Hospital Radio Chelmsford (HRC) started broadcasting to local hospitals in the Mid-Essex area in September 1964, and since 2002 it has been broadcasting its own programmes 24 hours a day, 7 days a week. Many future personalities have donned headphones on HRC including:

Who knows who will be next from our radio station to go on to other things in the world of media?

HRC originally only broadcast to Chelmsford & Essex Hospital. Then the service expanded to include Broomfield, St. John's and Baddow Road. The Baddow Road Hospital closed in 1971 and the radio link was transferred to St. Peters Hospital in Maldon. Unfortunately, we stopped broadcasting to Maldon in the late 70s due to the expensive annual landline fee but, owing to modern technology and interest from the management and staff of St. Peter’s Hospital, this change in February 2004, when HRC returned to Spital Road Hospital.

Also in 1971 HRC moved from its premises at Chelmsford and Essex Hospital to the grounds of St. John's Hospital, firstly in a large caravan and then in 1978 we moved into 'The Gate Lodge'. The first studios were situated on the ground floor while new studios were being built on the top floor, which eventually opened on Saturday February 20th 1982.

Complete new studios have been constructed over the years including the introduction of Studio 2 on July 27th 1985, and in 1993 the former talk studio was totally rebuilt and named Studio 3. This Studio was totally rebuilt again in 2005 and renamed Studio 2. The old Studio 2 is now used mainly as a news/sport preparation room.

So, the last 41 years have been varied and eventful. We have seen visits by celebrities, MPs and The Mayor of Chelmsford, there have been Open Days to the public, Broomfield Week - when HRC took its outside broadcast equipment over to another Hospital and every programme for 7 days in a row was broadcast from The Concert Hall at Broomfield Hospital in 1985, numerous non-stop broadcasts including a successful World Record attempt by Greig Daines, The HRC 35th Anniversary Party held at Hylands House in 1999, The 50 Years of The Pop Charts celebration and, most memorably for the volunteers, the 28 Day RSL (Restricted Service Licence) which began on September 4th 1994, and allowed HRC to broadcast on 105.8 FM to the whole of Chelmsford.

In our anniversary year (2004) we grabbed 7 National hospital radio awards including the No.1 female, appeared on Anglia TV winning ‘The Price of Fish’ weekly episode, returned to Broomfield for a non-stop broadcast in mid-July, held a former members Reunion and broadcast a special 40th Birthday programme.

In 2005, again we did very well at The National Hospital Radio Awards and again we returned to Broomfield Hospital for another non-stop broadcast this time in mid-June. In August our new relaxation network started.

Adam Ravenscroft