Selection of ABC car stickers (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Although largely playing chart music, this recording gives a sense of some of the diversity of weekend programming on Waterford station ABC. It includes Russ Padmore presenting the American Top 40 and Billy Power with a country music programme. News at 6pm is also read by Russ Padmore and there are plenty of adverts for local businesses and national brands. Russ is clearly burning the candle at both ends because he is to return at 1am for the night shift. He is now a journalist with BBC World Service. Billy Power went on to present a country show on rival Waterford station Crystal City Sound.
Original label from Anoraks Ireland Collection – note incorrect times and wrong name of country presenter.
Our tape was made from 1026 kHz AM from 1735-1820 on Sunday 5th May 1985 and was recorded in Kilkenny, some distance from the transmitter. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Richard Staines (aka Steve Silby) at another Waterford station Suirside Radio (courtesy DX Archive).
By the mid 1980s ABC was well established as one of the leading stations in Waterford and covered the southeast on a network of transmitters on AM and FM. This recording is of the breakfast show hosted by Richard Staines (aka Steve Silby), one of the many English DJs involved in the station. The programme includes the ‘Bits and Pieces’ competition to guess clips from chart hits, the ‘Memory Module’ oldies section and a quiz featuring software transmission sounds made by an early generation of home computers. Among the many adverts is a promotion for the ABC 3rd birthday party and outside broadcast coming up the following weekend. News on the hour is read by Steve himself.
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
Our tape was made from 101 FM on Wednesday 6th March 1985. Part 1 above runs from 0748-0836 and Part 2 below from 0836-0924.
Part 2 from 0836.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Q102 studio shot from 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
The Dublin super-pirate Q102 ended 1985 on a high after a successful first year of broadcasting. The station prided itself on being Irish-owned in contrast with the city’s other two big pirates, Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio. This recording is of Gerry Stevens on his drivetime show in November 1985. News on the hour is read by Anne Cassin. Gerry Stevens worked subsequently in the licensed Dublin station Q102, which was launched as Lite FM in 2000. Anne Cassin is a television presenter with RTÉ.
Q102 logo in the studio in 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Our tape was made from 102.1 FM from 1635-1708 on 27th November 1985. There is some wobble due to the age of the cassette. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Early Q102 car sticker from 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
This is a recording of Jason Maine on his afternoon show on Q102 in 1985, about 10 months after the successful Dublin station went on air. There are plenty of adverts in the run-up to Christmas, a competition to win a Fiat Uno car and a £10 giveaway to listeners on the streets who said they listened to Q102. Jason Maine had worked previously with other Dublin pirates including Radio Nova.
Clipping about Jason Maine in Sunday World, 1986 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
News is read by Anne Cassin, who went on to become a journalist with RTÉ and is now a presenter of Nationwide.
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
This recording was made from 102.1 FM on Wednesday, 27th November 1985. Part 1 above runs from 1321 and Part 2 below from 1411.
Part 2 from 1411.
It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.
Radio Skywave International was a shortwave station that broadcast from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin on Sunday mornings from 1985 to 1988. Skywave was one of many hobby shortwave stations broadcasting from Ireland during the pirate era. It was heard on 6260 kHz in the 48-metre band for the first two years or so and later moved to 6850 kHz.
These recordings were made on Sunday 1st December 1985. The first hour above runs from 1100-1200 and is an edition of the Free Radio Programme presented by Dominic Dillon and Fergal. The show includes historical recordings including Radio Leinster on its final day, 19th May 1983, a Christmas Day pantomime from Sunshine Radio (undated but possibly 1984) and Radio Dublin from Christmas Day 1984. There are the usual features on the medium wave, FM and shortwave bands. Free radio news includes mention of a test broadcast by Skywave later in the month on 7475 kHz. The address of PO Box 1686, Dublin 1 is given and there is a promo for Anoraks Ireland.
Original cassette from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
The second hour below consists of the Mailbag Show presented by station operator Michael Caine (Hegarty) from 1200-1300. He reads out letters and reception reports from Sweden, England and several from East Germany. There are more promos for Anoraks Ireland and Wavelength magazine.
Mailbag show from 1200.
Radio Skywave International began broadcasting on 29th July 1985 and continued intermittently on Sunday mornings until 12th June 1988. Both recordings are studio copies and are from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Radio Skywave International itself donated a large collection of recordings to Pirate.ie.
