Anorak Programming via ShortWave

As mentioned previously, we're mainly dealing with the major versions of the FRC type of programme but there were many variations on the theme, particularly over shortwave as it was a natural medium to inform listeners from abroad what was happening on home soil.

Irish-based broadcasts on shortwave fell into three categories:-
(i) programmes that were relays of shows from other stations.

In category (i) stands Westside Radio International, along with Radio Condor International and Comunity Radio Foxrock for a period. Westside was the place to go on a Sunday morning to hear a relay of whichever was the current prominent FRC Show broadcasting locally in Ireland - starting from the earliest, the Radio Dublin version with Kieran Murray, and these weekly relays lasted right the way through until the legislative pirate closures in 1988 (and beyond under a new name, Ozone Radio).

Operated by Prince Terry, Westside Radio International also align with category (ii) as it broadcast its own news updates on Sundays under the moniker 'DX News'. DX News was a mixture of local updates and information about, and logs of, shortwave stations from abroad...and all else inbetween.

Listen here to Westside Radio International with Prince Terry from July 21st 1985

Another shortwave-exclusive station was Radio Skywave International, who also ran their own original programming.

An example of the third category was Echo Radio, a local Dublin pirate who also broadcast on shortwave. Their version of the show was short-lived, running over a few months from 1981 to 1982.

Not forgetting Radio Dublin, falling of course, in to category (iii). In January 1985, Eamonn Cooke announced he was quitting the longest running of them all, his (in)famous Sunday afternoon rages against the radio machine under the guise of 'Station News'. Another presenter was sought but the segment returned with Cooke back at the helm and ran right up to the 2000s. The Station News was a huge draw for shortwave listeners to Radio Dublin's own broadcasts on the band. News from home was the main attraction but the sense that you'd miss something dramatic if you missed the programme was always on the minds of listeners.

There were stations who concentrated more on the DX side exclusively, particularly the latest news and recordings of stations pulled in from abroad rather than local news. All in all the radio enthusiast was well catered for up to the decade's mid-point but things were about to get even better from 1986 onwards with the introduction of more anorak programming running on FM and medium wave (and, by extension, shortwave). Indeed, the first new programme of 1986 ran on a category (iii) station, Radio Rainbow International...

Next: The Free Radio Show on Radio Rainbow International

Back: The Free Radio Show with Bernard Evans

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