8Radio

It is a bit bizarre for Simon Maher and others on 8Radio.com that were previously with Phantom/TXFM, as it was on the same frequency as 8Radio now uses in Dublin for the temporary run - 105.2 FM!

It is the same frequency but it's not the same transmitter or operation or specific location! In fact, Simon launched 8Radio.com in 2013 online while Phantom was still broadcasting, and the latter's name change to TXFM did not happen until 2014! He had left in 2011. The first couple of years of temporary license runs were not on 105.2 FM for Dublin because TXFM was still broadcasting on that allocated frequency! 94.3 FM was the first allocated FM frequency in Dublin for 8Radio.com back in 2013!

8Radio.com has had temporary license runs (sometimes split up across a year) every year since, except for last year when it was caught out by the pandemic. I think I am right in saying it is the station that comes second on the list of those with most temporary license runs, with the record definitely being held by Christmas FM.

Back on FM for the next 5 weekends after this weekend!

Hi Zorro!

Simple answer to that one. Cash money. Costs us extra in fees and royalties for every extra transmitter we put on. We would love to do the same network as Christmas FM but sadly the budget just isn't there so that's why it's the 4 cities. Hopefully in the future we'll be able to extend further!

Simon

8Radio.com

I think it's great that you will be back on 105.2, as you were on the previous FM fun, as that used to be the home of Phantom FM.

It missed at least one temporary license run because of that pandemic. Fair play to Simon Maher for keeping the 8Radio.com show on the road since 2013. Plenty of online stations, especially those with presenters, have come and gone in between. Over the years, there have been quite a few voices going back to Phantom/TXFM: Simon himself, Steve Conway, Pearl, Amber, Derek Byrne, Paul Lynskey, Paul Donegan, Jack Hyland, Neil Murray, Brian Daly. There are others too that have become regulars with 8Radio like Anne Marie Walsh, Dan McDermott, Gugai, John Loftus and Rachel Masterson. RTE reporter Jackie Fox was involved for a while too.

Listening to some 8Radio this afternoon reminded me that there is another ex-Phantom on the current schedule - Phil Udell. He has quite a distinctive voice with his English accent. He used to present a magazine-type show on Phantom, and has cropped up on a few of 8Radio's temporary license runs.

As I listen now to the closing show for this weekend's license run, presented by the "benign dictator" (Simon Maher!), I have to say that, whenever I tuned in, it was another professional job, not to mention enthusiastic, by all concerned this weekend.

Driving through Tipperary and Offaly, I could pick up 8Radio.com on 87.7 in parts - the frequency for Galway. That's a good spread.

8Radio is back on FM from midnight tonight and for the next 5 weekends. This is a Dublin run on 94.3FM (RiRa are on 105.2 at present). We'll be back on multi-city FM to celebrate our 10th birthday in September but for now it's oldschool 94.3 for us! Available as always 24/7 on the app, TuneIn and all that business.

Simon

8Radio.com

Was that you Declan who requested monster by the automatic? (I assume so, as it was Declan Walsh!), great tune.

Really enjoyed it this evening, listening and having a beer outside in the sunshine here in West Cork.

Stupid question for Simon, I'm listening on the official 8 radio app on the phone. I assume you can see how many people are logged in live on the app?

Thanks and keep up the good work.

Mike

It may have been me! Paul Lynskey was presenting then! It is possible of course that more than one Declan Walsh could be listening!

Speaking of which....

I heard the last 15 minutes of Emma Dixon's show. She was explaining how she was given a chance last year by Simon (Maher), Dan (McDermott) and Ruth (O'Connor?). It is great to see talent been encouraged and cultivated. 8Radio.com is particularly good on that count. The presenter after her was Aisling Stanley, another presenter that I had not heard before. She is Canadian. That reminded me of the earlier days of Simon's old station Phantom, particularly during its pirate phase. There were quite a few Canadian voices to be heard then!

Incidentally, Dan McDermott is covering Dark Side of the Moon tonight at 8pm for his Essential Album show. This is on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. That might be worth a listen. It's a show I have not heard in a while.

I'm serious about this, would it be possible to build a case against the BAI in the European Commission for protectionism in the radio sector?

I am currently listening to Jennie Ridyard. She is another unsung hero of the station, playing a great selection of tunes from the past and the present.

8Radio got a mention last Thursday on Joe Duffy's Liveline on RTE Radio 1 as Simon from 8Radio was on regarding The Beatles' Final Song - 'Now & Then'  .

(I hadn't heard it when broadcast, but by chance heard a snatch of it on Playback on RTE R1 yesterday Saturday)

Its about 30 minutes into :

The Beatles' Final Song - 'Now & Then' | Liveline - RTÉ Radio 1 (rte.ie)

BTW I read 8Radio had to move studio location recently so hope all is OK with the new location.

Coffee on, stove on, looking out at the frost while the chilled tunes are on 8 radio of a Sunday morning. The little things that help me through winter…

It's not on FM anywhere except for a few weekends every year.

I was wondering what was going on with The A to Z of Great Tracks show, with Steve Conway, for the last two months. Every edition, whether on a Wednesday or a Saturday (usually caught up with the latter using the On Demand facility out of curiosity), was a repeat of a previous show or a special. Finally today, he caught up on the alphabet and revealed that he had been quite sick and ended up in hospital followed by a period of recovery. Steve Conway was out of action for the last two months. I'm glad that Steve is back in the land of the living, as it were. He praised the management of 8Radio for their support, namely Simon Maher and Dan McDermott.

We're delighted to be back on FM to celebrate our 11th birthday. 11 years! We're on FM until Tuesday September 10th on 105.2FM in Dublin, 106.7FM in Cork City, 105.5 in Limerick and 87.9FM in Galway as well as via all the usual online methods. Great to be doing live programmes all day and there will of course be some gentle nudging for the regulator to licence niche radio full time too. Tune in if you get a chance.

Simon

8Radio.com

Thanks Simon for playing my request this evening!

Heard a great track on Saturday afternoon between 2.30 and 3.30....

Went something along the lines of 'do better' or 'get better', similar to The Streets, Urban about kids raising kids....

I checked out the playlist on the website but it wasn't there.... or at least I couldn't find it.

It was the first time in a long time to hear a song so good on radio and that I genuinely thought was a new release. I see that it came out in 2010.

Feb 22 2010 according to Wikipedia, actually.

I noticed that last Saturday's edition of the A to Z of Great Tracks is not available in the On Demand facility. It was due to be a new episode, rather than a repeat of the previous Wednesday as would normally be the case.

Edit: Looking back at the On Demand, I just noticed that John Walshe is on the schedule. He was a presenter on Simon Maher's Phantom in its pirate days (as John Deal) and the early days of its full license (but not the temporary license runs). It is interesting to see him turn up on 8Radio.

Is that the Galway fella who was a stand in Nuacht reader on Century back in the day ?

I had a quick listen - that is last night's episode. What about last Saturday's episode? Unless of course it was repeated last night, which is the reverse of normal!