Radio Northwick Park

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

"Ronnie The Radio"
Official logo for Radio Northwick Park

Radio Northwick Park (RNP) is a free hospital broadcasting service based inside Northwick Park Hospital in Harrow, Middlesex, England.

The radio station was founded in 1971 and is run by volunteers to provide a broadcast entertainment service to patients. They are a registered charity in the United Kingdom (charity number 274806), and a member of the Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA). RNP became one of the first hospital radio stations in the United Kingdom to become 24 hours, in 2000, when they received a Lottery Grant which enabled them to install a computer system. Their mascot is called Ronnie the Radio. The station has won several awards from the Hospital Broadcasting Association.

In 2006, Radio Northwick Park was able to broadcast online through their website, enabling listeners to tune in outside Northwick Park Hospital. The internet broadcasting was set up primarily to offer a service to retirement homes and similar places around the local area, as a replacement to the Mediumwave service that the station had to discontinue in 2005.

In 2008 Radio Northwick Park were recognised as being one of the Top 5 Hospital Radio Stations in the UK and number one in the London area. They received an award for this from the Hospital Broadcasting Association.