Century Radio

thejuggler wrote: »

Hard to believe it’s almost 30 years since Century radio/century fm was on the air as Ireland’s first national independent station.
Disappointing that it failed. The memories are hazy enough but Mark Byrne and Jim O’Neills shows on weekday evenings are a standout. Also the relay of the network chart with Kid Jensen on Sunday afternoons.

For those who were involved (aside from the financial problems) was there a good atmosphere working in the station? Were the facilities and equipment decent or were corners cut?
What became of the studio equipment and music library after the closedown?
I know one of the medium wave transmitters was left to deteriorate and was eventually scrapped after radio Ireland did not use it when they launched in 1997.
The studios were near Christchurch in Dublin I believe - what became of that building?

The STL link is still clearly visible on the side of the building nearly 30 years on! I’ll try and get a pic next time I pass by.

One of the ex-Century jocks told me he still has his life sized cardboard cut out in the attic. Apparently they were used in the reception area back in the day. Used to love Ray Summers at the weekend meself

Anecdotally I heard that no expense was spared on studio equipment, bordering on extravegence....

As per the article the Dublin TX was the ex Sunshine 531 (539) rig and the Cork TX was the ex ERI rig - you would be forgiven for thinking the towers hadn't been retuned.

There were some very good people in Century but imho it's failure can traced back to how it first gained it's licence.

Infoanon wrote: »

Anecdotally I heard that no expense was spared on studio equipment, bordering on extravegence....

EMT Turntables, Sonifex Carts and CD carts?

Standard at the time in the bigger Dublin stations and in RTE

TheBMG wrote: »

That would be Ray Summers/Irwin .. can remember tapes of his shows being passed around school on Monday mornings after the weekend!

I never knew that was his brother. Where did Ray Summers end up?

Siobhan Walls became a humanist celebrant and has taken part in a documentary or two on RTE Radio One in the last ten years.

Con Murphy, who used to do sport on Century, is a freelance radio and television presenter, dealing mainly in sports. Another sports presenter was John Saunders who ended up in PR.

Eamonn Carr replaced Richard Crowley on Century Radio as a presenter of an albums show. Since then, most of his time was taken up with journalism, but turning up from time to time on radio. His old group Horslips reformed but he did not get involved with live performances.

Kara Hanahoe presented a rock show in the first six months of Century. I know that she later co-presented a breakfast show on 98FM with the aforementioned Aidan Cooney - Kara and Cooney! I think she is a writer now. Maybe somebody knows.

David Davin-Power was head of news and a current affairs presenter on Century. He returned, where he had come from, to RTE. He is a journalist. I think he retired from RTE.

P. J. Curtis presented a rhythm and blues program on Century. He then went on to Clare FM. In more recent years, he had broadcast on RTE Radio 1 and Lyric FM. He is also a music producer.

Whatever happened to David Dennehy? The last station I heard him on was Sunshine 106.8, which was funny because the first station I heard him on was Sunshine Radio/Sunshine 101!

Ernie Gallagher is a freelance radio presenter and voiceover artist. He has turned up over the years on a few Dublin stations.

The East Coast Radio/FM link: a lot of Century Radio personnel have subsequently turned up on Wicklow's East Coast. They include: Declan Meehan, Jim O'Neill, Greg Gaughren, David Dennehy, Ernie Gallagher, and Joe Harrington.

Another presenter on Century Radio was Emer Woodfull. She went on to 2FM and RTE as a journalist. She has since become a practicing barrister.

Clare McKeown hosted a chat/phone-in show on Century. She did a stint on FM104 hosting a phone-in show. She ended up presenting a chat show on RTE. I'm not sure what else she did when she was with RTE, but I think she might have been involved in the business world.

A lot of people from Century Radio went through Rock104/FM104. For example: Declan Meehan, Mark Byrne, Greg Gaughren, Scott Williams, Con Murphy, Daragh Maloney, Suzanne Duffy, Cathy Cregan and Claire McKeown.

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Aidan Leonard went to Century from Capital Radio like Scott Williams. After Century, he spent a few months in pest control before going to 2FM, the station he had been with before Capital!

Was Aidan with 2FM before Century? Was he part of the "New voices" slot with Maxi perhaps, or was it as a swing jock?

As you say he joined RTE shortly after Century (in March April 1992) and has been there since.

thejuggler wrote: »

Lots of great memories and info.
One name not mentioned to date is Frank O’Brien (RIP). I think he worked behind the scenes at Century and went on to work in a similar role with Cork’s 96FM. He passed away around a decade ago.
Was century live overnight?
No automation in those days.

They were live 24/7 bar for the Wogan shows in the early days and a couple of syndicated chart/pop shows. Overnights were voiced shows.

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Aidan Leonard was with 2FM in the late 1980s. He left for Dublin's (and indeed Ireland's) first licensed commercial station Capital Radio in 1989. As Capital was being relaunched as Rock104 in 1991, he moved to Century Radio, as did Scott Williams. After the demise of Century, Aidan spent a period of time in pest control, before rejoining 2FM during 1992. He was to get involved with the wider RTE organisation, including RTE Gold, as a presenter and a producer.

Thanks Declan
What shows did Aidan present on late 1980s 2FM, pre-Century? As I stated above - was it "New Voices" or just as a fill-in jock?
I only remember Aidan on 2FM, from 1992.

alzer100 wrote: »

Ok just let me clarify my post to avoid any confusion. I was simply responding to Ford Fiesta's quote regarding Aiden Leonard, with respect to the fact that he may not have returned to RTE immediately after departing Capital 104 FM. I think he went to Century after Capital but I am just making reference to his movements within radio.
With regards to Aidan Leonard, he presented for RTE doing some nightly shows on 2FM in early to mid 1989. Before that he was a regular presenter for Pierre Doyle's Q102 and a regular weekend presenter later as Super-Q102, up untill December 30th 1988. Before that he presented on the original Radio Nova** iirc.

** Open to correction.

As regards Aidan's pirate past, I don't think he was with Radio Nova, but, like yourself, I'm open to correction on that!

As regards his first stint with 2FM, I think he did indeed come through some New Voices thing as Ford Fiesta said. I thought I heard him one or twice at weekends during the mornings. I did not know about his nightly shows, or maybe my memory is failing me!

The late Sandy Harsch presented a country music show on Century Radio and went on to do the same thing on RTE Radio 1.

Johns nephew wrote: »

Didn't Century actually have excellent ratings ? 18% with coverage only in 3 cities, that's like 3 times the listenership today FM has today with full national coverage.

Different times. Rock 104 was seen as a disaster in Dublin yet had audience figures most stations would kill for today!

California Dreamer wrote: »

There was a partial rebrand around the beginning of 1991 when it became Century 100 - Just the music, the PD was an English guy called Bob Hopton.

https://radiotoday.co.uk/2016/01/tribute-to-first-radio-tees-programmer-bob-hopton/

I think it was around the relaunch, or maybe just after, that Century took on those presenters from the two commercial Dublin stations at the time: Scott Williams, Aidan Leonard, Greg Gaughren and Suzanne Duffy. Greg was the only one amongst them who did not have previous national radio experience and/or end up with future national radio experience.