Real life loony radio
ARGENTINA - La Colifata
There is a real life Loony Radio in Argentina, where patients run the station, and programme excerpts are broadcast on stations throughout the nation. It is called La Colifata (The Loony), and has been the subject of a short documentary.
http://www.lacolifata.org/
http://www.radiocolifata.com.ar/
http://www.prx.org/pieces/26578-la-colifata-buenos-aries
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804277/
ENGLAND - Sovereign Radio
Persistence pays off - I've just found an English version of St. Jude's Hospital Radio. Sovereign Radio (not to be confused with a station of the same name in Eastbourne) was the name of the hospital radio station at Lynfield Mount Psychiatric Hospital, in Bradford. Its story has echoes of St Jude's - just to show how good the scriptwriting was. For example a Fergus-style patient suicide ...
http://www.thetelegraphandargus.co.uk/search/4182138.Family_of_patient _welcome_review/
It began in 1976 as Radio Westwood serving the former Westwood Psychiatric Hospital. In 1987 it extended its service to Lynfield Mount Hospital, and the station changed its title to Sovereign Radio following a competition among patients to provide a suitable name. In 1992 Westwood Hospital closed, but the station continued broadcasting to Lynfield Mount. In 1999 the wiring was accidentally cut, and the station was inactive for over 2 years.
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/sovereignradio/page4.phtml
Despite having suffered setbacks (including vandalism), and as a result of the determination of volunteers (including fundraising roadshows whilst off air) ...
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/sovereignradio/page3.phtml
... the station relaunched on 1 February 2003 ...
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/sovereignradio/page2.phtml
... though possibly that was just an over-ambitious prediction, because the local newspaper reported the station returning to the air on Tuesday, 6 January 2004, after an absence of three years.
http://archive.thisisbradford.co.uk/2003/12/16/104846.html
During 2003, the station had ambitious plans to broadcast 24 hours a day, and were recruiting new volunteers, but had funding difficulties.
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/sovereignradio/index.phtml
It seems to have been still in existence in 2005 ...
http://www.lx.nhs.uk/kms/Bradford/Bradford%202005%20-%202006/PPI%20For um%20Bradford%20District%20Care%20Trust/Annual%20Report%20Bradford%20D ist%20Care%20PPIF%202005.doc
... but I think it has folded. There is no recent internet mention of it, and the website quoted in news articles (www.sovereign-radio.com) is defunct.
I wonder where presenters Steve White & Tony McGall are now.
http://www.communigate.co.uk/brad/sovereignradio/page1.phtml
If only Eddie McKenna had been able to help.
I'm still looking for more loony radio ...