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The story so far... |
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| 1978... | Radio Forest was born, providing music and entertainment to the patients and staff of the Forest Hospital in Buckhurst Hill, Essex. A small team of 8 people built studios and equipment and registered Radio Forest as a charity "to relieve sickness through entertainment"! | |
| 1980... |
By now we had become much bigger, with 30 people providing a radio service 6 nights a week. With the closing of the Forest Hospital the studios moved to St. Margaret’s Hospital in Epping and by 1986 over 40 volunteers were broadcasting, ward visiting and raising funds 7 days a week. |
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| 1990... |
Radio Forest continued to expand, opening it's third on air studio. Further new equipment enabled us for the first time to provide recorded music and information overnight. We become the first hospital radio station in the country to broadcast twenty-four hours a day. |
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| 1996... |
Radio Forest was granted a license by the Radio Authority, to broadcast on FM for 28 days to the Epping Forest area over the Christmas period. The public response was incredible, enabling us to compete commercially with other local stations and raise much needed funds. |
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| 1999... |
A move within St. Margaret's Hospital meant the building of a new studio, embracing modern digital technology. Radio Forest become pioneers once again by developing a digital sustaining service. Giving us the ability to provide a true 24 hour service including local and national news. |
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| 2002... | Radio Forest opened it's dedicated Production suite allowing more flexible programming, audio production and volunteer training. In November our sister station 'Classic Hits Forest Gold' was born. Broadcasting a non stop mix of hits form the 50's, 60's and 70's. Classic Hits Forest Gold proved to be a popular addition to the St. Margaret's Hospital airwaves. | |
| 2003... | 'Classic Hits Forest Gold' launched at Ongar Community War Memorial Hospital, in Essex, via a radio link. | |
| 2005... | 'Radio Forest provides "Classic Hits Forest Gold" to Plane, Poplar and Orchard wards at St. Margaret's Hospital. |
| 2006... | A complete refurbishment of the audio distribution system at St. Margaret's Hospital is completed, replacing the original system first installed during the 1950's. |
| 2007... | The new hospital at St. Margaret's is completed and Radio Forest installs speakers and bedside audio facilities to the four new ward areas, allowing a choice of listening including Radio Forest FM and Classic Hits Forest Gold. A new studio has also been completed allowing for more live programmes on both radio services. |
| 2008... | Radio Forest Expands its service to the Derwent Centre in Harlow. Radio Forest FM is re-named Forest One. |