Advert for Jason Maine in the Sunday World in 1986 (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
Solid Gold Sunday was a weekly show presented by popular DJ Jason Maine on Dublin station Q102 in the 1980s. This recording of the programme was made between Christmas and New Year 1987 and includes the usual mix of oldies along with Jason’s characteristic relaxed style. There’s also a promo for a show featuring the Top 40 of 1987, that will air during the festive season.
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM between 1203-1249 on Sunday 27th December 1987.
Early Q102 sticker from when the station was on 828 kHz AM (Anoraks Ireland Collection).
By the summer of 1985, new kid on the block Q102 was well established as a serious player in the Dublin radio market. The Irish-owned super-pirate had a crisp, professional sound and high broadcasting standards. Q102 had many experienced DJs but also launched other media careers and some of the same people continue to broadcast to this day.
Over the August bank holiday weekend of 1985, Q102 broadcast a day-long special of number ones of the 1970s between 1000-1900. The hits were interspersed with historical news and entertainment items as well as voxpops with the public. The 9-hour show was followed by an all-time listeners’ top 70 records from 1900-2000 based on a phone survey. Customary high-level agency adverts for brands and larger businesses are heard throughout the recording, along with the iconic early jingle package. The presenters are Martin Block and Derek Jones and news on the hour is read by Brian Carroll.
The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM between 1000 and 1132 on Monday 5th August 1985.
The Dublin pirate scene was alive and well in the summer of 1986. Radio Nova had closed suddenly in March, to be replaced by Energy 103. Other super-pirates Sunshine Radio and Q102 took advantage of the change to consolidate their positions in the crowded market. Smaller stations continued to chug along serving their own niche audiences or communities while pirates from nearby counties could be heard easily in the capital, particularly on AM.
This airchecked recording captures some of the variety to be heard in Dublin that summer and includes excerpts from KISS FM (Dublin 1), Capitol Radio, Radio Dublin, Q102, Sunshine 101, Energy 103, Bray Local Broadcasting (BLB), Community Radio Fingal (CRF) and Boyneside Radio. It was made on 19th June 1986 and is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection.
Eye in the Sky flyer from Q102 in 1986 (courtesy DX Archive).
One of the stand-out features of Dublin super-pirate Q102 was its live traffic reports every morning from a helicopter flying over the city. The Eye in the Sky service was presented by general manager Mike Hogan from the skies above Dublin and quickly became the go-to place for up-to-date traffic information. In this excerpt from the breakfast show in spring 1986, DJ Greg Gaughren chats to Mike Hogan who is grounded due to helicopter maintenance but nonetheless phones in traffic reports from his car. Greg is joined in studio by another familiar voice, Martin Block. News at 2 minutes to the hour is read by Bryan Jennings and Scott Williams then takes over in the mid-morning slot. All presenters went on to have careers in licensed independent radio or RTÉ.
This recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 103.5 FM on 27th March 1986 between 0817-0905. The tape was made during an interesting period in the Dublin radio scene, as the city’s biggest station Radio Nova had closed down just over a week previously. Another month would pass before Nova’s successful successor station, Energy 103, hit the airwaves.
By the summer of 1985, the new kid on the block, Q102, was well established as a serious player in the cut-throat Dublin radio market. Made after about six months on air, this recording underlines the station’s professionalism and high-quality sound with breakfast DJ, Scott Williams, presenting a mixture of music, news and information. There are promos for a listeners’ quiz sponsored by Irish music retailer Dolphin Discs and for cash giveaways on the streets of Dublin. Adverts for larger businesses and brands reflect Q102’s commercial success. News is read by Anne Cassin. Both presenters went on to careers in licensed radio or RTÉ.
Original cassette inlay from Anoraks Ireland Collection.
The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM from 0727-0812 on 6th August 1985.
