Portsmouth Hospital Broadcasting, Queen Alexandra Hospital, Cosham, Portsmouth. PO6 3LY
Portsmouth Hospital Broadcasting - A Brief History
The PHB as we know it today originally came about as a direct result of overcrowding problems at Fratton Park in the early 1950’s. On three occasions, a police sergeant named Brian Morrissey provided an ‘over the wall’ commentary to frustrated fans outside. Sometime during these matches he realised the misfortune of patients in St Mary’s hospital which he could see from the walls.
Once the first commentaries began, the word spread to other league clubs and the era of sports relay to hospitals began in earnest leading to the eventual creation of Hospital Radio Stations as we know them today.
The radio station that we know of today came as an indirect result of a group of Portsmouth Grammar School sixth-formers wanting to start a pirate radio station. Advised by famous DJ (Johnnie Walker) of the time to avoid a criminal career they then went on to set-up a Hospital Radio station, with the support of the St Marys Hospital management team in what was an underground war-time operating theatre. One of this group was named Richard Skinner who himself went onto national radio fame.
The studios at St Mary's served well, with later expansion to other local hospitals including St James’, Queen Alexandra, Haslar and elsewhere. However, sixteen years of flooding took their toll on both equipment and broadcasters, and in
1986 the station completed a move to Queen Alexandra Hospital which was launched live to a national audience at 5.57pm on BBC 1 during the first ever Hospital Watch programme.
Things went well at QA with coverage continuing to St Mary’s for another twenty years until the building programme for the new hospital caught-up with the station forcing a move back to the original home of St Mary’s. This time, thankfully, in a first-floor area.
Ultimately, 2009 bought with it the completion of the new and improved Queen Alexandra Hospital and began a move back to brand-new custom-built studios at Queen Alexandra Hospital in Cosham. With almost all patient services centres on the hospital PHB ironically had its best and largest audience ever.
While heavily supported by the hospital trust, Carrilion and lots of donations, the moves have still cost a vast amount of money, raised by hard-working members over the years.
The ever-popular Southsea Show used to be a guaranteed money-raiser for the station, bringing in over £1500 every year. However with the demise of the show much smaller venues and events have to take over,
However, the goal still remains. Provide an excellent service of entertainment to patients in hospital.