Sunday shows on South Coast Radio

Sunday shows on South Coast Radio
Pete O’Neill in the South Coast studio in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This recording of South Coast Radio was made on a sunny Sunday afternoon in Cork in 1983. It begins with Pete O’Neill presenting the South Coast Countdown and he is followed by Don Stevens. Station idents are voiced by the legendary Tony Allan, who is also heard on some adverts.

Sunday shows on South Coast Radio
Original cassette label from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording was made from 103.7 FM, announced as 104 MHz, on 6th March 1983. South Coast Radio also broadcast on 1557 kHz or 194 metres. Sound quality is fair, possibly due to degradation of the tape. First up is Pete O’Neill from 1430-1515 and then Don Stevens from 1115-1200. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

Cork’s South Coast Radio Top 40

Cork's South Coast Radio Top 40
Pete O’Neill in the South Coast studio (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

In its first year on air, Cork’s popular new station South Coast Radio broadcast its own Top 40 on Saturday afternoons with a repeat on Tuesday nights. This show from Saturday 19th June 1982 is presented by Pete O’Neill, who is standing in for Mark Lawrence. The usual mix of local and agency adverts is heard throughout, evidence of South Coast’s growing success in the Cork radio market. The Top 40 is followed by the favourite records of the station’s DJs that week. There are no timechecks in the recording, presumably because it would be repeated. The final section below also contains snippets of Nick Richards, Tony Allan and Hugh Browne from what seem to be other editions of the Top 40 show.

Part 2
Part 3
Part 4 and clips of other Top 40 shows

Audio quality is fair to good with some distortion in places. The recording was made from 104 FM and is courtesy of Lillian O’Donoghue.

Mid-morning on South Coast Radio

Mid-morning on South Coast Radio
Pete O’Neill with a furry friend at South Coast in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This is part of Pete O’Neill’s popular mid-morning show on South Coast Radio in Cork on June 18th 1982. There’s the usual birthday file, which includes the news that Paul McCartney was 40 on that day. Other regular features include the What’s On In Munster slot. The recording begins after the 10am news and is partially airchecked. It was made from 104 FM but quality is only fair in places due to the age of the cassette. Thanks to Lillian O’Donoghue for the donation.

South Coast Radio from June 1982

South Coast Radio from June 1982
Nick Richards at South Coast in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This is a selection of short recordings of Cork’s South Coast Radio from a week in June 1982. First up is Nick Richards from just after midnight on Tuesday 15th June, who includes a request for number one South Coast fan, Lillian McCarthy (O’Donoghue). Then we hear extracts from Pete O’Neill’s mid-morning show from Thursday 17th June. Pete says that the schedule will be different the following day because breakfast DJ Alan Reid (Henry Condon, also known as Henry Owens, RIP) will be celebrating his birthday that night. At the end we hear a snippet of the late Hugh Browne from his afternoon show on the same day.

These recordings were made from 104 FM and are courtesy of Lillian O’Donoghue.

Pete O’Neill and Hugh Browne on South Coast Radio

Pete O'Neill and Hugh Browne on South Coast Radio
Pete O’Neill at South Coast Radio in 1982 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

This is a recording of part of Pete O’Neill’s popular mid-morning show in the early days of the Cork super-pirate South Coast Radio. It’s a sunny Thursday morning, 13th May 1982, and Pete has the usual bright and breezy mix of music, interviews and information. Regular slots include What’s On In Munster, the Adult Education Diary and the Listener’s Favourite 5 after the midday news. There are also announcements about community events such as a road race in Co. Clare (giving a sense of the station’s wide coverage on 1557 kHz AM) and an interview with a Cork band. Listeners are invited to call the Hitline and vote for their favourite record of the week and there are various promos for other shows including the Nightline with Nick Richards and Hit and Miss with John Kenny. Other promos of note include Flatline, an accommodation service, and Jobline, a vacancies slot.

Pete O'Neill and Hugh Browne on South Coast Radio
Hugh Browne (RIP) at South Coast Radio in 1983 (courtesy Lillian O’Donoghue).

Pete is followed by the late Hugh Browne, who has a competition for tickets to a forthcoming Don McLean concert. News is read by Mark Lawrence but is edited out of the original recording. Part 1 of the recording above runs from 1005. Parts 2 and 3 are below.

Part 2 from 1137
Part 3 from 1230

The recordings were made from 104 FM in stereo and are courtesy of Lillian O’Donoghue.