Scott Williams Archives - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

22nd May 202412th May 2024

Breakfast show traffic reports on Q102

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 27^th 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.

6th May 20246th May 2024

Breakfast music and news on Q102

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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.

The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection and was made from 102 FM from 0727-0812 on 6^th August 1985.

25th July 202314th July 2023

Summer breakfast show on Dublin’s Q102

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Scott Williams was one of the leading DJs on Dublin super-pirate Q102 (1985-1988) and opened Ireland’s first licensed independent station Capital Radio in July 1989. In this recording from four years earlier, he is heard presenting the Q breakfast with a mix of chart music, the ‘Bits and pieces’ competition and headlines and the newspaper review by Anne Cassin. There are also promos for a £10 giveaway to listeners on the streets of Dublin and for the hospital requests slot each afternoon. Commercial breaks feature the usual mixture of well-known Dublin businesses and agency adverts.

The recording was made from 102 FM from 0726-0811 on Thursday 25^th July 1985. It is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection donated by Paul Davidson.

20th June 202318th June 2023

Q102 outside broadcast from Dublin city centre

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Q102 logo from 1987 (Alan MacSimoin collection).

By summer 1987 after more than two years on air, Q102 was well established as one of the leading pirate radio stations in Dublin and Ireland. It and other super-pirates repeatedly pushed the boundaries in terms of content, standards and technology and this tape is a good example of the high levels of professionalism attained by the bigger stations towards the end of the 1980s pirate era.

Q102 outside broadcast from Dublin city centre — Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording features an outside broadcast by Q102 from the Switzer’s department store during the Midsummer Madness party taking place there. There are vox pops with shoppers and kids on Grafton Street, some of whom have just finished school exams, £5 gift vouchers and ice creams are given away as prizes. The OB features various presenters including Mickey Joe, Scott Williams, Mike Hogan, Dave Kelly, Greg Gaughren, Martin Block and Anne Cassin. The usual agency ads are heard and there is a competition for tickets for the iconic U2 concert in Croke Park on June 28^th. News at 3 minutes to the hour is read by Maura O’Neill.

The tape was made from 102.1 FM on Saturday 20^th June 1987. Part 1 above runs from 1342-1430 and Part 2 below from 1430-1518.

Part 2 from 1430

At this time Q102 also broadcast on 819 kHz AM and 103.5 FM. The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.

5th June 202327th May 2023

June bank holiday Monday 1985 on Q102

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Dublin’s new ‘super-pirate’ Q102 held an on-air charity auction on the June bank holiday 1985 in aid of the Burton Hall mental health charity. First up in this recording are Martin Block and Jason Maine taking bids from listeners and offers of prizes for auction from businesses around the city. Later Scott Williams and Anne Cassin announce the big auction prize of a 20 inch colour television. Adverts are aired for large businesses such as Nissan Windsor Motors, Brennan’s bread, the Evening Herald newspaper and USIT Holidays. News on the hour is read by Anne Cassin and Gary Hamill (aka Seán McCarthy), with sports headlines from John Kenny.

The recording was made from 102 FM on Monday 3^rd June 1985. Part 1 above runs from 1351 and Part 2 below from 1449.

Part 2 from 1449.

There is some wobble in the audio due to degredation of the cassette. The recording is from the Anoraks Ireland Tapes Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson.