Radio Nova celebrates one year on air with a birthday surprise from RTÉ.
From June 29th 1982, this is a recording of the Dublin station as they were forced to use an alternative to their main microwave link from Herbert St. The main link was under attack from signals emanating from an RTÉ-owned building in Rathmines. The jamming had started the day before but lasted just 30 minutes.
First, from 6.18pm, John Clarke is on air for the final 40 minutes of his afternoon show.
Next, the magazine programme Dublin Today features an interview with Éamonn Cooke of Radio Dublin
Then from 7.30pm, Jason Maine
Radio Retro: Archiving Irish radio broadcasts with the help of Ken Baird
May 14th 1983 was the date set for Operation Novacare 1983, an annual charity fundraiser ran by Radio Nova.
Sybil Fennell for Operation Novacare
In the first recording Declan Meehan is on air from the studios from 9.56am, whilst Nova personalities are on location in Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre.
Tony Gareth takes over from Declan at 2pm
This recording can now be downloaded direct from DX Archive. We host it with thanks to Gary Hogg.
May 18th 1983. A famous day in Irish radio history as Declan Meehan and Bob Gallico compose themselves on air whilst Department of P&T officials, accompanied by Gardaí, demand that they switch off Radio Nova.
The full story of the 1983 Raids is told chronologically in this Radiowaves Special Feature [tap here]
This is Declan Meehan and Bob Gallico on Radio Nova on May 25th 1983, one week after the raid on the station. Recorded in Leeds off 819kHz, the recording starts at 7.45am and although it suffers from poor quality it is very listenable.
The full story of the 1983 Raids is told chronologically in this Radiowaves Special Feature [tap here]
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts in collaboration with Gary Hogg
This is a recording of Tom Hardy on Radio Nova, the Dublin pirate station, for the last hour of his show from 1pm on November 1st 1983. Bob Gallico and Sybil Fennell are on News.
Listen as broadcast
Listen airchecked
Radio Retro: Archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
This is Radio Nova from January 23rd 1984. We join Declan Meehan’s Brekkie Trekkie with Bob Gallico from 7.30am. The iconic duo are followed by Colm Hayes at 9am. And then it’s John Clarke from midday.
7.30am Declan & Bob
9am Colm Hayes
Midday John Clarke
This recording was made in Leeds by Gary Hogg, some 250 miles from the transmission site. The local ILR station Radio Aire was on the next channel of 828kHz, hence the splattering across 819kHz. As this was January there was also foreign interference, hence the hum, especially during the breakfast show. Even so, the signal was listenable. There had been rumours of another raid this week, as the station had brought its 50kW transmitter on line. RTÉ had also started a sustained jamming campaign against the station a few days earlier. As an aside they had also been jamming South Coast Radio and ERI broadcasts in Cork.
This recording is by very kind courtesy of Gary Hogg Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
Radio Nova off 819kHz on January 25th 1984. Starting at 7.11am and running through to 1.15pm, this is a straight 6 hours recording featuring the iconic pairing of Declan Meehan & Bob Gallico, then Colm Hayes from 9am, followed by John Clarke from midday.
It is interesting to note that this recording was made in Leeds by Gary Hogg of DX Archive.
From May 7th 1984 this is programming from Dublin station Radio Nova recorded off 88.2MHz. The four recordings span much of the day from early morning through late evening.
First, from 7am, Bob Gallico is reading the news leading into his shared programme with Declan Meehan.
Following them Colm Hayes is on air from 9am.
Later in the day we catch the last hour and 10 minutes of Greg Gaughran’s afternoon programme.
Then from 7pm the ever-popular Jason Maine takes over for the evening broadcast.
These Radio Nova recordings are courtesy of DX Archive
These recordings were made at a time when RTÉ were engaged in a jamming campaign against the Dublin superpirates Radio Nova and Sunshine Radio. Nova’s studios had been relocated to the transmitter site at Nova Park in Rathfarnham because the microwave links from the previous studio location at Herbert Street were being targetted. To make things more difficult for RTÉ, Radio Nova were also broadcasting on 102.7MHz (in addition to 88.2MHz) and had two MW transmitters in action as well on 729kHz and 819kHz. Nova sister station Kiss FM had been broadcasting on 102.7MHz but it had been closed in January as a result of the jamming.
From July 9th 1984, this is Declan Meehan and Bob Gallico on the Dekki Wekki Brekki Trekki for Radio Nova. The recording is off 738kHz and starts at 6.15am. Following them, there’s about 20 minutes of Colm Hayes’ show from 9am.
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts in collaboration with Gary Hogg
From July 13th 1984, this is Declan Meehan’s last show for Dublin superpirate Radio Nova before departing for Capital Radio.
Recorded off 738kHz, we join the show at 8.10am. Bob Gallico reads the news and does his usual inserts. And there’s a short snippet of Colm Hayes, who follows at 9am.
The morning show from Dublin station Radio Nova with Colm Hayes and Bob Gallico on a day that Ireland shook – literally!
Bernadette Jameson:- I was amused to hear my voice in an ad break in that recording, advertising Paul Penders natural hair and skin care. Googled them, found they are still going, so I ordered stuff. Must be the longest reaction to a radio ad ever!
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts in collaboration with DX Archive
Friday September 28th 1984. The question posed to listeners of Radio Nova was: “What would you do with £5,000?” To win, you had to be the 50th caller once the station had played three particular songs in a row. The promos had been running for weeks but this day was the last day it could possibly happen, and it had to happen before 7pm.
