WABC Archives - Page 3 of 3 - Irish Pirate Radio Audio Archive

8th November 20243rd December 2024

Border series: Donegal pirate WABC in 1988

Continuing our series on Donegal pirate WABC, today’s recording is from 1988, the last year of the station’s first period on air before new broadcasting legislation was introduced. On 10^th January 1988, WABC was heard on a new frequency of 101.7 FM. The move was due to interference at 107 and the fact that not everyone wanted to tune so high up on the FM dial. Also in January 1988, power on 1242 kHz was noted at about 150w and the studios were said to be in a mobile home about 5 miles from Inishowen Head. The target areas were Derry City, Coleraine and Limavaddy.

On 27^th March, Weekly Report noted WABC on 6300 kHz shortwave as well as medium wave and FM. It added: ‘The station seems bright and lively and must be gaining listeners amongst the younger end in Coleraine and surrounds. Some adverts are noted, and plenty of “Laser-type” jingles’. Around this time, the Sunday World newspaper carried a feature about the station and its first road show which was a success. On 10^th April 1988, the FM transmitter of WABC on 101.7 was reported to have an output of 900w. The main FM was to be moved from the existing site at the studio at about 230 feet above sea level to a new site about 600 feet above sea level so the new signal would cover a much greater area. Reference was made to a recent setback when a number of items were stolen from the station, including a transmitter. On 24^th April, no doubt in response to the new transmitter site, Anoraks UK reported a ‘super signal’ for WABC on FM in Blackpool. On 12^th June, it noted that WABC had moved from Garvagh to Greencastle where their new studios were located. It also reported a new FM transmitter for Derry City on 100.8 and Moville and the Donegal coast on 99.8. Both MW and SW were off air at the time due to a lack of valves.

Our recording was made on a drizzly summer morning and features the end of the Breakfast Club with Paul Bentley (Paul Barnett, RIP), followed by Krissi. There are plenty of tagliners and station idents and adverts for businesses in Co. Antrim. The tape was made on 7^th July 1988 from 101.7 FM between 1019-1105 and is kindly donated by Ian Biggar.

29th October 202429th October 2024

Border series: History of Donegal station WABC

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Today we begin a new series of the history of the Donegal pirate station WABC with the assistance of our friend and long-time watcher of the Irish radio scene, Ian Biggar. WABC was a successful station that was on air over three separate periods before and after the introduction of legislation that aimed to silence pirate radio in the Republic of Ireland. WABC first broadcast from September 1987 until the end of December 1988, closing down along with the vast majority of other stations. It returned to the airwaves in June 1989 and continued until April 1991. A final spell of broadcasting occurred for a few months in 2001. The station operator was Paul Barnett (RIP), known on air as Paul Burbank or Paul Bentley, who had a background in land-based pirates in the UK. Paul moved with his Irish-born wife Krissi to Coleraine and set up WABC and both were heard regularly on the station. Following the demise of WABC, Paul took over the ownership of another long-running Donegal pirate, Radio North, which continues to broadcast to this day.

The Anoraks UK Weekly Report of 6^th September 1987 reported that WABC had been heard testing on 106 FM and that AM was due to follow. The station was based at Inishowen Head and was beaming its signal into Northern Ireland. WABC began regular broadcasts on 16^th September on 106 FM only. The Weekly Report of 1^st November referred to ‘WABC – the Hot 107’ following a frequency change and noted that the station was being received well in Blackpool despite the distance, due to a high location for the transmitter. A PO box in Coleraine in Co. Derry was given as the contact address.

