David Baker's Pirate Stations

Declan A Walsh

In recent months, when listening to recordings of Ger Rowe's Free Radio Programme from the 1980s, I was reminded of how ubiquitous David Baker was in the pirate scene in Dublin. These are the ones I am aware of, largely from the 1980s but starting in 1979: Radio City, Big D, ARD, Radio Leinster, Radio Annabel, Capitol Radio (from 1984), Kiss FM (Foley Street mid 1980s one), Heartbeat FM, KLAS and a series of community radio pop-ups (Glasnevin North Community Radio, Radio Sandymount, Radio Ringsend, Radio Donnybrook and Radio Snowflake). I read this evening (triggering this thread!) that David also spent just less than a week in July 1987 with the famous UK offshore pirate Radio Caroline. David briefly returned to the Dublin pirate scene in the early 2000s on oldies pirate Premier FM. He did crop up again on Premier in 2004 when it ran on its first temporary license.

Where did I first hear him? I believe it was on Radio Leinster. I think I may have heard him on KLAS as well. Are there any other pirates that he was associated with at any stage and/or have you any memories of him on pirate radio?

Declan A Walsh

Southside 95 was yet another pirate that David Baker presented on in the 1980s.

Ger Roe

It might be easier to list stations that he wasn't on Declan :)

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120964074#Comment_120964074

And as if to prove the point...

David was also involved with a station called Dublin Community Radio which became the Kiss FM that he was also on.

Declan A Walsh

Here is a another entry: Kiss AM/ Kiss FM from Parnell Street in 1984. This appears to be unrelated to the Kiss FM from Foley Street that he was subsequently involved with. It tended to relay the Community Broadcasting Co-operative (or CBC) suite of stations (Radio Sandymount, Radio Donnybrook, etc.).

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120977132#Comment_120977132

Is that the Dr Don short lived venture? - if so, I am not sure if he ever spoke on it. I don't think it got far beyond him being appointed station manager and playing a box set of Beatles records on air, continuously, for a couple of weeks, as a launch stunt. It was operating from Parnell Sq West, beside the Sinn Féin HQ office. I don't remember it relaying the CBC stations ... but the memory is a bit rusty after all the years.

Declan A Walsh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120987108#Comment_120987108

From dxarchive (the link with CBC was the transmitters):

This station was only really heard in a kind of a test mode, beginning in September 1984, and was said to be the forerunner of Q102. The two parallel transmitters on 1116kHz and 1134kHz were believed to also be the pair that relayed the Dave Reddy / David Baker community stations such as Radio Sandymount, Radio Ringsend, Radio Donnybrook, CBC, and one day even Radio Galaxy. The more powerful was thought to be Joe Jackson's ex Sonic transmitter. By mid-October 1984 the station was being advertised as KISS AM and FM, giving an address in Parnell Square and following a station launch at 'Scruffy Murphys', regular programmes supposedly commenced. However these programmes still sounded like 'tests', being advertised as the KISS Computer Network, and with a non-stop music format with commercials and the occasional 'live' announcements. It is not known when the station made its last broadcast, but by 12th November the AM relays seemed to have vanished and towards the end of November 1984 reports were circulating that the station would no longer be going ahead. At the time Doctor Don, Michael Tiernan and Lawrence John were reportedly involved in the station.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120989524#Comment_120989524

Ahhh.. the MW transmitters might have relayed CBC stations previously alright, but not when Kiss FM.

Don's various ventures after ARD mark 2 closed (after 1979) were always a bit dodgey, like his 'pirating the pirates' Nova am service where one of those mentioned transmitters, located at Sallynoggin Inn, used to relay Radio Nova, but opt out during breaks with different adds that he had sold.

I did visit the short lived Kiss in Parnell Sq one day, when David was playing out the continuous Beatles format and despite big plans from Don and Michael Tiernan, it never really got off the ground.

With different stations using the same name and transmitters that were used by someone else previously, it all gets very confusing, particularly after forty years, or so :)

Losty Dublin

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/120990048#Comment_120990048

Dublin Radio.

More Kisses than an orgy.