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Earth South Radio was a short-lived pirate station broadcasting from Co. Tyrone in the early 1990s. It was re-named many time over a number of years and changed its location to south of the border. Earth Sound Radio was started by Timothy Sloan and Basil Gilroy with a small transmitter at the back of a house in Fivemiletown, east of Enniskillen. It changed its name to Starlight Radio and in mid-1993, Rodney Neill’s newsletter Newsline Ireland reported a Starlight Radio operating from Fivemiletown. A list from 1993 noted Starlight Radio on 105.9 MHz and 1413 kHz AM.
The station was re-named again in 1993, this time as Music City Radio, with its mast in Co. Monaghan. The KISS FM Anoraks Show review of 1993 reported that on 4th June that year, a new station was heard from Clones called Music City Radio. It was reported as a 250 watt CTE transmitter installed by Gerry Reilly on 100.5 MHz FM in mono, with medium wave also planned. The Anoraks Show on 4th July 1993 reported Music City Radio on 100.5 MHz with continuous test tapes of country music and poor audio. It appeared on Friday 20th August on 1251 kHz, but as there was no studio available, it would simply relay Downtown, RTÉ etc. The station then disappeared but it was reported it could re-appear in early 1994 as new funding had been found.
In issue 2 of the pirate magazine Playback (March 1994), it was noted that on 14th January, Music City Radio appeared on 105.4 MHz playing a diet of country music. On 20th February 1995, a station list produced by Dublin pirate Coast FM noted Music City Radio on 105.4 MHz and 1404 kHz. Later logs by Coast FM that summer also reported Music City Radio on 1413 kHz. There was no mention of Music City Radio in station lists from 1996, so it may have been finished by that time.
This recording of Earth Sound Radio was made between 2034-2120 from 101.9 FM on 15th December 1991. The DJ announces himself as Tony Walker. There is plenty of FM fading, reference to a barking dog outside and an advert for a carpet business in Fivemiletown at the very end. The recording was made in Portadown by Rodney Neill and was donated by Ian Biggar. Thanks to Ralph Barry for background information about Earth Sound Radio and successor stations and to Ian for assistance with the text.
