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Vintage 2FM Discussion Thread

12346

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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Radio 2 Weekday schedule - April 1983


    Radio 2 Weekend schedule - April 1983




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    The Sunday schedule is particularly interesting. Album show, jazz and blues, folk, Ciana Campbell presenting the breakfast show, Michael McNamara mid-morning to lunch and Gerry Ryan in the afternoon. I did not know (or maybe recall) the latter two in those particular time slots. I take it that Sunday at 7:30pm was some kind of religious-oriented show.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Thanks for posting @ford fiesta. Are these scans from your own collection, or where do you find them?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭cml387


    Even more interested in the Radio 1 schedule.

    I would have assumed we were in the era when Andy O'Mahony was doing the Sunday lunchtime show but that seems to be still in teh future. Instead it's Overseas Request with Valerie Mc Govern (pale imitation of the BBC's "Two Way Family Favourites")



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    RTE Guide feature from 1994 as 2FM was celebrating it's 15th birthday




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    I never saw pictures of Mike Ryan (Gerry's brother), Bob Conway or Alan Corcoran before. Interesting!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Really? all popular 2FM presenters with Bob and Alan moving on to independent radio in the very early 00s...and Mike Ryan used to be on Ian Dempsey's Beat Box TV show, in the early 90s, doing music news.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    I am well aware of them, especially Bob and Alan, but I never happened to see them on radio guides, and I did not see Mike Ryan on the Beat Box - it's not a programme I looked at very often. I do recall now seeing Bob Conway presenting country music on the tv - think it was channel 100 (now called More on Virgin Media digital). But I never saw a photo of him!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    I can count a few presenters, from that RTE Guide 1994 feature, that work in RTE / for RTE today:

    John Kenny

    Lorcan Murray

    Mike Ryan

    Aidan Leonard

    Dave Fanning

    Michael McNamara

    Peter Collins



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Love the line from Simon Young "they thought I was someone's nephew!"



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,774 ✭✭✭GSF


    Surprised that got past the editors 😂



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Different times, would have been an open joke in RTE and Ireland at the time. Just like getting a job in public sector offices etc...

    Post edited by ford fiesta on


  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭ZaK23-54


    Is Micky Mac on RTÉ Gold’s 70’s show the same guy as Michael Mc Namara ex 2FM....?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Yes, one and the same. He was originally Michael McNamara, mainly playing oldies on RTE Radio 2/2FM, and then reinvented himself as a dance deejay on 2FM during the 1990s and calling himself Micky Mac. He left for Lyric FM in 1999 and reverted to his original name. Many years later, having left Lyric and RTE, he came back to RTE with RTE Gold. I don't know at what stage he reverted to his erstwhile dance name, albeit not playing much dance music anymore!



  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭ZaK23-54


    I just asked Alexa to find Micky Mac 2 FM ..it found me his last 2FM show in April 1999.....

    it’s a great listen with guests Mr Spring and Will Harris talking about his 7 years on the Dance Show 1992-1999..

    Micky still sounds great on Gold - a real DJ like his late colleagues Tony Fenton and Larry Gogan



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Going back to that 1994 schedule, I remember 2FM marking it's 15th birthday, with a series of one-hour shows by various presenters. It also utilised new guy Dusty Rhodes while many went out to celebrate its birthday!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 1,774 ✭✭✭GSF




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Is Micky still on Clare FM?. I know he had a Friday evening oldies show "The Platinum Collection" and briefly did Drivetime Mon - Fri there around 6 years ago, this was before he joined RTE Gold first time and also when he finished up with RTE Gold when the weekend shows were cancelled...

    ....But he may have been on Clare FM and RTE Gold around the same time.

    He has filled in on occasion for Will Leahy on the RTE Gold breakfast show.

    He and his family owned the HSI College in Limerick.

    Micky really sounds like he enjoys the 70s show on Saturday mornings.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    In the 90's for me, Saturday night meant "bath night". I used to listen to the dance show on AM on the auld fellas portable radio that was in the shape of a Porsche 911, with Hoffmans lager branding, switching to the "big" stereo when I was in my PJ's!!!

    Mickey's son Connor McNamara does football commentary for BBC Radio 5 Live and is on Match of the Day the odd time too, you can really hear his dads influence in his style and pronunciation, I think.



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  • Registered Users Posts: 44 Dom the chemist


    What age will 2fm be on Tuesday? 43 ?



  • Registered Users Posts: 95 ✭✭ZaK23-54


    Correct...I believe the first voice was Brendan Balfe - followed by Mr Gogan.

    Has Brendan retired from radio? From reading I believe he was a great DJ and radio anorak.

    Anyone have a recording?



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,255 ✭✭✭Glaceon


    There’s a recording of the launch in the Medium Wave Goodbye programme from RTÉ Radio 1, also presented by Brendan Balfe. You should find it on YouTube.

