1985 Archives - Page 3 of 20 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

6th May 20246th May 2024

Breakfast music and news on Q102

By the summer of 1985, the new kid on the block, Q102, was well established as a serious player in the cut-throat Dublin radio market. Made after about six months on air, this recording underlines the station’s professionalism and high-quality sound with breakfast DJ, Scott Williams, presenting a mixture of music, news and information. There are promos for a listeners’ quiz sponsored by Irish music retailer Dolphin Discs and for cash giveaways on the streets of Dublin. Adverts for larger businesses and brands reflect Q102’s commercial success. News is read by Anne Cassin. Both presenters went on to careers in licensed radio or RTÉ.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM from 0727-0812 on 6^th August 1985.

29th April 202428th April 2024

August bank holiday 1985 on Radio Nova

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This recording of pirate giant Radio Nova was made on the August bank holiday weekend 1985 and features two well-known voices on the station, DJ Colm Hayes and newsreader Bob Gallico (RIP). There is a listeners’ competition, celebrity birthday spot, sports news and mixture of chart music and oldies for the day that’s in it. The usual high-level agency adverts are heard, including ones for big brands Lucozade and Coca-Cola, reflecting Nova’s dominance in the radio market.

An interesting aspect of this recording is information about technical aspects of Nova’s broadcasts. A promo mentions the high-quality FM signal and powerful 50 kW AM transmitter, which is said to cover hundreds of square miles of coverage in Ireland, England and Wales. There is also mention of Nova’s offshoot station Magic 103 broadcasting on 1521 kHz AM, a frequency not normally announced.

The tape was made from 102.7 FM on Monday 5^th August 1985 from 0700-0745 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

1st March 202425th February 2024

Afternoon shows on Echo Community Radio

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Echo Community Radio was a shortlived pirate broadcasting from Blanchardstown in west Dublin in 1985. This recording from a Wednesday afternoon in August that year begins with a mix of chart music and olders tunes with Ben Thomas. There are adverts for local businesses, some voiced by DJ Lee, a well-known presenter who worked on several Dublin pirates. A series of British comedy inserts sounds out of place between the songs and isn’t helped by muffled sound. Next up is Eamonn Kelly, who worked previously and subsequently on larger and more professional stations in Cork and Dublin.

The tape was made from 1407-1452 and from 1517-1604 on Wednesday 7^th August 1985. Although recorded from 105.5 FM, audio quality is poor with some distortion. Echo Community Broadcasting was also heard on 1071 kHz AM, announcing 280 metres. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection.

21st February 202426th February 2024

Morning shows on Echo Community Radio

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Echo Community Radio was a shortlived station broadcasting from west Dublin in the second half of 1985. First up in this recording is Dave Canning with the final part of his breakfast programme. He is followed by Workers’ Playtime presented by Gerry Marsden, a familiar name on 1980s pirates including Radio Dublin, which he went on to manage. Adverts are heard for local businesses, many in the Centrepoint Shopping Centre in Blanchardstown where Echo was located. There’s also a promo seeking DJs, newsreaders and sales representatives for the station.

Both 280 metres (1071 kHz) and 105.5 FM are announced by the DJs. The recording was made from 1071 kHz from 0918-1049 on Wednesday 7^th August 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. Audio quality is fair, with some distortion.

14th February 202412th February 2024

DJ Lee on Echo Community Radio

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Echo Community Radio was one of several small Dublin stations that came and went during the 1980s. It broadcast from Blanchardstown in west Dublin and was first logged by DX Archive in July 1985. The station broadcast on AM only initially and was located in the Centrepoint Shopping Centre. According to Anoraks UK Weekly Report, it closed down by January 1986. There is no known connection to the earlier Echo Radio based in Clontarf in 1982.

This recording of Echo Community Radio features DJ Lee, a familiar voice from the 1980s pirates, presenting an afternoon slot. There’s a listeners’ competition for cinema tickets but tellingly, no adverts are heard over 90 minutes of primetime radio listening. The station claimed to broadcast to the Greater Dublin Area but clearly power was low as there is co-channel intereference, likely from Radio Carousel North on the same frequency of 1071 kHz (announced by Echo as 280 metres).

The tape was made from 1555-1737 on Wednesday 26^th June 1985 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection.