HBA Conference Bolton March 2026 Hospital Broadcasting Association Conference March 2006 Live Blog

HBA Conference Bolton March 2026

Hospital Broadcasting Association Conference March 2006 Live Blog

Some good basic branding rules here that somehow a lot of stations - no matter what level - still routinely ignore.

Final look at some technical toys in the trade show and a few chats to round up the #hbauk2026 conference in Bolton.

It's the HBA Awards later this evening. I'm not staying for that, but good luck to everyone nominated.

The listener journey

Be short and concise on social posts

"No show pages" Ditch "Tony's page" competing with "station page".

"Stick your logo on everything"

#hbauk2026 Just having a good audio product is not enough. Need awareness.

Bad branding has lots of knock on effects

#hbauk2026 Next session on branding.

Could have done with this session being much longer, lots of interesting discussion, such as "Miles" who presents the Jazz show, who is made by AI, but a listener asked to meet.

Interesting discussion on AI music and production, copyright is very murky on these.

AI is a challenge, you need to know how to embrace it. Roy says in some ways it's just a new way of working like moving from editing on tape, to digital playout.

#hbauk2026 Ray Paul from the audio academy a.k.a radio academy on a session about their work and the future of AI with a packed room.

#hbauk2026 HBA AGM time. I don't think there is anything of any "exciting" mainly just the formalities....

Little talk about sharing historic clips and sharing clips in general, that various people are interested in.

Luke Davies on how to do a show on hospital radio. Suggestion on a way to do historical clips.

Earliest reference Geoff can find of a service for hospitals is 1919 with a rudememtary 'transmitter' and headphones attached to bed frames.

Earlier radio broadcasts aimed at hospitals in the USA #hbauk2026

Earliest know hospital broadcasts, 1930s in Oldham Matron organised piano performances and readings over the "tannoy", 1926 York feed records to speakers in the hospital patients.

Wireless sets where confestated by Germans and add to get permission from them to run services.

Talk of "gramophone concerts" in occupied Jersey during ww2 #hbauk2026

1956 football commentary to Whips Cross hospital. 6th October 1956

1950s Tom Winterflood started hospital broadcasting, interviewed stats and organised tape swap service.

Break out sessions at #hbauk2026 conference. I'm opt d for The 100 year history of hospital radio, with Geoff Fairbairn and Luke Davies

Nicholas Owen 1994 told he was to be the new Royal correspondent but "I'm not a royalist" and talked of his biggest story being on duty for the death of Princess Diana. Best memory Royal tour of South Africa, talking to the Queen at Royal reception "not bad for a bit who left school with 5 O Levels"

Talking of his career started out wanting to be a newspaper reporter. Got a job on his local paper. Worked at The Daily Sketch learnt he didn't want to be a tabloid reporter. #hbauk2026

Nicholas Owen "Television has visuals, but radio is just your voice, can't fall back on facial expressions" #hbauk2026

Story of being interviewed on radio. "Why do you make guests wear headphones?"

"I don't normally do slides" but made an exception with these images of volunteers in his local hospital cafe he opened and how he's worked with Radio Redhill. #hbauk2026