BHBN Radio

Name

BHBN Radio

Legal name

BHBN Radio

Website

https://www.bhbn.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

1952

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Hospital Radio Broadcasting

NAICS

Radio Broadcasting Stations (516110), Radio Broadcasting Stations (51611)

SIC

Radio Broadcasting Stations (4832)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAIAEAE

Internet Radio & Streaming Broadcast Stations (Simulcast/Online-only)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Radio & Audio Broadcasting (Terrestrial, Satellite, Digital Radio)

SECONDARYMPABAJAB

Sports Radio Networks & Talk Stations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Broadcasting (TV & Radio)/Sports Broadcasting & Rights Networks

SECONDARYMPAIADAJ

Radio Streaming & Catch-Up Audio Platforms

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Music & Audio (Recording, Publishing, Streaming)/Audio Streaming & Podcast Platforms

Keywords

• Hospital radio broadcasting
• Patient entertainment programming
• Community radio service
• Bedside media content
• Volunteer charity broadcasting

Headquarters

HQ city

Edgbaston

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Fundraising: BHBN Radio is a registered charity funded primarily through donations. A donation of £10 supports six hours of broadcasting, £20 covers half a day, and £40 provides a full day of broadcasting. Taxpayers can add 25% to their donation at no additional cost through Go Fund Me.
2. Sponsorship: Corporate sponsors such as Bluebird Care and Caremark Solihull sponsor specific shows and programming slots, providing revenue in exchange for brand visibility.
3. Volunteer Membership Fees: New volunteers pay a one-time joining and training fee of £50, and annual membership fee of £30 per annum (under review).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

BHBN Radio is a 24-hour hospital radio broadcasting service that delivers free music, entertainment, news, sports commentaries, health information, and community programming to NHS hospital patients, staff, and visitors in the West Midlands. The station is powered by the Broadcast.Radio platform and distributed through Spark TSL bedside media units, a mobile app, online streaming, and Alexa voice integration, with all programming produced by volunteers.

Product overview

BHBN Radio operates as a single unified hospital radio broadcasting service that has served Birmingham hospitals since 1952. The station provides a comprehensive range of programming including music shows (BHBN Music Selection, Thank BHBN It's Friday), the Morning Show with features and Radio Kitchen, dedicated sports coverage (BHBN Radio Sport with live football commentaries), children's programming (Kids Time With Kira), and country music programming (BHBN New Country). The service is delivered through multiple channels: bedside media units via Spark TSL, a dedicated mobile app for iOS and Android, online streaming, Alexa voice activation, and traditional radio. The station operates entirely on volunteer contributions and relies on donations and sponsorships for funding.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BHBN Radio Broadcast Service 24/7 hospital radio broadcasting service providing free music, entertainment, news, sports commentaries, children's programming, and health information to patients, staff, and visitors at NHS hospitals in Birmingham, Solihull, and Sandwell, as well as care home residents and community listeners.
• BHBN Radio Mobile App Mobile application for iOS and Android that enables listeners to stream BHBN Radio live, send music requests and dedications via WhatsApp, text, and voice messages, and engage with station presenters.
• BHBN Sight-Impaired Football Commentary Specialized live audio description football commentary service for sight-impaired Birmingham City FC supporters, broadcast via closed-circuit receivers loaned out by the club during home matches at St Andrews stadium.

