Disc Jockeys... love them or hate them?
John Wiles is one and he nearly suffered the crullest cout of all for a DJ: the permanent loss of his voice.

He became ill and 18 months ago had to undergo an operation to take out his thyroid gland.

"I was cut from ear to ear and nearly lost my vocal chords as well," John told insight.

"for someone who likes talking as much as me it would have been a tragedy. I can talk for England!"

John, who is a senior adviser at Kingston incontact, was a DJ on hospital radio station Kingstown Radio at the time.

His experiences as a patient has made his commitment to hospital radio even stronger.

He has to take a drug, Thyroxin, every day for the rest of his life. "If I don't take it I get really irritable. I could have an argument with a paper bag."

John returned to the airwaves on a Sunday night show, Wilesy On The Wireless, from 10pm to midnight. It is a middle of the road music show with plenty of chat and interviews on the theme 'it's a people thing'.

"Much of the programme is off the cuff, I go where the mood takes me, which can be quite scary for my producer. I'm a bit of a lunatic with the microphone.

John has certainly made a few waves as a broadcaster, winning the title Hospital Radio Presenter of the Year for Yorkshire and Humberside in 1999.

Previously, he spent 18 months working fulltime as operations manager for Bradofrd's Sunrise radio, where he occasionally filled in as a newsreader.

His interest in radio stems from his childhood in Brisbane after his family emigrated.. "Radio was big in Australia in the 1960's but my mum told me it wouldn't be a good career and that I should get a proper job."

John went into broadcasting after their return to England, but gave up his job in Bradford to look after his mother in her declining years in Hull.

With Kingstown Radio one of the country's first to gain a medium wave licence, John wrote an operations manual as a guide for other stations. He also helps Goole's Radio Medica in an advisory capacity.

He is keen to get more people involved in broadcasting or appearing on air, especially Kingston Communications collegues.

"I like developing people and helping them to gain confidence. If any employees have a burning issue they can contact me and maybe I can intervieew them on the show."

"It is an especially good medium for promoting charities, for example."