Radio Law to stop broadcasting after 57 years serving local community

Radio Law, the hospital radio station based in University Hospital Wishaw, has announced plans to stop broadcasting after 57 years. The final broadcast will be a Christmas extravaganza on the afternoon of Sunday 8th December, after which the station will go silent for ever.

Founded in the former Law Hospital in 1967, the station began broadcasting by providing a weekly one-hour request programme each Sunday morning from a tape recorder plugged into the hospital radio system. It was then expanded several years later to a small cupboard and a studio system was put together.

In 1980, the nursing staff at Law kindly raised money to buy a new studio console for the cupboard. By 1985, Radio Law had outgrown its small cupboard and was given a new studio building, which it occupied until relocating from Law Hospital to the then Wishaw General in 2001. 

The volunteer-run charity has provided 24 hour broadcasting to patients and staff in Wishaw through a mixture of live and automated programming, which was also streamed worldwide online.

Members agreed at an extraordinary meeting of the charity today to begin closing it down. 

The station will continue until 8 December, although it is planned for members to maintain the station’s longstanding practice of distributing gifts to those in hospital on Christmas Day one final time. The charity will be wound up and it is hoped that its remaining assets will be used to support a similarly good cause.

Chairman Iain Gilchrist said, “Many people have put a lot into Radio Law over the decades. We are very grateful for that and proud of the service we have provided through thick and thin. Times have changed and so has hospital radio. Based on extensive member feedback we decided it was best to close the station on a high.”

“We hope as many former members, listeners and supporters as possible will get in touch with us to share their memories of the station so we can include them on our farewell broadcast, the Christmas extravaganza on Sunday the 8th of December.” People can listen live on www.radiolaw.org.uk or the TuneIn app.

 

Contact:

Andy Boyd, Secretary (secretary@radiol aw.org.uk)