Radio North flyer from 2001 including Paul’s oldies show (courtesy Ian Biggar).
This recording of Donegal pirate Radio North features an oldies show rather than the usual conutry and Irish music long associated with the station. Former station manager Paul Barnett (RIP) is at the helm on a bright but chilly New Year’s Eve, and the professional presentation is reminiscent of his early 1990s station WABC Gold, also based on the Inishowen peninsula. Adverts for Northern businesses only are voiced by Paul and the absence of advertising from Donegal is likely due to a clampdown in the Republic at the time on the pirates and on businesses buying commercials on them.
The recording was made in Ayrshire on 31st December 2001 from 846 kHz AM between 1000-1130 and is kindly donated by Ian Biggar. Audio quality is generally good with some interference, as would be expected during daytime DX reception at the time of year.
QSL for Gospel 846/AWR from 2001 (courtesy Ian Biggar).
During its almost 40 years on air, Donegal pirate Radio North has broadcast religious programming at various times, either as a part of its main output or as separate services broadcasting on AM or FM only. In 1989, it had ambitious plans for an FM station called Gospel 98 but after only a few months, this offshoot closed following a storm in March 1990. Around the turn of the millennium, another religious service called Gospel 846 was launched, using the original AM frequency while the main country music service continued on FM. The change was introduced by Paul Barnett (RIP), who took over Radio North in 1998 along with the American Mike Dobbins (RIP), ushering in a more tightly formatted diet of American country music on FM along with opt-out religious programming at certain times of the day on AM.
A poster from 2001 for Radio North, highlighting religious shows. The Gospel 846 name had been dropped by that time (courtesy Ian Biggar).
Gospel 846 was reported by the British DX Club in 2000 as a subsidiary of Radio North broadcasting religious material. There are references to Gospel 846 on various websites up to the late 2010s but it appears that a distinct separate service ceased in 2001, when Paul Barnett decided to put his original Donegal pirate WABC back on the air on FM frequencies then being used by Radio North (103.9 and 104.4). Paul had previously run WABC from 1987-1991, apart from a 6-month break following the introduction of new broadcasting legislation in 1989. After the revival of WABC, religious programming became a more integral part of Radio North itself as all the output was then on AM only. The station did not return to FM due to raids by the Department of Communications on pirates in the northwest at that time. Details of the religious shows can be seen in the flyer above from 2001.
A letter and QSL of Gospel 846 (see above) received by Ian Biggar in 2001 were issued by Adventist World Radio, an international Christian broadcaster that was paying Radio North for the output. Although there are no separate religious services today, both Radio North and fellow AM pirate Radio Star Country in Monaghan rely heavily on religious programming for income.
This recording of Gospel 846 was made between 1117-1217 on 4th November 1999 and features part of a gospel music programme presented by Mark Fleming. Unlike Radio North itself, there are no adverts but the show is sponsored by a business in Derry and a PO Box number in Limavady is given as an address for requests and dedications. The tape was made by Ken Baird in Ayrshire in Scotland and is courtesy of Ian Biggar.
The Donegal pirate Radio North relaunched in 1999 with a new format of mostly American country music, calling itself ‘the new Radio North’. The station focused on FM and ran a parallel religious service Gospel 846 for part of the day on AM.
This recording of a Saturday morning show from autumn that year features presenter Donna Reeves, although the emphasis is on the music with only short links and a tighter station formatting. The voice of station manager Paul Barnett (RIP) is heard on station idents and adverts. As usual there are long commercial breaks featuring small businesses from Donegal, Antrim and Derry.
The tape was made on 2nd October 1999 between 1005-1056 from 846 kHz AM and is courtesy of Ian Biggar. Presumably Gospel 846 was not on the air at the time, with Radio North broadcasting on both AM and FM.
After the shortlived change to Radio North 2000 in 1998, the Donegal pirate dumped the reference to the millennium and relaunched itself as ‘the new Radio North’ in 1999. Owner Paul Barnett (RIP) maintained the focus on American country music and the station developed a more polished sound and concentrated on FM (103.9 and 104.4), while running a parallel AM service for religious music and programming, Gospel 846.
This recording from summer 1999 gives a flavour of the new Radio North, complete with a slick advertising promo and a huge number of adverts from both sides of the border, many of them voiced by Paul Barnett. The DJ is Steve Marshall, who had been involved in previous Irish pirate stations in the 1980s. Among the straplines used are ‘the northwest’s fasting growing station’ and ‘the only station that’s increasing its audience’. There’s also a syndicated news service from IRN at the top of the hour.
The tape is courtesy of Ian Biggar and was made on Tuesday June 1st 1999 between 1405-1535 from 103.9 FM.
Radio North at an outside broadcast from Moville, Co. Donegal in the 1990s (courtesy Francis Callaghan).
Radio North 2000 was a shortlived rebranding of the Donegal pirate Radio North as it approached the millennium. The name change was implemented after the station was taken over by Paul Barnett (RIP), who previously ran another Donegal pirate WABC, and American Mike Dobbins (RIP). The format moved away from the previous Irish country music diet and was replaced by American country, oldies and some contemporary. One DJ, Steven Lynch, recalls being unhappy with the new name as it was not clear what the station would be called once the year 2000 arrived. It later reverted to the original Radio North after the departure of Mike Dobbins.
This recording of Radio North 2000 features an unidentified DJ signing off at the end of her evening show, followed by continuous music interspersed with plenty of station liners and adverts, some of which are voiced by Paul Barnett. The music consists of pop and chart hits with some oldies.
The tape was made in Scotland by Ken Baird from 846 kHz AM on 16th May 1998 from 1942-2112 and is courtesy of Ian Biggar. Thanks to Steven Lynch for background information.
