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Flora makes radio waves for the sick
Dogged determination and incredible patience has kept
one Brisbane woman working for six years to establish a radio station
for the sick, the recuperating or those in need of health
information.
Flora Smith first had the idea to create Queensland
Hospital Radio in 1993 while reading to terminally ill patients at Mt
Olivet Hospital in Brisbane.
"I thought, if I can make three people happy, then
I can make a whole lot more happy over the radio," Ms Smith said.
Ms Smith already had extensive radio experience, having
played an integral role in setting up 4RPH, Brisbane's radio station
for people with a print disability. She spent the next 13 years
as an on-air announcer and console operator for the station,
producing and presenting a weekly program called "Medical
Matters".
MBF thought highly enough of Ms Smith's program to award
her state winner in the 1996 Health and Well-being Awards.
Queensland Hospital Radio became incorporated in July
1995, and holds an official licence to broadcast on 1611AM band.
Largely through her own funds, Ms Smith has collected a
number of items for the station, and now awaits premises and a
transmitter. "I have lobbied a number of organisations
over the years for equipment and funds to help set up the station,
and I have received many items which will be helpful when the station
goes to air," Ms Smith said.
However, I cannot do anything without premises or a
transmitter and I am hoping that these two items will be forthcoming
shortly."
Ms Smith intends to recruit professional radio
presenters on a voluntary basis to deliver the programs.
"I would like to hear from older radio professionals who are
familiar with the technical operations of a radio station."
She envisions the radio programs as being lively,
interesting and informative. "I want to see this on the
road mainly because I feel there's a dearth of health information in
general. I'm not competing with other programs - I'm branching
off into a completely different area that isn't being
addressed. Some stations do have health programs and I intend
to go a lot further."
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