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Continuing our series marking the 40th anniversary of Waterford super-pirate ABC, this is another recording made in the first few weeks of the station in March 1982. ABC was set up by four English DJs, Clive Derek, Andy Ellis, Stuart Clark and Kevin Turner. Kevin had worked previously with Waterford pirate Suirside Radio but parted company after a few weeks. Other DJs from the Voice of Peace and Dublin pirates including Nigel Roberts and Steve Marshall joined ABC in spring and summer 1982 as the station began to expand.
In the book Radio Blaa Blaa, one of ABC’s DJs, Andy Linton, remembers the lifestyle associated with the station:
Yes, we were a commune of sorts! We had the radio station that we all broadcast from but we also rented that house in Tramore that we all ended up in. The ‘full-time’ staff of ABC lived there. The radio station paid for everything (rent, laundry, food) and gave us £15 per week, which was basically fag money (though I didn’t smoke). We didn’t even have a TV so we’d listen to the radio, have a beer and chat. One big happy family!
This recording of Clive Derek’s ‘School’s Out’ programme was made from 1515-1603 on Tuesday 30th March 1982. News is read by Kate Davis and most adverts are from Tramore, reflecting the limited coverage area. The recording was made from 101.3 FM and is courtesy of Ian Biggar and DX Archive. Thanks to Brian Kennedy for permission to use the quotation.