Quantifiable outcome

• Awarded Station of the Year Gold at the HBA Annual Conference three times in five years (2019, 2023, 2024) and Silver in 2020.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Spark TSL (Hospedia)coreTechnology or IntegrationSpark TSL (formerly Hospedia) provides the bedside media units in NHS hospitals across Birmingham and Sandwell. BHBN Radio broadcasts through these bedside units, reaching patients at Queen Elizabeth, Heartlands, Good Hope, Solihull, Royal Orthopaedic, and Midland Metropolitan hospitals.
• Bluebird Care Bromsgrove & RedditchminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBluebird Care sponsors 'Thank BHBN It's Friday' show presented by David Elliott, providing brand visibility in exchange for sponsorship support.
• Caremark SolihullminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCaremark Solihull, a Great British Homecare Award Winning home care provider, returned as sponsor of The BHBN Evening Show broadcast daily from 8pm. Managing Director Herkesh Malhi stated the sponsorship reflects commitment to community well-being and enhancing local community support.
• Philippa ClarkinminorOthersPhilippa Clarkin provides voiceovers and promotional content to BHBN Radio as a contributor.
• Broadcast.RadiocoreTechnology or IntegrationBHBN Radio is powered by Broadcast.Radio platform, which provides the streaming infrastructure, app distribution, and website integration for the station.
• University Hospital Birmingham (UHB) NHS TrustcoreOthersBHBN Radio is a tenant of the UHB Trust and operates from studios at the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Heritage Building. The Trust requires BHBN to use their contractors for infrastructure installations such as the fibre cable upgrade.
• Transplant Active UKminorOthersBHBN Radio members attended The Power of Transplant Truck Pull event supporting Transplant Active UK and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital Birmingham Charity, helping raise funds and awareness for the Transplant Service.
• Macmillan Cancer Information and Support CentresminorOthersUHB's Macmillan Cancer Information and Support Centres appear regularly on BHBN Radio programmes to share information about support services available at four hospital sites for cancer patients, families, and carers.
• RODEOS (Kings Norton, Birmingham)minorOthersBHBN Radio presenter Kira Hughes met country artist Twinnie at RODEOS BBQ venue in Kings Norton for coverage of the Dirt Road Disco Tour. RODEOS serves as a venue for BHBN Radio's local music journalism content.
• Radio SWB (former Sandwell Hospital Radio)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRadio SWB (former Sandwell Hospital Radio) merged into BHBN Radio in 2024, expanding BHBN's reach to Sandwell and West Birmingham hospitals including Midland Metropolitan University Hospital.
• Birmingham City Football ClubminorOthersBHBN provides football commentaries from St Andrews stadium for Birmingham City FC. The club loans out closed-circuit transmitters and receivers for sight-impaired supporters to access BHBN's descriptive commentary service during home matches.
• Hospedia/Spark TSLcoreTechnology or IntegrationHospedia (now Spark TSL) provides bedside unit infrastructure in Birmingham Heartlands, Good Hope, and Solihull hospitals, enabling patients to access radio, TV, movies, sports, phone calls, and hospital information free of charge.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Radio SWB (Sandwell Hospital Radio): Former standalone hospital radio station for Sandwell and West Birmingham hospitals that merged with BHBN in 2024. Direct peer in the same NHS hospital radio category with comparable volunteer-run charitable operations.
• Hospital Radio Reading: Long-established UK hospital radio station serving Royal Berkshire Hospital. Direct peer operating as a volunteer-run charity broadcasting to NHS inpatients with similar programming mix of music requests, dedications, and sports commentary.
• Hospital Radio Plymouth: Volunteer hospital radio station serving Derriford Hospital. Direct peer in the UK hospital broadcasting category with comparable HBA awards participation and bedside unit distribution model.
• White Rose Radio: Hospital radio station serving Leeds Teaching Hospitals NHS Trust. Comparable volunteer-run broadcasting operation distributing through bedside units and online streaming with similar sports commentary and music request formats.

Others

• Hospital Broadcasting Association (HBA): UK trade body representing over 200 hospital radio stations. BHBN is an HBA member and multiple award winner; HBA defines the competitive category and award framework that BHBN competes within.
• Spark TSL (formerly Hospedia): Provider of bedside media units in NHS hospitals where BHBN Radio is embedded. Strategic infrastructure partner enabling BHBN's core hospital distribution channel.
• Broadcast.Radio: Technology platform powering BHBN Radio's streaming infrastructure, app distribution, and website. Comparable radio-station-as-a-service platform used by other community and hospital broadcasters.

Broad incumbents

• BBC Radio WM: BBC's local radio station for the West Midlands including Birmingham. Broad incumbent in the same geography offering general radio programming to the same community, but without BHBN's hospital bedside distribution specialization.
• Free Radio (Birmingham): Commercial radio station broadcasting to Birmingham and the West Midlands. Broad incumbent competitor for local listener attention and advertiser spend, though lacking BHBN's NHS bedside distribution and patient-focused programming.

Regional players

• Radio Lollipop: International volunteer-run charity providing radio and entertainment to children's hospitals. Adjacent peer in the hospital broadcasting charitable category, focused on pediatric wards rather than adult inpatient bedside media.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bhbnradio
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCQ8ZdLg2bWHqDMj5JvN5VgQ
• Facebookfacebook.com/BHBNRadio
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bhbn---birmingham-hospital-broadcast-network

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about BHBN Radio