First in these recordings, from 11.30am, John Clarke gives some clues to when it would happen. There are large gaps in the recordings so his show is split into three parts. Following John, there’s Greg Gaughran’s show from 2pm – split into twp parts due to a large gap in the recording. There’s a choice of listening with the music stripped out or to hear the output exactly as broadcast (it becomes very important to realise it is exactly a broadcast).
First from 11.25am…this is John Clarke either as broadcast or airchecked
Staying with John Clarke from 12.45pm, again either as broadcast or airchecked
Finally John Clarke with the last 15 minutes of his show – as broadcast or airchecked
From 2pm this is Greg Gaughran as broadcast or airchecked
We rejoin Greg Gaughran from 4pm, again as broadcast or airchecked
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts in collaboration with Gary Hogg
Christmas Day 1984 on Radio Nova. First, we have Denis Murray from 10.45am and he’s followed by Tony Allan (right), along with an assortment of guests, from 2pm.
Featuring a pair of mid-morning presenters conjuring up some very enjoyable radio, this is a recording of the Radio Nova spin-off station Magic 103 with the indisputable and much-missed talents of Peter Madison and Bob Gallico. The date is July 22nd 1985 and the tape started rolling at 10am.
Radio Retro – archiving Irish Radio broadcasts since 2002
This is the very first ever outing for Radio Nova’s Zoo Crew. Colm Hayes, Bob Gallico and Dave Harvey were all in the Dublin studio on the morning of October 7th 1985. The quality of this recording is not great but its historical value makes it worth listening to and archiving.
Listen as broadcast…
Listen with the music stripped out…
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
From the morning of October 25th 1985 this is a recording of The Zoo Crew from The Nut Hut on Radio Nova. The quality at the start of this recording is not great but its historical value makes it worth listening to and archiving.
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
Christmas Eve morning with Radio Nova’s Zoo Crew from 1985. Colm Hayes, Bob Gallico and assorted guests keep the party flowing from 7.40am.
From one end of the day to the other as John O’Hara plays his last tune before handing over to Jessie Brandon just as the clocks strike midnight for Christmas Day – and All Night Nova.
November 25th 1987 was a historic day in Irish radio as it seen the merger of Energy 103 with the recently relaunched Radio Nova. Nova had reappeared on the Dublin FM band a couple of weeks earlier – 20 months after the hugely successful station had ceased broadcasting.
Here we have a selection of recordings from the day, starting with Niall McGowan and Cassidy Jones on Energy Power 103FM from 12.30pm leading up to the merger. We also have a few airchecks from the rest of the day giving a flavour of the mood at the station.
12:30: As broadcast
12: 30 Airchecked
15: 50 Mainly Airchecked
18: 00 Dublin Today – Airchecked
19: 55 John O’Hara
Niall McGowan:- Wow. Thank you for the memories we were all so happy in those days. “FREE” to play DJ and just have fun. In hindsight, we did not know just how much freedom and fun we had. I have always considered myself to be lucky to be on such great stations with such great people. Thanks.
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
This recording of The Breakfast Club with Cassidy Jones, Bob Gallico and Lisa Moore was made on the morning Energy 103 restored their old moniker following a month of having an identity crisis which confused listeners, and presenters alike! Energy Power 103 had merged with the new Radio Nova in the last week of November to become Nova Power 103, but a legal challenge over the use of the Nova name forced them to change again so they identified as Power 103FM for a couple of weeks.
As broadcast
Airchecked
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002
This is the final day of broadcasting from the Dublin superpirate Q102 in December 1988. We start at 8.45am and have the full day leading up to the station’s closedown at 6pm – necessitated by the introduction of new laws outlawing pirate radio.
These recordings are off both AM and FM and feature pretty much everyone who was ever involved with the station in a broadcast full of reminiscing.
You can listen on an hour to hour basis or in two large blocks…
8.45am – 2.15pm
2.15pm – Closedown
8.45am Tim Kelly
9am Boy Wonder
11am Tony Dixon
12pm Liam Coburn
1pm Aidan Leonard
2pm Al Dunne
3pm Dave Kelly
4pm Henry Owens
5pm Martin Block
After Q102’s official closedown, the station reverted to non-stop continuous music. On some frequencies it went blank for a few minutes, on others the closedown song faded straight into U2.
Pat Courtenay presents ‘The Best of Energy ’87’ on New Year’s Day 1988 on the Dublin station. This is a selection of sketches from when he was the presenter of The Breakfast Club. This tour de force of great comedy from a very talented team of writers and performers is about as good as it gets.
Around half of this recording comes from our own archives and the other half has been supplied by Ian Biggar. Unfortunately, for about ten minutes around halfway through the combined audio, faulty erase heads on our recording device ruined the output but it is still listenable, and as it is anorak gold it is worth preserving even in this state.
The Best of Energy
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002 With thanks to Ian Biggar
From April 14th 2000 this is a recording of Bob Gallico guesting on the Declan Meehan mid-morning show on East Coast Radio, the licensed station for Wicklow. The pair reminisce about Bob’s radio career and we join the recording as Bob reveals he was working as a Double Glazing Salesman when he first joined Radio Nova…
Radio Retro: archiving Irish radio broadcasts since 2002 This recording is courtesy of Ger Roe
From 8.45am on May 5th 2005 this is Ian McKeever’s penultimate show for the licensed station.
Following Ian at 10am, Declan Meehan presents ‘Saying Goodbye to Gallico’, a tribute show from the time of the great man’s return to the States.
If you have any old cassettes or digitised recordings that we can add here, please get in touch – radiowavesfm@radioanoraks.com or use wetransfer to the same address.
