Leon Tipler Collection Archives - Page 2 of 15 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

25th October 202421st October 2024

More of Dublin’s Capitol Radio in summer 1979

Capitol Radio compliments slip (courtesy lan Russell)

Today’s recording is a short excerpt of one of the Dublin pirate stations of the late 1970s, Capitol Radio, as recorded by English radio anorak Leon Tipler during a visit to Ireland in July 1979. Station co-founder Alan Russell reminds listeners of a chance to win a bottle of wine and gives a postal address on the South Circular Road, or people can drop into the studios on Bachelors Walk. Coming up after Alan is another co-founder of the station, Chris Barry. At the very end is a quick tune around AM, giving a taste of the amount of broadcasters on the band at the time.

The recording is undated but is likely from 19^th or 20^th July 1979 and begins shortly before 1000. It was recorded from 1332 kHz, announcing 226 metres. Capitol Radio broadcast initially on a part-time basis for a few months in 1975 but returned as full-time operation in 1978, offering a mixture of music, talk and specialist programmes. Thanks to Steve England for sharing Leon Tipler’s recordings with us.

21st October 20248th January 2025

More Dublin radio from summer 1979

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Continuing our series featuring the tapes of English radio enthusiast Leon Tipler (RIP), today’s recording is of a bandscan made in July 1979, during one of Leon’s frequent visits to Dublin. Recorded mostly from AM, it begins with an excerpt from the Citizen’s Band legal advice programme on Alternative Radio Dublin (ARD) presented by Sylvia McClelland, an example of the diversity of programming on the station at the time. ARD news airs on the half-hour. This is followed by an unidentified DJ on Big D, who reads out requests from listeners and refers to Dublin’s iconic Dandelion Market. There are adverts for small businesses, some read live by the DJ, and a mention of a Big D social night the following Friday.

Towards the end of the recording, the dial is tuned around the AM band and we hear snippets of the new RTÉ Radio 2, Radio Dublin and UK stations. At the very end some FM stations are heard. The tape was recorded on 18^th July 1979 from around midday. Audio quality is fair at best due to cassette degradation over time. Thanks to Steve England for the donation of Leon’s invaluable recordings and to Ian Biggar for additional information.

11th October 20246th October 2024

Breakfast show on Capitol Radio in 1979

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Capitol Radio was an innovative station broadcasting to Dublin in the 1970s and 1980s. Like other pirates of the era, it began as a part-time operation in August 1975, taking to the airwaves on Friday evenings and Sunday afternoons. After a raid in December, the station closed down for more than two years. Capitol returned on a full-time basis in February 1978 and offered an eclectic mix of music and talk until 1981.

This recording from summer 1979 features one of Capitol’s founders, Alan Russell, presenting the breakfast show. The musical mix is laid-back and includes oldies. Adverts for local businesses are aired and there is also a sales promo offering both radio adverts and graphic design for businesses wishing to advertise in local press. Alan is to hand over at 1100 to Chris Barry, another co-founder of Capitol.

The recording was made from 1332 kHz, announcing 226 metres, from 0907-0950 on 19^th July 1979. It is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England. Audio quality is variable due to cassette degradation over time.

9th October 20245th October 2024

Dublin bandscan from summer 1979

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English radio enthusiast Leon Tipler was fond of recording bandscans during his visits to Dublin in the late 1970s and early 1980s, giving us a unique insight into the sound of the AM and FM bands at the time. In this recording from July 1979, he tunes along both bands late at night and again in the morning, providing snippets of the pirates and RTÉ. Among the content captured here is Paul Vincent with a late-night phone-in on ARD (Alternative Radio Dublin), Vincent Stewart on the Big D and a science fiction show also on the Big D. There are extracts from Mike Murphy’s breakfast programme recorded from RTÉ Radio 1 on FM and part of the Big D breakfast show, again from FM. As the knob is turned along the AM band, some British stations are also heard, as well as other unidentified Irish pirates.

This undated recording is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England.

7th October 20247th October 2024

Summer breakfast show on ARD

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The English radio anorak Leon Tipler recorded many Irish stations during his visits in the late 1970s and early 1980s. This recording was made in summer 1979 and features part of the breakfast show on popular Dublin station ARD (Alternative Radio Dublin), by then established as one of the city’s leading pirates. The DJ is unidentified but could be Mike Moran. Adverts are heard for local businesses throughout the city and news is read on the half-hour. There is a short snippet of Radio Dublin at the very end.

The recording was made on Thursday 19^th July 1979 from 0827-0905 from 1161 kHz AM, announcing 257 metres. Audio quality is fair and there is some wobble due to cassette degradation over time. The tape is from the Leon Tipler Collection, donated to us by Steve England.