Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (18 May 1983)

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (18 May 1983)
Radio Dublin antenna c. 1985 (courtesy Andy Carter)

This recording of Gerard Roe’s Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 was made on one of the most dramatic days in Irish pirate radio history, 18th May 1983. That morning, Radio Nova and KISS FM were raided and put off the air, and Sunshine Radio would be closed the following day. The rumour mill was in overdrive and as panic spread among pirate stations, many closed temporarily in case of further raids.

After starting the FRC with his customary look back at news from the same week the previous year, Gerard then notes that Channel 2 is off FM as a precaution. He plays recordings of coverage of the raid on Radio Nova as heard on RTÉ and Sunshine Radio and predicts that it was unlikely that Nova would be back for a few weeks. In, fact Nova returned the following morning on low power. The FRC also includes tapes of Big D on 14th November 1980 about interference on the AM band in Dublin and of Declan Meehan on Sunshine Radio on 5th July 1981.

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (18 May 1983)
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording was made from 1152 kHz, announcing 269 metres, from 1958-2104. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Listen here to Pirate.ie Podcast #10 featuring our interview with Gerard Roe about his memories of pirate radio.

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (6 April 1983)

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (6 April 1983)
Radio Dublin Channel 2 studio (courtesy Gerard Roe).

This edition of Gerard Roe’s Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 from 1983 includes a recording of Olwen Dixon of Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB) outlining the philosophy of community radio, as heard on Concord Community Radio in north Dublin. Both stations were strongly associated with the growing community radio movement and would later lead the National Association of Community Broadcasters (NACB). The show also features a recording of new station Finglas Community Radio. Gerard notes that Channel 2 has been off FM for the previous two weeks due to poor weather conditions but reminds listeners that the FRC would be repeated on Westside Radio International on shortwave on Sunday morning.

The tape was made on 6th April 1983 from 2000-2108 from 1152 kHz, announced as 269 metres although that wavelength equates to 1116. Audio quality is poor in places due to bleedthrough from the main Radio Dublin channel. This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

Listen here to Pirate.ie Podcast #10 featuring our interview with Gerard Roe about his memories of pirate radio.

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (15 December 1982)

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (15 December 1982)
Radio Dublin in Inchicore c. 1985 (courtesy Andy Carter).

Gerard Roe presented the Free Radio Campaign (FRC) show on Radio Dublin Channel 2 from 1982-1984. The FRC quickly became popular with watchers of the Irish radio scene at home and abroad. It was broadcast on a Wednesday evening from 2000-2100 on Channel 2 and repeated on Sunday morning from 1100-1200 on the shortwave station Westside Radio International.

This edition of the FRC begins with Gerard’s usual recap of news items from a year before, when many Dublin stations were off the air due to a snow storm. Gerard notes that Big D is back on AM after a break and plays a recording of a discussion about local radio between James Dillon of Big D and Jim Kemmy of Radio 257 on 1st January 1980. There is news about the offshore Radio Caroline and Dublin pirates using the same name and KELO is said to be behind the relay of Radio Nova on 298 metres. The start of Christmas station Radio Snowflake on 199 metres is also noted.

Gerard Roe on Radio Dublin Channel 2 (15 December 1982)
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

Channel 2 was established in April 1982 on FM only as a specialist opt-out service from Radio Dublin. It began on FM only but later added AM. There were technical problems due to lack of investment and poor audio quality because of bleedthrough from the powerful transmiters in close proximity. The signal was often weak on AM and FM was limited to the Inchicore area. Interference from Radio Dublin Channel 1 can be heard clearly on this recording, which was made from 98.8 FM from 2001-2110 on 15th December 1982.

This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. Listen here to Pirate.ie Podcast #10 featuring our interview with Gerard Roe about his memories of pirate radio.

The Pirate.ie Podcast #10: Interview with Gerard Roe

The Pirate.ie Podcast #10: Interview with Gerard Roe
Gerard Roe at Phantom FM in its licensed days.

We’re delighted to bring you an interview with Gerard Roe, one of the most respected voices in Irish pirate radio circles from the 1980s to the 2000s. Gerard presented weekly Free Radio Campaign (FRC) shows on various pirate stations in Dublin, bringing the latest free radio news and industry gossip to fans of the medium in Ireland and further afield. Gerard’s first FRC aired on Radio Dublin Channel 2 in 1982, a specialist offshoot of the original Radio Dublin. A recording was carried on shortwave station Westside Radio International on Sunday mornings, bringing the FRC to a wider European audience.

The Pirate.ie Podcast #10: Interview with Gerard Roe
Radio Dublin Channel 2 studio (courtesy Gerard Roe).

Poor technical standards and unreliable coverage prompted Gerard to move to new station Radio Annabel when it was established in autumn 1983, where he remained until its closure in 1985.

The Pirate.ie Podcast #10: Interview with Gerard Roe
Part of 1985 letter from Gerard Roe of Radio Annabel to Brian Greene.

FRC-style programmes on 1990s pirates run by Simon Maher also benefited from Gerard’s input and expertise. He contributed to the Anorak Hour on Coast FM (1991-1996), Spectrum FM (1996-1997) and Phantom FM (1997-2003). Gerard became CEO of Phantom when it was licensed as a full-time alternative rock station in 2006.

The Pirate.ie Podcast #10: Interview with Gerard Roe
Gerard (second from right) at the launch of Phantom FM’s licence application in 2004.

In this interview with Brian Greene, Gerard reflects on his long career in radio from the pirate years of the 1980s and 1990s to the licensing and eventual demise of Phantom FM.

Interview about Radio Caroline Dublin (1990s)

Interview about Radio Caroline Dublin (1990s)
Radio Caroline Dublin flyer from 1991 (from Brian’s collection).

Radio Caroline Dublin (1989-2000) was one of the longest running stations of the second wave of the pirates following legalisation. It was set up by Brian Greene (Bobby Gibbson on air) and Tom Berry (RIP) who had previously run Centre Radio from Bayside in 1987-1988. Radio Caroline Dublin began broadcasting on bank holiday Mondays in 1989 and went full-time in January 1992. The station settled on 102.5 FM and increased its signal overtime but ran into difficulties with the authorities when Lite FM (later Q102) was licensed for 102.2 in 2000. Radio Caroline Dublin changed its name to WXTC but closed soon afterwards.

Radio Caroline Dublin was typical of pirate stations of the era. The Broadcasting and Wireless Telegraphy Act 1988 forced pirate from the high street and hotels into garden sheds for the majority of the 1990s. Radio Caroline Dublin never ran adverts and did limited fundraisers. Its core funding was through vigorous adherence to DJ subscriptions. Weekly and monthly subs were collected with two tiers for waged and unwaged. The subs from 25+ volunteers funded the very best of club DJing equipment in studio and a Dublin Mountains TX site. The subs were directly linked to democratic involvement in purchasing decisions. Ownership structure was more akin to 1970s AM pirates but there was a not-for-profit ethos from the start. 

Full time hours were 5pm-12am Monday-Friday and 9am-1am at weekends. The station was involved in an unsuccessful licence bid for a community radio licence in 1996, and was a constituent group in the formation of Dublin-wide community of interest station Anna Livia FM, but then never got involved with that station as they were busy building Radio Caroline Dublin. 

This interview with Brian Greene was conducted by Pete Reid (Simon Maher) and Gerard Roe in July 1998 in the Radio Caroline Dublin studio. It was featured in Anorak Hour #151 on 2nd August 1998 on Phantom FM and repeated during Anorak Hour #249 on 17th September 2000. This donation is with thanks to Gerard Roe.