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021
19th May 2002, 18:15
re. South Coast Radio as on Anorak Hour Nr 307 12th May 2002

http://www.radiowaves.fm/anorakhour/307/SouthCoastRadio.mp3

For anyone who heard this..
Its worth mentioning there were at least 3 South Coast Radios in Cork during the 1980s:

The first was the superpirate which started in 1982, closing sometime in 1984 (there is a person who will read this who can tell us the exact date), and was on 104FM / 1557kHz ("194") AM with significant English involvement (including current 96FM breakfast show host Nick Richards) as was pointed out by Ger Roe when Anorak Hour had played a promotional recording for this one the previous week (306).

The second was the one featured on the above Anorak Hour (307) and was of DJ Ray Jenkins from May 1986. I do not remember him but one of the DJs I do remember on this station was TV3 News's Paul Byrne (not sure of his on-air name - 'Paul Davis' perhaps?).
I cannot give a date when this SCR started, it was either in late 1984 or 1985.
This station started small and was on 102FM, but eventually expanded and was on 102FM and 104FM (it appeared the 102 was from the studio and 104FM from a high site).
The studio had been initially in North Main Street, but moved to Marlboro Street...
The station closed abruptly (in 1986 or early 1987 - cannot remember) shortly after introducing the higher powered transmitter from a high site (on 104FM), anyone know for definite why it closed? someone says they had to close over the 'I' word!

The third S.C.R. was when Romano's WBEN changed name to South Coast Radio in late 1987, staying with that name until the station closed a few minutes into 1/1/1989 and was on 98.5FM. People such as current 96FM DJs Rob Allen and Ken Tobin (Steve O'Neill his DJ name back then) are remembered on this one.

Ger Roe
19th May 2002, 22:27
Thanks for the Info 021.

Do you have any recordings of the early Cork stations ?
We always welcome the opportunity to feature new material on the programme, particularly regional since most of our own collections relate to Dublin stations.

Regards,

Ger Roe - Phantom FM.

Guest
24th May 2002, 15:43
The first southcoast shut down on Friday 13th Juy '84 - I have a tape of john kenny doing the countdown with a rather worse for wear tony allen on news which I'll upload somewhere if john/tony tell me they don't mind. The second southcoast was louder on 2 metres than FM and romano managed to destroy the name even more when he blew up his hollyhill transmitter and ripped off poor old farmer duggan for several k.

021
26th May 2002, 18:05
Ger,
I do have some odds and ends of stations 1986 onwards recorded alright, but tape quality of a lot of the stuff is not the best.
There would be others out there with more interesting collections,
I'll certainly look at what might be worthwhile sending on

regarding Fred's reply
"romano managed to destroy the name even more when he blew up his hollyhill transmitter "

towards the end of WBEN and when it became SCR in 1987 the transmitter appeared to be on the hills Southside (i.e. NOT Hollyhill)
Maybe the above was the case in the early days of WBEN?

How did he manage to blow up the transmitter?

The Doc
14th January 2003, 22:16
Yeah you're right 021, I am reading this and I can tell you the exact date South Coast Radio (the original and always the best) closed..it was 6pm on Friday the 13th July 1984...I remember it well. A very sad day for Cork radio (as well as being very unlucky also!!!)

021
20th January 2003, 19:08
Well I don't remember it but I recall you mentioning it on your own station some years ago, Doc/Max Power/etc! I think you said that the last song on the original SCR was 'Thank you for the Music' from Abba?

I remember the jingles from the final SCR 98.5FM (1988) which were of course taken from the original, such as:

South Coast Radio
South Coast Radio
we're here to bring to you
news and music and features too
listen daily
you'll enjoy
South Coast Ra-D-io

scotty
20th January 2003, 19:55
I actually visited the original South Coast Radio in June 1984, not long before just before they closed. I could not believe the rig from the change in the station. The office had lost the buzz and the studio was grubby and unkept. This was in stark contrast to the year before when it was going well and there was agreat atmosphere. I have a couple of photos from that last visit.

I always remember South Coast with great fondness from my early days with ERI. We got a 5kw rig from the States then South Coast got a 10kw tx. They got the jingles from PAMS and then we did likewise.

Good professional rivalry, but we still met up for a few pints in Henchys.

greenman
4th March 2003, 20:20
I remember listening to South Coast at night in 83 when I lived Dun Laoire. I even won an album from them. Micheal Jacksons Thriller and I even got it in the post soon afterwards!!!.
AM really died a death in Ireland, living in Belgium I only listen to AM in the car and satellite in the house. I have a low powered FM tx on 88.7 connected to the hi fi and such station like Radio 5 and even Montrose 1&2 are listened too. Speaking of Montrose 2 John Clarkes show on a sunday afternoon reminds of good old NOVA!!!!!!!!.