Patients within Stracathro Hospital are benefitting from the latest initiative of Radio North Angus, the voluntary organisation that operates an Independent Local Radio Station based within Arbroath Infirmary, and Hospital Radio Stations at Stracathro and Forfar Infirmary. For over 21 years, the Stracathro Station has broadcast nightly programmes, but recent technical developments pertaining to the Arbroath Station have facilitated output being increased from four to sixteen hours per day.
RNA was awarded an Independent Local Radio licence for the Arbroath Station in July 1998 with an output power of 25 watts, and earlier this year the Radio Authority granted approval for an increase to 200 watts, thus enabling the Service to transmit over a wide area of the County.
The increase in signal strength has allowed for the Station to be received by a relay system at Stracathro which conveys the Arbroath Station whenever the Stracathro Station is not on air. Hence the patients now receive RNA Arbroath from 7.30 am to 6.00 pm, RNA Stracathro from 6.00 to 10.00 pm, and finally RNA Arbroath between 10.00 and 11.30 pm each day, with Virgin Radio being broadcast during the night.
In addition to programmes that are specifically designed to serve hospital audiences, patients can enjoy the wide ranging music based format of RNA FM, that aims to have one presenter for each of the fifty five programmes broadcast each week, which include a wealth of news and information on County wide events, and support health promotion, welfare activities, educational establishments, voluntary organisations and the local economy.
The Arbroath and Stracathro Stations broadcast on 96.6 FM and 87.7 FM respectively, and patients can also receive the transmissions on bedside headsets.
The organisers are grateful to the Radio Authority and the NHS for their co-operation, and to Mr Des Nicoll, of Nicoll and Stewart, for technical assistance.
Anyone with an interest in joining RNA, or who would wish information broadcast, is invited to contact the Honorary Secretary:
Malcolm J B Finlayson,
11 Bankhead Crescent,
Arbroath,
DD11 2DP.
Tel 01241 871446
E-mail messages to RNA Webmaster.