadio/@Cov4si or on *800 telephone number. I am looking forward to the next 3 years and beyond at Coventry Hospital Radio and don't forget more details about the station can be found at: www.coventryhospitalradio.org

My profile at Coventry Hospital Radio is at: http://coventryhospitalradio.org/Simon-Tidmarsh.php

The "New Touch FM/Oak FM"

The NEW TOUCH FM/OAK FM!

On Friday 21st March 2014 just after 5:09pm 96.2 Touch FM (Coventry) was playing Sam Smith Money On My Mind meanwhile on Oak FM in Nuneaton and Loughborough they were playing La La La by Sam Smith. Everything was normal and listeners/audiences were looking forward to weekend floorfillers but something else was being planned for these radio stations by Quidem (people who run Touch FM/Rugby FM/Oak FM network). A few minutes later on Oak FM it got interrupted with a buzzing noise and a sound of radio re-tuning followed by "This station has seized tune in at 10am" and then Queen Bohemian Rhapsody started to play (what a great song to choose) meanwhile the same happened on 96.2 Touch FM Coventry.

Quidem then changed there social media sites on facebook and twitter saying they are "seized" and people and regular listeners were wondering what is going to happen next to the radio station. Was it going to change names? Have they been sold off to another radio company? The only people that knew were people who work for Quidem.





I started to get loads of messages from friends/family and fellow radio presenters from either Coventry Hospital Radio and just people to general wondering why these stations were playing non-stop Queen meanwhile the likes of Rugby FM/102 Touch FM were continuing as normal with there output towards there audiences. So if they seized as a company wouldn't all there network have the same problem? Suddenly people started to think the station name will be changed to something like Jack FM as they have been rumored to move into the midlands to: http://jackfm.co.uk/stations/Midlands/

However on Saturday morning and include Sunday Morning my alarm clock was keep playing Queen and Seized jingle and yes I do like that song but I was missing the Ollie and Simon Saturday Morning Show to wake me up or Jason Moss on a Sunday Morning and I was debating what to have on for Monday morning when I wake up to get ready for college as I wanted to hear the news/weather/sport/travel. After a whole weekend of Queen and nothing else being played on Touch FM and Oak FM I decided to have Paul Marriott/Shane O'Connor on for Monday morning on BBC Coventry and Warwickshire. But I wonder how many people have Queen on in the car while driving to work or did they switch to another local radio station. All we knew by the Monday morning at 8am was a brand new station for Coventry or Nuneaton/Loughbrough (matters were you live) was going to launch at 10am.

                                                                                                                                                                  
So at 10am on Monday 24th March the new station and names were revealed to there audiences after a whole weekend with Queen and  Bohemian Rhapsody. On 96.2 Touch FM Ollie Gallant and Simon Alexander launched the station off once again named as " 96.2 The New Touch FM" and on Oak FM it was Mark and Twiggy from there breakfast show and they renamed the station as "107 The New Oak FM".
I was listening to 96.2 Touch FM so I wasn't quite sure what was said on Oak FM (guessing it is the same as Touch FM) however Ollie Gallant and Simon Alexander confirmed that they will head the new breakfast show on the New Touch FM. They promised they wouldn't play anymore Queen Bohemian Rhapsody on the show but after the second link (talk between songs if your not quite sure and not like a radio geek like myself) they did!! Which was a bit of fun towards the audience. They launched a new competition regarding taking a selfie saying you have tuned into The New Touch FM and you can win some money. Another great story they told the listeners about a person ringing up the police saying staff has been kidnapped and the station is experiencing a takeover which Ollie and Simon had a laugh about on air.



I thought it was a great way to start the New 96.2 Touch FM and it was great to see Quidem keeping it quite from the Coventry public and it will hopefully bring a new audience and face towards the revamped station. I normally flick through between Rugby FM and Touch FM in the morning as I like Jason Moss in the morning too but since these changes I have just stuck with Touch FM. Once again great to see Audience Interaction on social media back! It is a shame Jason Moss isn't doing drivetime on the New Touch FM but we can't have everything these days can we?!



Meanwhile on The New Oak FM it is great to see Mark and Twiggy staying on as the breakfast show hosts as they have done very well on those station with high audience figures (RAJAR).



I personally think it has been a great move from Quidem on doing this change and revamping the station and hopefully it get's great audiences figures in the next RAJAR results and those people who tuned out after getting fed up with a weekend of Queen will re tune there radio's and listen into the new changes.

You can find Touch FM on 96.2 FM in Coventry or www.mytouchfm.co.uk

You can find Oak FM on 107 and 107.9 FM if your in Nuneaton/Loughborough or http://107.oakfm.co.uk/

I would be interested to hear your views on this matter so you can tweet me: @Cov4si or @SiOnTheRadio or comment below!