    I can’t make out the second wavelength in the launch jingle. It says 490 (which would be 612 from Athlone) and then something like 240 or 244 which I’ve no idea about. 1278 didn’t start until 1982.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    2FM schedule from late May 1998

    Notice that there are no women presenters on the schedule for this week - there was always at least one !!

    As far as I remember Suzanne Duffy had gone on Maternity leave. Other female presenters of this era Ruth Scott and Uaneen Fitzsimons had not yet started on 2FM. Theresa Lowe had left 2FM.

    Ian Dempsey is 2 months away from leaving 2FM, though this week Will Leahy is covering for him on Mon - Fri breakfast.


    Post edited by ford fiesta on


  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Tony Fenton at 3-5 there...I thought he went straight from the hot line to today fm, did he have afternoons long on 2fm? I don't recall it.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Tony was on afternoons for around 5 years 1998 to when he left 2FM in 2003. Dusty Rhodes took over the Hotline from Tony in 1998....then it became "Most Wanted"



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Thanks!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,451 ✭✭✭JoeA3


    Yeah Tony moved to 3-5pm (3 to 5…. Live!) in summer 1998, probably when they were forced to shuffle things up when Dempsey jumped ship. 2-ish years later he moved to the 5-7pm slot which is where he was when he finished up.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Ian's mate Barry Lang would have also left in 1998 (early)



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 7,451 ✭✭✭JoeA3


    Yep, I personally think that’s when the wheels started to come off 2FM.

    They chopped and changed Tony, Gareth O’C, Aidan Leonard, among others, in an effort to replace Lang and then Dempsey. There was one reshuffle after another for the following decade.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 13,251 ✭✭✭✭Losty Dublin


    Yep, that's right. He finished up early March 1998 in what was a real town hall of a show, during which all manner of famous and infamous people called in or rang in to wish him well.

    As a curiosity, Ian Dempsey did his first Today FM show the day after TV3 came on air on 20th September.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Also at the time Radio Ireland had relaunched to Today FM and their prospects were promising..

    But don't forget there was a fair bit of chopping and changing on Radio 2 throughout the 80s - especially in 1987/88. The schedule only really settled in around 1989 - 1990 and remained fairly the same up until 1997.

    I never liked the World Web Radio overnights around 1998 - it was basically the Overnights 2 am to 7am voicetracked.

    I really liked the live overnights that they had for 10 years previously.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Ian Dempsey had not left at this stage, when Tony Fenton was on in the afternoon. As Ford Fiesta said, Iano was two months away from leaving 2FM and Will Leahy just happened to be standing in for him that week. I think it was Barry Lang's departure that caused that particular reshuffle. Gareth O'Callaghan had been moved to the drivetime, Barry Lang's old spot, and Tony was moved into Gareth's spot. When Ian left in July, Gareth was moved again - this time to the breakfast slot.

    I see Peter Collins was still presenting on 2FM at that stage and also the more short-lived Shane O'Donoghue. Both were to move to RTE Sports.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Peter Collins had already been involved in Sport (mostly Soccer / Formula One) - He and a few others left 2FM around April 1999 including Alan Corcoran, Lorcan Murray, Micky Mac, Gerard Gogan. This is when Liam Thompson came in as Programme Director....with a re-brand / logo and new schedule focusing at the weekends on Dance music.

    Shane O'Donoghue was not really short lived !! - he was with 2FM for 10 years - until around 2005 and was the main sports guy on The Full Irish Breakfast show with Tubridy as well as presenting early breakfast around the 2002 to 2005 era. Shane also filled in on Radio 1 music shows such as Ronan Collins afternoon show.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭cml387


    240m was the Dublin medium wave frequency in those days.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,649 ✭✭✭RINO87


    Thanks, now that you mention it, I do remember Tony in the drivetime slot, but still have no recollection of his early afternoon show, until today fm. Probably because I was in school!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,145 ✭✭✭Ger Roe


    Yep, it was also the first AM freq used by Radio Dublin Channel 2 - originally launched as an opt out FM only service (from RD 253), Ch2 then added a relatively low powered AM TX on 240M. Until ... one day a whopper of a carrier appeared on the freq and I thought it was testing a more powerful rig. Unfortunately it was just RTE's non subtle way of telling Ch2 to move. Ch2 then moved slightly away to 244M. TX site for the Radio 2 local AM was in Beaumont - later used as the location for the jamming signal on Sunshine Radio in 1984.

    Radio 2 had a jingle that mentioned '490....240... RTE, Radio 2 ... Stereo Sounds on VHF'



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 8,510 ✭✭✭cml387




  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,145 ✭✭✭Ger Roe


    The RTE 2FM TX was in Beaumont, north Dublin, on a site known locally as 'the old piggery'.

    The RD Ch2 TX was in Inchicore on the RD studio site - long wire antenna stretched across the house grounds and originally over the railway line at the rear of the house (until a passing CIE track inspection crew saw it and cut down the support pole that had been setup on the opposite side of the track).

