1988 closedowns Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

15th November 20249th November 2024

Border series: closedown of WABC in December 1988

Donegal pirate WABC closed at 4pm on 30^th December 1988 despite announcing previously that it would carry on and for a time over that weekend it looked as if the station would make a speedy return. This recording is of the final 90 minutes of WABC from 1430 on that day. It begins with Barry Owler who shares good wishes to those involved from local advertisers and listeners. There is a promo about the pirate closedowns that day and reference to the new radio legislation, including WABC’s intention to apply for a licence at a later stage. Barry is followed by station operator Paul Bentley (Paul Barnett, RIP) from 1500 for the final hour.

Following closedown at 1600, a loop tape was broadcast on WABC’s frequencies later that evening claiming erroneously that Radio Dublin owner Eamonn Cooke had won his appeal against the new radio legislation, that it appeared that the new laws were on ice and that WABC may be able to return to the airwaves. The court had in fact dismissed Cooke’s attempt to gain an injunction preventing the new laws from coming into effect but had granted him leave to challenge the constitutionality of certain sections of the broadcasting acts. Although WABC did not return in the short term, it would not be too long until it was heard again on the airwaves in the northwest. The recording was made from 101.7 FM by Rodney Neill and is courtesy of DX Archive.

21st October 202421st October 2024

Death of veteran radio presenter Michael Reade

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The death was announced on 21^st October 2024 of Michael Reade, who presented a current affairs show on the independent radio station for Louth and Meath, LMFM, for the past 21 years. Michael announced in September 2024 that he had been diagnosed with a terminal illness and was very sick. Earlier that year, his long-running show on LMFM was awarded the IMRO radio award for best current affairs programme on local radio. We extend condolences to Michael’s family and friends. RIP.

Like so many other broadcasters of his era, Michael got his first experience in pirate radio as a teenager. He was just 15 when he first broadcast in 1981 and went on to present rock shows on Dublin stations Radio City, Radio Annabel and Capitol Radio. His daily programme on Capitol in 1988 was promoted as the country’s only rock breakfast show, reflecting that station’s alternative music style. He was also one of the presenters of Capitol’s final day of broadcasting on New Year’s Eve 1988, when the station closed in advance of new broadcasting legislation that was meant to silence the pirates. Capitol Radio broadcast from 1983-1988 and became the go-to place to fans of alternative, indie and rock music in Dublin. It relaunched as Capitol-Nitesky 96 in 1986.

This is an extract from Michael’s final show on that day, which features his favourite music and phone calls on a scratchy line from listeners sending New Year’s wishes to friends and to those involved in pirate radio. There are regular promos for the closing-down party later that night at Side’s nightclub in central Dublin. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made between 1621-1707 on 31^st December 1988 from 95.8 FM.

28th December 202128th December 2021

Closedown of West National Radio 3

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This is the final programme on the Mullingar-based station West National Radio 3 on December 30^th 1988. Launched as Radio West in 1981, the station expanded its coverage beyond the midlands on AM and FM and could be heard from Dublin to Galway by 1987. The closing programme is the Country Jamboree, hosted by one of the big names of offshore and Irish pirate radio, the late Don Allen. Don is joined studio by a host of station staff, local business owners and country music artists.

Station owner Shaun Coyne thanks everyone involved and expresses optimism that Radio West will get a licence. He also comments on the costs involving in running the station, including the weekly £500 bill for the generator that kept the 10kW AM transmitter on air. Radio West was supposed to close at 9pm and as the show continues past the deadline, Don Allen jokes that the diesel powering the transmitter will run out!

There is also evidence of how pirate radio supported the Irish country music scene, with warm recognition from country music artists for Radio West’s support. This theme was repeated on many other rural pirate stations when closing down at the end of 1988. The recording above runs from 2032-2106 and the one below from 2106-2205. Both were made from 100.1 FM and are kindly donated by John Breslin.

Final hour of West National Radio 3.

For a comprehensive account of the 1988 closedowns, see the Radiowaves site.

28th December 202130th December 2023

Final day of KISS FM Monaghan

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This is a flavour of some of the final day of the Monaghan pirate station KISS FM that rocked the radio world along the border and in Northern Ireland during its short nine months on air in 1988. Other Irish pirates had tried and failed to break the Belfast market and in November 1987, engineer Miles Johnston decided to set up a high powered FM station right on the border with proper coverage of the North. KISS FM came on the air on AM and FM in March 1988 and quickly made a mark, much to the consternation of the local ILR station, Downtown Radio, in Belfast. Its FM signal was so powerful that it could be heard in stereo in Scotland and Downtown attempted to have the Monaghan station jammed and raided.

The recording above is of the final 45 minutes of KISS FM on December 30^th 1988 from 1720-1805. Tom Hardy (RIP), who worked previously on Radio Caroline, Sunshine Radio and Radio Nova, is in the DJ’s chair and is joined by Miles Johnston, Susan Charles and Dennis Murray. In an echo of the famous Radio Nova closedown in 1983, Tom asks motorists to blow their horns at 6pm and they duly oblige.

The recording below is of part of the final shows of Owen Barry (Larkin) and Dennis Murray from 1132. There is an edit at the end of the recording.

Both recordings were made from 103.7 FM and are courtesy of John Breslin.

27th December 202127th December 2021

Closedown of Westside Radio International

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This is a recording of the closedown of the long-running shortwave pirate Westside Radio International on December 31^st 1988. Westside was set up by the late Dr Don (Don Moore) in 1975 and broadcast on Sunday mornings before Radio Dublin came on the air. It was taken over by Prince Terry (Roger Lloyd) in 1977 and remained a stalwart on the 49-metre band every Sunday for the following eleven years. Westside embodied the pirate spirit and was popular with anoraks because of its regular updates about radio in Ireland and abroad.

This airchecked recording was made from 6280 kHz between 1200 and 1348 on New Year’s Eve. Prince Terry and Gary Lewis present music and discuss the radio scene as the new legal regime was about to come into effect. There are hints that Westside may return in 1989 and in fact the station was heard again under various guises in 1989 and continued to broadcast as Ozone Radio for many subsequent years.

Reception is poor and is of DX standard in places but but this gives a sense of how many shortwave listeners experienced the closedown of Westside Radio International. We thank John Breslin for his donation.