The Music Box Information: Presenter

 

I have always had a great interest in broadcasting in general and radio in particular. However I knew little about Hospital Radio until I did some voluntary work with Radio HBS in Glasgow in 1985 by collecting requests and helping with the production of the Monday night request programme.

 

On moving to Dundee I joined Radio Tayside (as it was them called) in 1986 as a request collector for the Thursday night request programme. A short time later, in addition to still collecting the requests, I also started helping to produce the programme by looking out all of the records needed.

 

Later on I was invited to train as a programme presenter and passed my audition on Sunday 20 April 1986. Mind you, I did present my first programme the day before! The first track played on my first 'official' programme the following Thursday was 'The Korgis - If I Had You', and I continued to fill-in for absent presenters until getting a regular programme on Thursday nights from 6:30 - 7:30pm. This programme was also called 'The Music Box' but featured all types of music and songs - not just the instrumentals featured now. From there I moved to the Sunday night request programme where I stayed until April 1992.

 

I was also Treasurer of Radio Tayside for a period of six years, during which time we managed to raise some 20,000UKP to finance a move to new premises in Dundee Royal Infirmary and equip two brand-new studios. We also received an assurance that we would be moved to Ninewells Hospital when DRI closed in several years time. This promise was honoured in 1999.

 

Unfortunately illness meant that I had to stop presenting in 1992 and I stood down as Treasurer in 1995. It was not until 1999 that I was able to make a limited return by recording 30-minute Music Box programmes . From 2002 'The Music Box' series is available to any Hospital Radio station.

 

In 2006 I was commended by the judges in the category of Male Presenter of the Year at the HBA National Hospital Radio Awards.