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Monday, 9 August 2021

1989 in Irish Radio, Reeling in the Year


January 1989

 


 

 


January 1st          The airwaves are silent as pirate stations across the country close except for a small few including

Radio Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                            

January 1st          The last Morse code message sent to Sweden from the Malin Head Marconi station. In operation since  

1902, new voice communication technology had been recently installed                                                                                                                                                                                                

January 5th         The electricity and telephones are cut at Radio Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                                 

January 12th       IRTC hold public hearings for National Licence at the National Concert Hall                                                                                                                                                                                            

January 13th       2FM broadcast live from the lobby of St George's Hotel Limerick                                                                                                                                                                                              

January 14th       RTE Cork Local Radio broadcast hours extended                                                                                                                                                                                            

January 20th       The High Court orders the temporary reconnection of power and telephone to Radio Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                           

January 20th       Final date for applications to the IRTC for one of the new licences                                                                                                                                                                                             

January 20th       It’s announced that Richard Branson of Virgin Radio has purchased Radio Nova International                      

from Chris Cary                                                                                                                                                                                       

January 22nd      Gay Byrne confirms he will not be joining Century Radio                                                                                                                                                                                             

January 24th       85 applications are made for the local commercial independent franchises. 'The great radio race' begins for

the 24 licences                                                                                                                                                                                        

January                 Pirates that remain on air include Radio Dublin, Premier Radio, Radio City 105 and K 104. Outside                                         Dublin there was  Radio North. Zee 103, Borderside Weekend Radio, Rainbow Radio, Laser 89 and Radio                             Star County

              

February 1989

                                                                                                                                                                                   

February  1st       Ray Burke, the Minister announces that the new Radio and TV licences will generate 600 jobs                                                                                                                                                                                   

February  1st       Eamon Cooke wins another seven day extension to the injunction against the ESB and P&T for the

cutting of services to the pirate station                                                                                                                                                                                            

February  2nd      Dorothy Hayden Cudahy known as the 'First Lady of Irish Radio' in the US, chosen as Grand Marshall for the

New York St Patricks Day parade. She died in August 2010                                                                                                                                                                                          

February  3rd       Waterford newspapers announce that local pirate station Laser 1989 has gone off the air                                                                                                                                                                                       

February  6th       Radio Dublin lose their Supreme Court challenge                                                                                                                                                                                           

February  7th       Radio Dublin is raided.                                                                                                                                                                                          

February  8th       3.05pm Radio Dublin comes back on the air                                                                                                                                                                                    

February  11th     7.30am and Radio Dublin is raided again                                                                                                                                                                                          

February 15th      It is announced that after ten years (November 1980) Declan Meehan was returning to RTE Radio 2                                                                                                                                                                                        

February 16th      The IRTC hold submissions conference for the two Dublin Franchises                                                                                                                                                                                       

February  20th     NIHE student radio takes to the air with an IRTC licence                                                                                                                                                                                               

February 21st      IRTC hearings held in Cork for the Cork and Kerry franchises, there are 13 bids for 4 licences                                                                                                                                                                                     

February  21st     It is announced that the late Sir Terry Wogan was joining the board of Century Radio                                                                                                                                                                                                  

February  22nd    The transmission fee row between Century and RTE intensifies                                                                                                                                                                                                 

February  23rd     Radio 2000 and Capital Radio win the two franchises for Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                                

March 1989

 

March    8th         Hearing for the Limerick franchise take place at Jurys Hotel. There are 6 applicants                                                                                                                                                                                   

March    16th       Sunshine Radio wins judicial review into the awarding of the Radio 2000 licence in Dublin due to Fred

O'Donovan's connection with the Radio 2000 application as his participation as a member of the                                IRTC                                                                                                                                                                                              

March    16th       Cork Media Enterprises awarded the Cork City franchise, WKLR win the county Cork                                                              franchise                                                                                                                                                                                                 

April 1989

April       12th       TV 3 win third TV licence franchise                                                                                                                                                                                     

April       30th       Millennium Radio Closes in Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                     

May 1989                                                                                                                                          

May        12th       The Courts clear the way for Radio 2000 to open as Capital Radio following a review application from

