Tag: Chris Barry

Posted on

Capitol Radio featured on the BBC

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

Capitol Radio featured on the BBC
Capitol Radio poster from 1980 (courtesy Alan Russell).

This is a recording of a BBC report on Irish pirate radio, featuring the specialist station Capitol Radio in Dublin (1975 and 1978-1981). It was broadcast on the BBC Radio 1 Newsbeat programme on 26th November 1981 and on BBC World Service on shortwave around the world. One of Capitol’s founders Alan Russell is interviewed and speculates about the establishment of legalised commercial radio in Ireland. The report also includes a clip from Capitol DJ Chris Barry.

The interview was conducted in Dublin in February 1981 but not broadcast until November. Capitol had in fact closed the previous March and Alan speculates that the delay in airing the interview could have been because the BBC did not want to unduly antagonise RTÉ by featuring a pirate currently on air. Similarly, they may not have wanted to publicise Robbie Robinson of Sunshine Radio or Chris Cary of Radio Nova, both of whom had a history in UK offshore pirate radio. Capitol Radio had been known to the UK radio industry as a specialist station following a 1980 article in a British trade magazine Radio Month (see below). Alan believes that Capitol was one of the few Irish pirates, if not the only one, to get worldwide airtime on the BBC.

Thanks to Alan Russell for the donation of this recording and images.

Capitol Radio featured on the BBC
Part 1 of Radio Month feature from January 1980 (courtesy Alan Russell).
Capitol Radio featured on the BBC
Part 2 of Radio Month feature.
Posted on

Radio Nova official closedown, 19th May 1983

Our montage of the final minute of Nova with photos taken by Joe King.

This is iconic announcement of the official closedown of Radio Nova at 6pm on Thursday, 19th May 1983, following the raid by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs on the station the previous morning. From the afternoon of the 19th as news of the imminent closure spread, a large crowd assembled outside the studios at 19 Herbert Street, Dublin 2 and Nova’s many listeners near and far heard the electric farewell broadcast. Watch a video of the dramatic closedown announcement voiced by Tony Allan, with photographs of the final day courtesy of Joe King.

Listen below to the segment from 1617-1700, featuring Nova DJs and guests including Mike Moran, Jason Maine, Scott Williams, Paul Vincent, Andy Rua, Roland Burke, Linda Conway, David Harvey, Bryan Dobson, Chris Barry, Doctor Don, Frank Wynne, Tony Allan and Dennis Murray. This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

Listen below to the final 40 minutes from 1720-1800. This is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Radio Skywave International was a shortwave station based in Baldoyle in northeast Dublin in the 1980s.

Nova returned to the air on Sunday 22nd May 1983.