Bob Gallico Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

26th September 202520th September 2025

Radio Nova breakfast show as heard in Britain

The big Dublin pirate Radio Nova made various attempts to break into the British market during its 5 years on air. This recording features part of the breakfast show presented by Declan Meehan and Bob Gallico (RIP) and was made by English radio enthusiast Leon Tipler, presumably at his home in Kidderminster near Birmingham. It includes plenty of fading as is typical for AM propagation at the time of day and year. Although the weather forecast includes northwest England and Nova attempted to gain listeners in that region, clearly the signal was not commercially viable further south at Tipler’s home.

The recording was made from 819 kHz AM on 8^th October 1982 between 0648-0718 and is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

10th March 202518th February 2025

Breakfast Club on Nova Power 103 FM

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This is a snippet from the Breakfast Club on the short-lived Nova Power 103 FM, a merger of the ‘new’ Radio Nova and existing Dublin pirate Energy 103 in late 1987. Sounding crisp and professional are Cassidy Jones, Lisa Moore (Fionnuala Sweeney) and Bob Gallico (RIP) with a mixture of music, chat, papers, sports and news. On a freezing Friday morning in Dublin, Bob Gallico presents the review of the papers and shares his racing tips for the day, while Lisa reads news. The familiar high-level adverts are heard, including for brands, and the classic Nova jingles are played, creating something of an identity problem as they differ from the station’s name. Although Nova founder Chris Cary had promised new jingles on the day the merger was announced (25^th November), there was not enough time to complete the imaging of the new station as it was promptly prevented by an interlocutory injunction from using the valuable Nova name, and eventually reverted to Energy Power 103, as in the image above.

This recording was made by Kieran Murray between 0728-0748 on 27^th November 1987 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection. It is not clear if it was made from 99.9 or 103 FM.

18th November 20249th November 2024

Peter Madison and Bob Gallico on Magic 103

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Magic 103 was one of the many offshoots of the large Dublin station Radio Nova (1981-1986). It was short-lived, broadcasting for only about 5 months between April and September 1985. Magic became entangled in the dispute between Chris Cary and the National Union of Journalists that eventually contributed to Nova’s demise. This recording features two of the station’s star broadcasters, Peter Madison (RIP) and Bob Gallico (RIP), with a mix of chat, community announcements and Magic’s trademark easy-listening music. The conversation is natural and witty and reflects the skill and experience of two fantastic broadcasters at the top of their game.

Bob reads news headlines on the half-hour and there is also a news flash about a bomb explosion in Belfast courtesy of the Press Association wire that was mentioned hourly at the end of bulletins. The programme contains an interview with a representative of the Irish Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals but virtually no advertising, a concern for a station already a few months on air.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made on Wednesday 31^st July 1985 from 103.5 FM between 1105-1241. Magic 103 also broadcast on 1512 kHz AM, announced as 199 metres in this recording.

26th August 202420th August 2024

Colm Hayes on Radio Nova breakfast

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By the summer of 1984, Dublin super-pirate Radio Nova was benefiting from the end of the RTÉ jamming campaign that had plagued it during the first few months of the year. Pumping out 50 kW on 738 kHz AM and a strong signal on 102.7 MHz FM, Nova was reaching the northwest of England and had opened an advertising office in London. However, a bitter strike with the National Union of Journalists dragged on over the summer and damaged the station’s reputation with advertisers in Ireland. The protracted dispute would eventually contribute to Nova’s closure in March 1986.

This recording features Colm Hayes on the breakfast show the day after Bob Dylan’s concert at Slane Castle in Co. Meath. Reflecting the wide coverage area, weather forecasts are read out for ‘the Bay Area’ and for Wales, northwest England and Scotland. There is also some UK advertising, a postal address in London and audio bumpers for areas around Liverpool. Other features are the Nova Radio Bingo, the daily Job Spot and a sweep of oldies. News headlines are read by the late Bob Gallico.

The tape was made from 102.7 FM on Monday 9^th July 1984 from 0903-0952 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

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.