Drivetime on Cork’s WKLR

Drivetime on Cork's WKLR
WKLR logo (courtesy DX Archive).

WKLR (West Cork Local Radio) broadcast from the town of Bandon from January 1984 until the end of December 1988. Originally aiming primarily at west Cork, by the end of its run WKLR could be heard throughout the county. The station broadcast on 1503 kHz AM, announced as 200 metres, and on various FM frequencies including 100 MHz.

Drivetime on Cork's WKLR
WKLR exterior in 1988 (courtesy Andy Carter).

In this recording from winter 1988, John Greene finishes up his Friday afternoon show until 4.30 and he is followed by Tim Coughlan who presents the drivetime show featuring mostly easy listening music. An outside broadcast from Cork City is promised for the following week and the station is identified as ‘WKLR – the new voice of Cork’. News is read by Deirdre O’Reilly. Tim presented a show on Cork commercial station C103 until 2022 and John is still heard on that station.

Drivetime on Cork's WKLR
Original cassette label from Anoraks Ireland Collection.

The recording was made from 95.5 FM on 4th November 1988. Rather than being a studio link transmitter as stated on the label, this was in fact located on a hill southwest of Bandon and covered a large area in its own right. Part 1 above runs from 1607-1653 and Part 2 below from 1654-1740.

Part 2 from 1654.

The tape is from the Anoraks Ireland Collection, donated to us by Paul Davidson. WKLR closed at 0130 on December 31st 1988.

Interview: Ken O’Sullivan (WKLR, Capitol Nitesky)

Interview: Ken O'Sullivan (WKLR, Capitol Nitesky)
Capital Radio sticker c. 1981 (courtesy DX Archive).

On October 20th 2018 over 100 radio anoraks gathered in the Ballsbridge Hotel Dublin. The purpose was to meet and record oral history of the pirate radio era. Ken O’Sullivan worked at pirates in Cork (WKLR and Capital Radio) in the 1980s and is still working in radio today with LMFM. Here is his story.

Interview: Ken O'Sullivan (WKLR, Capitol Nitesky)
WKLR logo courtesy of DX Archive.