A HOSPITAL radio station has pulled the plug on gay and lesbian programmes - bosses didn't know they were being broadcast!

Horrified staff at Radio Hospitals Blackburn only discovered they were broadcasting six hours of controversial shows each night when they read about it in the Lancashire Evening Telegraph.

Now the shows have been scrapped and the man responsible for putting them out has been asked for an explanation.

Roy Martin, who described himself as programme controller of the station and who sits on the radio's committee, told bosses the station would be playing country and western music. But he didn't tell them that, at midnight, the country and western channel switches to gay station Freedom FM.

Vice chairman of Radio Hospitals Blackburn, which broadcasts to patients at Blackburn Royal Infirmary and Queen's Park hospitals, said: "We called an emergency meeting to discuss this and all our members are horrified. They are all upset.

"Mr Martin has no authority to speak on behalf of the committee."

In a statement, station chiefs say: "Mr Martin did not inform the committee that this channel switched to Freedom FM at midnight or of the station's output.

"The committee's intention, based on Mr Martin's information, was to broadcast Country Music Radio through the night.

"As soon as this matter came to our attention, the committee met and decided to reinstate overnight output of Radio Lancashire, as we are unable to monitor satellite channels at this time, and also ask Mr Martin for an explanation of his actions."

The station is now to hold another meeting to discuss Mr Martin's position with the group. He was not available for comment.

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