1988 Archives - Page 3 of 24 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

21st October 202410th December 2024

Death of veteran radio presenter Michael Reade

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.

30th August 202429th August 2024

Summer evening requests on Radio Vera

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Radio Vera (1987-1988) was one of many stations broadcasting from Limerick during the pirate era. Its roots were in another Limerick pirate, Radio Munster, and both pirates shared a premises in the city centre. On air for a little over a year, Radio Vera aimed at younger listeners whereas Radio Munster concentrated on an older demographic. It claimed to be reaching a large area of the southwest of Ireland on FM.

This recording of Radio Vera was made in the summer of 1988 and features an evening show of chart music and requests presented by Peter Gregory, who worked previously on West Country Radio in Abbeyfeale, west Co. Limerick. There are news headlines, a rock trivia slot and adverts for local business along with an advertising promo featuring the voice of station founder Will Rogers (aka Bernard Rooney).

The tape was made from 97.7 FM from 1853-1940 on Tuesday 21^st June 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

16th February 202415th June 2024

Border series: Various shows on Donegal’s KTOK

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KTOK was a successful commercial station broadcasting from Donegal Town between summer 1987 and the end of 1988. This recording features airchecks of various programmes between Christmas 1987 and February 1988. First up is Dave James, formerly of offshore station Radio Caroline, recorded between 1400 and 1800 on 27^th December 1987. Frequencies mentioned are 103 and 96 FM and 1566 kHz AM. There are plenty of requests, promos for Christmas holiday events and gigs, the ‘gosh factor’ trivia segment and a television guide. The KTOK Cinderella Christmas Pantomine is mentioned but is unfortunately edited out of the recording, as are most of the adverts for local businesses. News on the hour with John Breslin is similarly cut, but the DJ is heard reading the headlines at half-past the hour.

At 17 minutes, the recording switches to airchecks of the Dave James show from 8^th February 1988 between 1000-1300. 99 FM is heavily promoted as the new transmitter for North Donegal, with 96 FM serving South Donegal, Leitrim and Sligo. There is no mention of the AM transmitter as it may have been discontinued at this time.

At 58 minutes, station founder Russ Padmore is heard from 18^th February 1988 between 1500-1800. Local gigs and discos are promoted and news on the hour is read in English and Irish but edited out. The inclusion of Irish may have been as much due to impending broadcast legislation as the fact that many parts of Donegal are Irish-speaking. Music is mostly pop but includes some oldies and country, reflect the huge popularity of the latter in rural areas of Ireland.

It is unclear which FM frequency the recording was made from. It is from the Anoraks Irish Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

12th January 20247th January 2024

CAU FM moves frequency

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CAU FM broadcast from the southside of Dublin for about 9 months between November 1987 and July 1988. Its origins were in a series of hobby stations in the Foxrock area set up by Locky Butler, which later became Phoenix FM. CAU was supposed to stand for ‘clutterfree and you’, reflecting the continuous music style pioneered by Radio Nova. Other Nova influences can be heard in this recording, including an echo on the DJ’s voice and a holiday giveaway virtually identical in style to a similar promotion used by Nova and KISS FM earlier in the decade. CAU had a professional signal across the city and used a slick jingle package. It was sold to the religious station Hope FM in the summer of 1988.

CAU FM moves frequency — Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

CAU began broadcasting on 103.5 FM but moved up to 104.2 during this recording. DJ Tom Browne announces the change, which is designed to improve the station’s signal. At about 15 minutes in, the transmitter leaves the air and another station, Liberty 104 is heard – it would take over the 103.5 FM slot. Competition for frequencies was fierce in the unregulated pirate scene of the 1980s and smaller stations often had to move position if bigger players claimed more advantageous slots on the dial.

The tape was made on 26^th March 1988 from 1149-1326 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

2nd January 20241st January 2024

Northeast series: Afternoon drive on Zee 103

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Zee 103 (1986-1988) was a high-powered professional station beaming its signal into Northern Ireland from just south of the border at Omeath in Co. Louth. Launched in the winter of 1986, its origins were in KISS FM, a short-lived pirate station in Craigavon, Co. Armagh that was raided by the UK Department of Trade and Industry in 1985. The operation moved south of the border and led eventually to the launch of Zee 103 on November 11^th 1986 from Ardaghy House, a renovated schoolhouse on an elevated site just 3km inside the Republic of Ireland. In line with new broadcasting legislation in the Republic, Zee 103 closed down at midnight on 31^st December 1988 but was one of a handle of pirates to venture back onto the air briefly in January 1989.

This recording of Zee 103 from the summer of 1988 features Paul Maguire who is sitting in for Graham Marks on the afternoon drive programme. Music consists of chart hits and some oldies and all adverts come from businesses in the North. News headlines are read by Lorraine Duncan and similarly aimed at Northern listeners. The tape was made from 103.25 FM between 1622-1708 on 17^th August 1988 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.