    Thee was so much RF around that site, from a 10Kw MW on 253M and a 1K SW on 6290Khz, that even when the 240 transmitter was off, there was still a relay signal of the 253 TX on the channel from the antenna resonating with some of the adjacent power.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 2,255 ✭✭✭Glaceon


    Great post. Yes, that's the jingle I mentioned above. I couldn't make out if it was 240 or 244 so thanks to all for the clarification.

    The Beaumont site can be seen on the older aerial maps on the OSI website, just off the Beaumont Road near the northern end of the modern day Collinswood estate.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    First RTE Radio 2 schedule 2 months after going on air in May 1979.

    Sponsored programmes on Radio 2 every day except Sunday!

    Radio 2 simulcast on RTE Radio 1 at midnight!!.

    Also RTE Radio 1 and R Na G schedules.


    Post edited by ford fiesta on


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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Ireland's Choice on Sunday is an interesting one. I did not know that Steve Bolger was on RTE Radio 2 at all - I had him down as on Cork Local Radio and maybe pirates after that. And I never heard of Dermot Langan and Ray O'Brien. Another interesting entry that evening is the Irish language programme - Anonn's Anall - with Máire Davitt and Pat Butler. The latter's name rings a bell with me, but I don't remember the former at all. I see Marian Farrell was co-presenting Poparama on Saturday and Geoff Harris was presenting both days. I had read before that Marian Farrell had been an ex-2FM presenter when she was part of the original 4FM (now Classic Hits) schedule. I don't think I knew until now where or when she was there!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Before I discovered these early Radio 2 schedules - the impression I got from various articles about Michael McNamara etc from over the years - I used to think Michael had his own show on Radio 2 since the start of the station.

    It seems this was not the case, I think he was part of "Ireland's Call" with other presenters for a year or 2 until he got his own weekend show in around 1981.

    But before Radio 2 opened - he presented radio shows for RTE Raidio Eireann ("Radio 1") & RTE Community Radio and the odd RTE TV show presenting live showbands/performances (something like Paschal Mooney used to do).

    I guess "Irelands Call" in the early days of Radio 2, was similar to "Maxi and Co." or "New Voices" that were fixtures on the Radio 2 Sunday morning schedule in the mid to late 1980s, showcasing radio talent from the regional studios.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Ian Dempsey, Barry Lang, Tony Fenton and Mike Maloney, who all became staples of the Radio 2/2FM schedule during the 1980s and for most/all of the 1990s, were all still in pirate land at this stage!

    I see Ronan Collins had the afternoon slot on Radio 2 on Friday, and presumably Monday to Thursday.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Ronan is the only presenter who has the longest constant presence on national radio Monday to Friday (43 years). other contenders moved to weekends or left radio on a temporary basis such as Dave Fanning or Marty Whelan.

    Ian Dempsey started at weekends on Radio 2. But he still has a very long Monday to Friday National radio record !!



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Gerry Ryan would be the third longest to date if I am not mistaken, despite his death: 1988 - 2010.

    I presume that Stevie Wonder series presented by Stewart Grundig on Sunday was the 1979 version of a syndicated show.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    Gerry started to be on Radio 2 Monday to Friday around 1981 with "Rocksteady" at 7pm.

    Before this and since 1979 he presented weekend programmes such as "Here comes the Weekend" and "Groovin on a Sunday afternoon" and during the week fill in also.

    Ronan though holds the record. he was never 'just' on at weekends on RTE Radio.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    Ronan cleans the board there alright, re longest constant presence on national radio Monday to Friday, and also not having any weekend slot. As you said, Ian Dempsey has been doing Monday to Friday for a long time now. By my calculation, he is number two in terms of constant presence on national radio Mon to Fri. I was just making the point that Gerry was the third longest. From what you said, it looks like his constant Monday to Friday presence might go back a bit further than I thought, making an even closer third.

    Looking at the schedule, I am reminded that Declan Meehan was doing the weekday breakfast show Monday to Friday. He returned to the pirates from the summer of 1980 and this time round on the same pirates as future 2FM presenters Mike Maloney, Tony Fenton, John Clarke, Gareth O'Callaghan and Colm Hayes.



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta


    A fantastic reminder how Radio 2 used to sound on a weekend early evening in 1986, with John Clarke sounding great a year after he joined.

    When playlists did not exist.

    Note the amount of regional businesses advertising on the station - ads voiced by Larry Gogan, Ian Dempsey, Marty Whelan, Noel McCaul, Barry Lang, Jimmy Greely and others

    https://www.mixcloud.com/gcamblin/rte-radio-2-john-clarke-july-1986/



  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 6,208 ✭✭✭Declan A Walsh


    I thought John Clarke was present at the closedown of Radio Nova in the spring of 1986 and that he joined 2FM later in the same year.



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  • Registered Users, Registered Users 2 Posts: 3,618 ✭✭✭ford fiesta




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