Sunshine Radio boss Robbie Robinson                                                                                                                                                                                             

May        24th       According to Oliver Barry he handed over €35,000 to the Communications Minister Ray                                                           Burke                                                                                                                                                                                                

June 1989

June                      Borderside Weekend Radio renamed as Summertime Sounds                                                                                                                                                                                    

June       1st/2nd Oral hearings in the Prince of Wales Hotel, Athlone for licence applications in the midlands and the                                         West                                                                                                                                                                                         

June       19th       Suirland Radio awarded Tipperary South East Franchise, Carlow/South Kildare Radio Limited awarded                                  the Carlow Kildare franchise and Tipperary Community Radio for the Tipperary South West area            

 

July 1989

                                                                                                                                                                    

July         8th         3M awarded licence for the Laois, Offaly and Westmeath area                                                                                                                                                                                   

July         20th       Capital Radio launches on 104.4 in Dublin                                                                                                                                                                                        

July         24th       Midwest Radio comes on air in Castlebar, Co. Mayo                                                                                                                                                                                      

August 1989                                                                                                                                               

August   2nd        Highland Radio awarded the contract for Donegal and Cavan/Monaghan Broadcasting services Limited

awarded contract for Cavan/Monaghan                                                                                                                                                                                          

August   9th         First test transmissions from WCBS Galway on 96.8mhz                                                                                                                                                                                              

August   10th       Radio South later renamed as Cork 96 is launched                                                                                                                                                                                         

August   12th       First test transmission for Atlantic 252                                                                                                                                                                                             

August   18th       Radio West is launched in Galway renamed in as Galway Bay FM                                                                                                                                                                                              

September 1989

September 1st     Atlantic 252 is launched                                                                                                                                                                                       

September 4th     Century goes on air                                                                                                                                                                                               

September 8th    The legal version of Waterford Local Radio comes on air                                                                                                                                                                                              

September 10th  Clare FM launched by President Patrick Hillary broadcasting on 95-96mhz                                                                                                                                                                                             

September 15th  CKR launches on 97.3mhz from Carlow                                                                                                                                                                                            

October 1989

October 20th       South East Radio launches on 99.2mhz from Wexford                                                                                                                                                                                                 

October 21st       Horizon Launches in Bray later merges with Easy to becomes todays East Coast Radio                                                                                                                                                                                        

October 22nd      Michael Lennon becomes the first voice on Radio Kilkenny. Minister Ray Burke officially launched

the station. The station lost its licence in 1996                                                                                                                                                                                               

October 31st       Kerry Community Radio Limited awarded local radio franchise with former RTE producer Dan Collins

appointed Managing Director                                                                                                                                                                                             

November 1989

November            Pirate station Breffni Radio in Cavan comes back on air.                                                                                                                                                                                               

November 5th     Radio Limerick One is launched                                                                                                                                                                                          

November 10th   Dublin's second station 98FM is launched                                                                                                                                                                                        

November 13th   The Launch of Shannonside                                                                                                                                                                                                

November 20th   Suirland Radio launches in Clonmel                                                                                                                                                                                   

November 21st    Breffni Radio at Kilnaleck, Cavan raided                                                                                                                                                                                            

                              Eamon Cooke marries Jane Conlon in Blackpool registry office                                                                                                                                                                                   

November 22nd  Patrick McDonagh found not guilty of stealing aerial equipment from Radio West and attaching it to his

mobile home.                                                                                                                                                                                          

Decemeber 1989

              

December 1st      Breffni Radio raided again at Kilnaleck studios and transmission site at Ardkill Mountain                                                                                                                                                                                                

December 2nd     Belfast Telegraph advertisements for staff for Belfast Community Radio due on air in early 1990                                                                                                                                                                                

December 7th      Radio Na G dispute sees 25 journalists suspended, members of NUJ                                                                                                                                                                                         

December 8th      Capital Radio concedes that they are not meeting their 20% news and current affairs requirements                                                                                                                                                                                          

December 15th   IRTC decide not to award license to the North Tipperary franchise area                                                                                                                                                                                    

December 16th   Suspensions lifted at Radio Na G                                                                                                                                                                                        

December 16th   The Southern Star reports that Minister Burke wants to divert some of RTE's license fee to subsidise the

independent sector.

 

That was the year 1989 in Irish radio.                                                                                                                                                   


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