Anoraks Ireland Collection Archives - Page 7 of 34 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

12th January 20247th January 2024

CAU FM moves frequency

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.

10th January 20246th January 2024

Northeast series: Friday night on Telstar Community Radio

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Telstar logo (courtesy Ian Biggar).

Telstar Community Radio broadcast from in and around the Dundalk area between 1980 and 1988. Despite stiff competition from bigger local stations Radio Carousel and Boyneside Radio, it built up and maintained its own audience. The station was first located in Dundalk, moving south to the village of Blackrock in 1982 before returning to Dundalk in 1986. The main frequencies used for most of its existence were 1197 kHz AM and 88.5 FM. Telstar closed down along with other pirates at midnight on New Year’s Eve 1988.

This recording is of part of Dave Ritchie’s Friday night show, including chart hits and some oldies, along with adverts for mostly Dundalk-based businesses. There are news headlines on the hour and some notices, including mention of a local gig by British pop star Howard Jones. The tape was recorded from 88.5 FM on 13^th March 1987 from 1830-2006. Another station is heard briefly at about the half-way point, possibly an earlier recording on the same cassette.

The tape was made originally by John Gartlan and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

8th January 20247th January 2024

Sunday sounds on Ranelagh Community Radio

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Ranelagh Community Radio (RCR) was a low-powered part-time station broadcasting to suburban areas in the Dublin 6 and 6W postal districts between 1986 and 1988. It was a successor to Charisma FM, which operated sporadically from locations including Ranelagh in 1985 and 1986. RCR replaced Charisma in the autumn of 1986 and was noted on 98 FM in an October log by Anoraks UK. It claimed to cover the suburbs of Ranelagh, Rathmines, Rathgar and Terenure and broadcasting hours were noted as 1900-0000. RCR continued to appear in logs up to the summer of 1988 but closed at some stage between then and the end of the year. Both Charisma and RCR carried syndicated American religious programming at times and probably relied on such material for income.

This recording of RCR was made from 98 FM on Sunday 12^th October 1986 between 1705-1835 and features mostly continuous music with short links and occasional jingles but no adverts. The DJ is Colin Russell but no phone number is announced for requests. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland 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.

31st December 20234th January 2024

Galway’s County Sound welcomes 1988

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County Sound broadcast to Galway from 17^th March 1987 until 31^st December 1988 and built up a loyal listenership during its time on air. Based originally in the town of Tuam, County Sound moved into Galway City in January 1988 and slogged it out with another pirate Coast 103 for local advertising revenue. Both stations were professional operations and dominated the Galway radio market at the end of the pirate era. This recording was made exactly a year before County Sound closed down and features regular overnight presenter Jon Richards bidding farewell to 1987 and welcoming 1988. He looks back at the pop music highlights of 1987, reviews the year’s films and previews cinematic releases for the new year. Jon Richards continues to broadcast on local station Galway Bay FM.

This recording was made from County Sound’s Tuam transmitter on 94.3 FM between 2345 and 0030 on 31^st December 1987 and 1^st January 1988. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.