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Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) during 1983 raids

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Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) during 1983 raids
BLB car sticker courtesy of DX Archive.

Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) was a pioneer in Irish community radio and spent almost ten years on air from 1979 to 1988. Based in the north Wicklow town, it focused on local speech content and carried specialist music shows in contrast with other stations broadcasting mostly pop music. You can hear a panel discussion about the history of BLB here or read a newspaper report here.

This recording, made from 657 kHz AM from 6.53pm on 18 May 1983 is significant because of its date, not its content: this was the same day as the infamous raid by the Department of Posts and Telegraphs on Dublin super-pirate Radio Nova. Sunshine Radio was raided the follow day, prompting panic among pirates throughout the country. On 19 May many, including BLB, closed down temporarily as a result of the raids and some such as Radio Leinster were never to return.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

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Concord Community Radio promotes politics of community radio

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Concord Community Radio promotes politics of community radio
Concord Community Radio flyer (Alan MacSimoin Collection).

This recording features Jack Byrne of Concord Community Radio and John Murphy of Bray Local Broadcasting on Dateline Dublin on 337 metres/890 kHz at 1800 on 27th March 1983, not long before Concord began broadcasting to northeast Dublin. Conor Cullihy is the presenter of this programme promoting the politics of community radio. At 30 minutes there is a recording credited to BLB. The 10-minute piece makes the case for locally owned community radio and explains the other versions of commercial local and state-run community radio that were being considered in Ireland in the early 1980s.

This recording is from the Skywave Tapes Collection. Skywave Radio International broadcast a shortwave station in the 1980s from Baldoyle in northeast Dublin.

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Rockabilly on Concord Community Radio (Dublin)

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From 890 kHz/337 metres, this is Concord Community Radio from the Artane/Coolock area of Dublin on 27th March 1983 from 1900. Boppin’ Billy is on air. Billy went on to be manager at Concord’s successor North Dublin Community Radio (NDCR), was on Radio Caroline Dublin for 10 years in the 90s, worked for Beaumont Hospital Radio and these days he is on Dublin City FM on Fridays from midnight to 2am. Still playing rockabilly!

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Interview: Dave Reddy (Radio Sandymount)

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Interview: Dave Reddy (Radio Sandymount)
L-R Dave Reddy, Fergus Murray, David Baker and Charlie Sheehan at Radio Sandymount (courtesy Dave Reddy).

In this interview, Dave Reddy recalls his involvement in ARD (Alternative Radio Dublin) and Radio 257 at the end of the 1970s. Dave would go to to establish what would today be called ‘pop-up’ community stations, starting with Radio Sandymount in 1982.

Radio Sandymount went on air as part of a community festival in that area and Dave Reddy explains that the model was soon to be requested by community groups elsewhere, leading to similar short-term stations in Ringsend, Donnybrook and Wicklow. Dave was also founder of the first Christmas station Radio Snowflake, which is now run by David Baker who himself broadcast on the 1980s pop-up stations and many other pirates.

The interviewer is Eolann Aitken. You can listen to recordings of Radio Donnybrook here.

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Panel: Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB)

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Panel: Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB)
BLB car sticker (courtesy DX Archive)

Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) was a pioneer in Irish community radio and spent almost ten years on air from 1979 to 1988. Based in the north Wicklow town, it focused on local speech content and specialist music in contrast with other stations broadcasting pop music. BLB’s innovative approach inspired other stations in Ireland and it also attracted interest in community radio circles abroad. The station broadcast on AM (837 kHz and later 657) and FM and could be heard well beyond Bray in its later years. You can read more about BLB here.

This fascinating panel discussion features three founding members of BLB: Mark Quinn, Michael Gray and Doug Bel-Maguire. The interviewer is Eolann Aitken.