Radio DGH’s roots stretch back to 1951, when volunteers at the former St Mary’s Hospital in Old Town, Eastbourne, adapted serving trolleys to carry portable record players. Moving from ward to ward, they played popular songs for patients, bringing music and companionship to their hospital stay.
The records of those early days have sadly been lost, and the identities of the pioneers remain unknown. If you can help us tell their story, we would love to hear from you.
Their initiative became the Record Request Service—a simple idea that remains at the heart of Radio DGH 75 years later: playing your kind of music.
In 2026, Radio DGH celebrated two milestone anniversaries. This feature focuses on our 50th anniversary, marking half a century since the station’s founding alongside the opening of Eastbourne District General Hospital in 1976. The hospital was officially opened by Princess Alexandra in 1977.
Founded by Adrian Tongue and Philip Bull in 1976, Radio DGH Eastbourne was established to provide entertainment and information for patients at the new hospital on Kings Drive. The station built on the success of the Record Request Service, which began in 1951 at the former St Mary’s and Princess Alice hospitals.
The 1970s brought an extraordinarily diverse musical landscape, from the melodic harmonies of the Carpenters to disco, pop and punk. Controversial releases, including Donna Summer’s “Love to Love You Baby” and the Sex Pistols’ “God Save the Queen”, faced broadcasting bans that often heightened public interest.
Radio DGH purchased all its own music. In the early years, we favoured seven-inch vinyl singles, which were easy to store and access when broadcasting to the wards through the hospital’s internal system. Many of those records remain in our music library today. A tape recorder was another valuable piece of equipment, helping the team produce and deliver programmes.
As technology advanced during the 1980s, Radio DGH embraced the arrival of the CD player. In the years that followed, Stephen Pilford took on the role of project manager, overseeing a major refurbishment of the studios.
Generous financial support from the National Lottery, the Friends of Eastbourne Hospital and the Women’s Royal Voluntary Service, alongside the fundraising efforts of Radio DGH volunteers, enabled us to equip the studios to an exceptionally high standard, using some of the best broadcasting equipment available at the time.
During 2017 Radio DGH invested in computers and software which enabled us to broadcast on-line as well as to the patients of the Eastbourne
District General Hospital. Despite power cuts, covid, burst pipes from the floors above and equipment failures we survived. Big and Better
than ever. Thank you to everyone for helping us reach the phenomenal milestones
OVER FORTY YEARS OF HISTORY
Adrian Tongue – One of Radio DGH’s co-founders