The Weekly Report of 8^th November again noted WABC and commented that they ‘must certainly have appealed to young people with their fast disco/Top 40 format and dozens of jingles (all old favourites chopped up, but nice, nevertheless, to hear again). Advertisers were urged to contact the station without delay, and we feel sure that they will be doing just this. It would be interesting to know how far the station is penetrating into Ireland, with a listenable (marketable) signal’. On 6^th December, Anoraks UK noted that WABC was also audible in Blackpool on 1242 kHz once Radio Merseywaves was off the air. The 20^th December 1987 edition of Weekly Report noted that the AM transmitter had an output of 500w but that the aerial was inefficient, while the 107 FM transmitter was running about 350w from a site 4 miles east of Moville. It also noted a new channel of 98 FM in use with just 50w but plans to increase the signal to 1kW. Paul Barnett was quoted as saying that selling ads was not easy due to fierce competition but that a sizeable audience had been built up after just a few months on air. At this time, WABC was operating from 0700-0100 every day with an ‘all hits – no country’ policy aimed at the 15-35 age group.

Our first recording of WABC was made on high ground in East Ayrshire in Scotland and due to the distance from the TX site, includes some fading. The station had recently come on air and was broadcasting from a mobile home near Malin Head. Some adverts are heard for businesses in Derry and Antrim and DJ Dougie Dee plays a hangman competition on air with plenty of phone entries. The tape was made from 1852-1940 from 107 FM on 29^th October 1987 and is courtesy of DX Archive.

28th October 202328th October 2023

Paul Barnett (RIP) on WABC

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Paul Barnett (RIP) was involved in pirate radio in Donegal and since the late 1990s was the operator of the long-running AM station Radio North until his death in October 2023. Another station associated with Paul was WABC, which he launched on FM in September 1987. WABC left the airwaves along with the other pirates at the end of 1988 but returned in mid-1989 from the village of Greencastle. The signal was beamed across Northern Ireland and could also be heard in parts of Scotland. The station even had two separate channels for a time, WABC Hot Hits and WABC Gold. Paul left Donegal in 1991 to pursue radio interests in the UK but returned to Ireland in the late 1990s when he revived WABC for a time and took over operation of Radio North.

This recording of WABC from 101.7 FM was made between 1019 and 1105 on 7^th July 1988 and features Paul on air, using the name Paul Bentley. It is courtesy of Ian Biggar.

27th October 20234th January 2024

Death of Radio North operator, Paul Barnett

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It is with great sadness that we learned today of the death of Paul Barnett, aka Paul Burbank or Paul Bentley following a battle with cancer. Paul was the operator of long-running AM pirate Radio North from Donegal and previously ran another station from that county, WABC. We thank Ian Biggar for writing this tribute for Pirate.ie.

I first got in contact with Paul in late 1987 when I heard his station, WABC on 107 FM back home in the west of Scotland. I received a friendly letter from Paul giving full details of his radio station that was broadcasting from north Donegal. Paul was from Mansfield in the English midlands and had moved with his Irish-born wife and family to set up a business in Coleraine. With Paul’s background in pirate radio it was a given that he would start a station and thus WABC was born, aiming its signal towards Coleraine and the Causeway coast.

WABC built up a strong audience over the next year, but like others had to close with the introduction of the broadcasting bill in Ireland on 31st December 1988. However, with the continuation of Radio North, Paul took the initiative and put WABC back on the air in mid June 1989. The station was now located in the family home in Greencastle.

We visited the station in May 1990 when Paul was running two formats, namely WABC Gold on 101.2 MHz and WABC Hot Hots on 101.5 MHz. It was always great to meet Paul as his enthusiam for radio was always infectious. I often was able to listen to both stations back at home on the west coast of Scotland.

In March 1991 I received a note from Paul saying that due to family commitments he and his family were returning to Mansfield. Paul then got involved with commercial radio with Gem AM in Nottingham and was a regular presenter. However, by the late 90s Paul was back in Donegal and running Radio North on 846 kHz and in time brought back WABC. However, his time was focused on Radio North which continues its format of country, oldies and religious programming on 846 kHz. Let’s hope Radio North can carry on and therefore continue Paul’s legacy.

RIP Paul and thank you for playing your significant part in the Irish era.

The recording is of the announcement by DJ Steven Lynch of Paul’s death on Radio North on Friday 27^th October 2023. It is courtesy of Neil Sweeney.