interactive: studio tour

Our studio complex consists of three rooms: two are on-air capable studios and the third is our reception room and gram library. You can see photos of all three rooms along with a brief description below.

studio plan

The studio plan above gives you an idea of the geography of our studio complex.

The corridor from the main entrance (bottom right) gives access to all the rooms.

There is a window between Studio One and the Gram Library, but sadly there is no line of sight between Studio One and Studio Two - however, there is a talkback system to allow easy communication.

Studio Two was built several years after we moved in to the new hospital and because there's a fire wall separating the two studios meant it wasn't possible for a window to be installed! It also means installing equipment on the walls isn't easy!

studio one

Studio One from the presenters' position

Originally built at the same time as the hospital in 1989, updated to incorporate a computer based play-out system in 1999 and refitted in August 2005, Studio One is our main on-air facility.

All our music is stored on a server housed in the gram library. The play-out client in Studio One is used in live assist mode for programmes with presenters, but also automates the station during overnight sequences.

Looking at Studio One from the door

Although we rely heavily on the computer for broadcasting, Studio One also has cd and mini-disk players which act a back-up in case of a server crash!

Another computer is linked to our intranet system (we call it HWD Hospital Radio On Screen) which provides presenters with information about what's happening on the station, promotional scripts and special events.

A third computer is provided by the Hospital Trust for access to NHS Net, the hospital's intranet, and the internet.

check out the random webcam to the right or see them all on one page

studio two

Sitting in the presenter chair,
this is the view of Studio Two

Studio Two, which was refitted in August 2007, is smaller than the main on air studio, but the equipment is the same and it can easily be used on air if required.

This studio was built several years after the main studio and gram library when the hospital found they had some unused floor space - originally Studio Two was a store cupboard for old tvs and other junk and converting it into a proper room fit for habitation meant building more walls and knocking through a door from our corridor.

Open the door and this is
how Studio Two looks

Studio Two is a really valuable resource and is used for new presenter training, pre-production, pre-recorded interviews and show preparation.

Like Studio One, the computer has instant access to all our music, trails and jingles at the click of a mouse. This computer is also loaded with audio editing software so can be used for pre-producing programme items, editing packages and playing in as-live clips.

gram library/reception room/server room

Depending on who you are depends on what you call our third room - so please take your pick!

Our third room viewed from the door

The gram library houses our complete collection of singles and albums - we think we've got something in the order of 6,500 pieces of vinyl, probably one of the largest collections in the whole of the county! Every item is computer catalogued for easy reference, which is particularly useful for our very popular Sunday request programme "You Pick The Mix".

The library also houses the server which runs our computer network. There are two on-air machines, production workstations for the gram library and Studio One, an autorecorder for IRN cuts and station logging, an information server which runs our hospital-wide teletext service along with a PC that controls access to the complex via a TDSI software suite. Again, the Hospital Trust have supplied a PC for access to NHS Net.

Station output monitoring is provided via a mini Canford Audio speaker (under the monitor mounted on the wall) and a mini-listening area.