Magic 103 was launched by Radio Nova on April 29th 1985, promoting itself as an easy-listening and information service for Dublin. This placed the station more in competition with RTÉ Radio 1 than Radio 2, but it never really found its feet and presentation and production standards were mixed during its short period on air. Magic 103 closed on 22nd September and the laying off of staff worsened a dispute with the National Union of Journalists, which would ultimately contribute to the demise of Radio Nova.
The tape begins with the end of the afternoon show with Mark Weller (Costigan) and Linda Conway, which includes an interview related to one of the day’s news stories. ABC Network News on the hour is broadcast on both Magic 103 and Radio Nova. Shane Mac Gabhann and Dave Johnson (Andrew Hanlon) follow the 1700 news with a drivetime news and music show, including a newspaper review, sports news, community information, a book feature and an entertainment guide.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103.5 FM between 1645-1818 on Wednesday 17th July 1985.
Sunshine sticker from the mid-1980s (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
This is another recording of long-time Irish radio DJ Gareth O’Callaghan on Dublin pirate Sunshine Radio. Using the name Tony Garreth by which he was known on air in his early pirate career, Gareth presents a mid-morning show in 1984. News on the hour is read by Cathy Cregan.
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was recorded from 101.5 FM between 1036-1147 on Monday 27th February 1984.
Radio Leinster sticker (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Radio Leinster was a talk and specialist station serving Dublin from 1981-1983. This recording of a mid-morning show from autumn 1981 features a charity fundraiser for the Palatine Fathers’ mission in Tanzania. Fr Mike Culloty was a Palatine priest who presented a religious programme every Sunday morning on the station. Encouraging listeners to phone in pledges are Mike Moran and Vinnie Connell. Commercial breaks include adverts for businesses around Dublin and after much excitement at the generous response to the appeal, Mike and Vinnie are followed by the lunchtime programme presented by station manager Justin James.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made on Saturday 26th September 1981 from 738 kHz, announcing 406 metres, between 1155-1327.
Radio Annabel advert in The Sunday World in 1985 (Alan McSimoin Collection).
The Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show with Gerard Roe on Radio Annabel was a must for radio anoraks in Dublin in the mid-1980s. The weekly show shared news from the pirate radio scene at home and abroad, including recordings shared by listeners. This show from early 1985 begins as usual with news from the same period the previous year, including a new version of the long-promised local radio legislation, the jamming of Radio Nova on FM and the closure of Radio Dublin Channel 2, where Gerard Roe had previously presented his FRC. This show also contains a Sunshine Radio tribute to Radio Caroline on its 20th anniversary and an interview with Chris Cary about Radio Nova. Nova is also reported to be audible on telephones in south Dublin, an issue causing annoyance to certain politicians. There are also promos for Anoraks UK and Anoraks Ireland and UK free radio news including the raids on Radio Jackie.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 92 FM on Sunday 17th February 1985 from 1658-1828. Radio Annabel also broadcast on 1323 kHz (227 metres) and a recording of the FRC was relayed every week on shortwave pirate Westside Radio International.
The NUJ picket at Upper Leeson Street in October 1985 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
The Zoo Crew was a zany breakfast slot in the Radio Nova breakfast show from late 1985 to early 1986, presented by Colm Hayes, Bob Gallico (RIP) and Cathy Byrne. This recording includes chat, features and humour from the Zoo Crew at a pivotal time for Radio Nova. There are promos for pre-Christmas competitions and an opportunity to win a colour television along with sports news, a traffic report and a birthday file that includes a mention of Bob’s 26-year old son, Michael. The usual high-level adverts are heard for large businesses and brands but the veneer of commercial success hid the growing problems for Nova at the time.
The station’s news and easy-listening offshoot service Magic 103 had closed on 22nd September, reigniting a bitter dispute between Nova boss Chris Cary and the National Union of Journalists (NUJ). After resorting to jamming the pirates in 1984, RTÉ later changed its tactics and in May 1985 received permission from the European Broadcasting Union (EBU) to use 102.7 FM for Raidió na Gaeltachta in the north-east, which was coincidentally the same frequency as Nova. Two days after this recording was made, on Thursday 7th November 1985, RTÉ switched on its new high-powered transmitter at Clermont Carn in Co. Louth, drowning out Nova’s signal as far south as Dublin. The Anoraks UK Weekly Report of 10th November reported that by ‘Friday morning, everyone at the station was in a state of despair, and finally, Tony Allan made a promo asking people to help to locate the offender’. Nova requested reception reports to determine where the test tone was worst, and eventually it was traced to Co. Louth. Nova switched off 102.7 at 1214 on Friday and moved up to 103.1.
Extract from 1985 EBU documentation granting RTÉ permission to use 102.7 (courtesy Kevin Branigan).
Nova fan Kevin Branigan comments that this period was the beginning of the end of Radio Nova. ‘The closure of Magic 103 was causing turmoil, with the NUJ strike that had ended the previous October now resumed with a vengeance with pickets back at Nova Park and at the more high-profile 144 Upper Leeson Street premises, where Magic had been based. Nova had been relayed on 103.5 FM since the closure but it was later claimed falsely on air that the transmitter had been vandalised when in fact it had been sold by Cary to Dublin rival Q102. This was done to put the NUJ off the scent and claim that Nova had nothing more to do with Magic 103, but the move was disastrous because it strengthened Q102 and led it to surround Nova on the FM dial. Fast forward a few months and Nova was closed, its DJs were working mostly for Q102 and that station went on to become one of the biggest in Dublin’. This was all unfolding at the same time as our recording – the claim of bogus vandalism was made by Nova on November 6th, while Q102 were already audible on low power on 103.5, so the new RTÉ transmitter in Co. Louth could not have come at a worst time. Listen below to extracts from Nova news bulletins about the ‘vandalism’.
ABC Network News on 6th November 1985 (courtesy Kevin Branigan).
The airchecked recording of the Radio Nova breakfast show is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102.7 FM between 0652-1005 on Tuesday, November 5th 1985.
