Bonus Episode: BLB The Last Broadcast

BLB - Bray Local Broadcasting ceased broadcasting for good at the end of December 1988, bringing to a close more than nine years of service to the local community.
Launched in 1979, the station became a beloved fixture in the area, known for its mix of music, local news, interviews, and community-focused programming. As one of the early pioneers of local radio, BLB built strong connections with its audience and gave a platform to local voices.

This episode is an edited version of BLB Radio’s final broadcast—a special four-hour programme that aired on the station’s last day. Hosted by long-time presenter Mark Quinn, the show brought together a wide range of contributors, including former presenters and producers, advertisers, local politicians and loyal listeners.

Their messages, memories, and tributes paint a vivid picture of what the station meant to so many. There are moments of humour, nostalgia, and emotion, as well as reflections on the challenges and triumphs of running a local radio station during a transformative era for media. Many also shared their hopes for the future of community broadcasting, even as they bid farewell to BLB.

This recording is more than just a sign-off—it's a time capsule capturing the spirit of an era and the powerful role local radio played in shaping community identity.

Bray Talking Heads – Stories from a Seaside Town. A podcast celebrating the stories, history, and people of Bray, past and present. Whether you're a lifelong Brayite or just discovering this special town, join us for conversations that connect, inspire, and bring our community to life - wherever you are in the world. Hosted by Mark Quinn, Leah Kinsella, and Pat Hannon. Connect with us on Instagram, Facebook, and Bluesky @braytalkingheads, or email us at braytalkingheads@gmail.com

https://blb.buzzsprout.com

Transcript

(Upbeat Music)

A Radiogenic production.



Hello again, Mark Quinn here. Now before we start this second bonus episode in the Sounds From The Past series, I have something to ask of you. I would very much like to hear from you to find out what you think of what you've heard so far in this series and what you'd like to hear more of. Now I understand that recorded archive of Bray-Local Broadcasting is limited, but there may be some gems of recorded radio material hidden in a box under your bed or in an attic that perhaps listeners to this podcast would love to hear just one more time. If you have anything that you'd like to share with us, then you can email me at radiogenicproductions@gmail.com. That's all one word. radiogenicproductions at gmail.com. Or even if you just want to comment on the series, please do so in the space provided on your podcast app. And we promise to read and reply to all responses. And in future, in conjunction with the podcast series, Bray Talking Heads, we intend to do a trawl through other precious local radio archive that we have, including interviews with many old Brayites. So watch this space.



Now, what have we got for you in this bonus episode? Well, on the very last night of transmission of BLB, way back in December 1988, I had the pleasure and honor of hosting a special four-hour live program from 7 to 11 p.m. We had asked the members of the radio station to record short goodbye messages on tape, and we invited as many people to pop in and say hello on air. And what we got were local shopkeepers, local politicians, local people, and of course the many staff members of BLB, all expressing their take on the end of the station and their hopes for the future of local radio nationally and of course locally for Bray. What would the lawmakers do with the licensed radio stations in the following year, 1989? Well, of course, at the time of this recording, none of us knew what was coming. There's some lovely, wide-ranging, and engaging conversation here. We've edited the four-hour live show down to just over an hour. Hosted, as I've said, by me, sounding a good deal younger, it's all here in BLB The Last Broadcast. Enjoy.



 (Upbeat Music)

 Transmitting from Bray on AM and stereo FM to North Wicklow and South Dublin. This is BLB Community Radio.

 Well, tomorrow if you try to tune to 456 meters or 657 kilohertz AM or even 97.8 FM stereo, you won't find BLB because tonight at 11 o'clock, the airwaves of Bray Local Broadcasting will be silent. The station is closing down. But between now and 11, we'll be anything but silent.



 (Upbeat Music)



 Now, over the past week or so, various people within the station have been putting together short sign-off tapes. For this, our last night, and we'll hear those, as well as many other live guests who'll be joining me throughout the evening. I'm Mark Quinn, by the way, and my only piece of self-indulgence, if you like, for the evening comes now because the tune you're hearing in the background is my sig tune. Creole Jazz by Acrobilk. I used to use that tape when I started my old T-Time show all those years ago on Southside Radio. And we want you to join in too. Our phone lines are open now on 829 359. We'll take as many calls as we possibly can on air. That's 829 359. If you've got something to say to us about BLB, or whatever, 829 359, we'd love to hear from you. We've got all the crack and more right up until 11 o'clock tonight, BLB's last program. And I think we'll go to our first tape piece, and this comes from Jimmy Byrne.

 I've been with BLB for nine and a half years. Now, throughout that period, we've been through both good and bad times. But BLB has survived because it's a team effort. A group of strong wills and determined local people. Determined that the North Wicklow area will have its own community radio station run by local people for local people. I'd like to thank all of those who have helped me throughout the years. Mark Quinn, who helped me when I started first a long time ago, Frank Graydon for his help on the country program, and Paul Redmond, of course, for his help with the Beatles spot that we do on every Sunday night. A part, of course, from the JB Variety show has always been In View, a program on photography produced and presented by the Bay Camera Club. I'd like to thank all of those who helped on this program throughout the years. That's Jim Sconell, Mark and Frank, and Barbara Bergen, John Cullen, Dave and Darren Drysdale, Charlie Sharkey, Willie Moore, Willie Doyle, Paul Gullher, Vivian Cullen, Brendan Quinn, Peter McParland, and of course, Margaret McHugh. I'd also like to thank Helen Rochu, who co-presented Sounds Like With Me. On Thursday nights, we had some great gas on that particular program, and that's about it.



 (Upbeat Music)

 Yes, of course, you recognize my whistling friend on The Signature Tune. This is Pat McCarthy of Sunday Showtime, dropping in to say my fond farewells to you all. I would like to say a final word of thanks to Sean Fortune, my right arm in the Showtime studio, and my researcher, Marie. Paul, for dealing with such a huge volume of phone calls every week, my various sponsors during the series, most recently, Eddie Totterdale's and Bray Discount Jewelers, and to you, my friends, at the other end of the radio, a sincere thank you for all your kindness, and to those colleagues here in BLB who assisted and encouraged me, I am grateful.

 We've got with us now a man who did a couple of tea time programs, at least one anyway that became famous. Mark Nevin, how are you Mark?

 What I'd like to know is which one was that that became famous?

 Well, famous for something anyway. I mean, you know, I did a few tea time shows in my time as well.

 It's a good time of the day, actually, to do a program business. Business, yeah. It's the only time of the day when you're guaranteed a point of milk. Still where you can make a cup of tea.

 I don't know how you work that one out. They're usually all gone by. I used to bring my own. I see. Well, that's not the show you started with. I'm sure it's not.

 No. Well, I suppose like everybody, you start off at a certain time of the day and you just develop your talents, if you like, as you go along. Talents, eh? Well, talents.

 (Laughing)

 I've really enjoyed my time with B.A.B. I joined B.A.B. in July 1983 after sending a demo tape that was recorded on a broadcasting course that I did then that cost me a small fortune, but it got me a job with B.A.B. I could list thousands and thousands of people that I want to thank for helping me in B.A.B. and helping me get where I am today, but it'd take me all day. There's only one person that I'd like to particularly mention, and this is a person who's helped me more than she will ever know. And I have to say thank you to Sally Reynolds.



 That's just about it. I leave you and I'll see you hopefully some time in 1989. For me, Adrian Kennedy, have a very happy new year. And whatever you're doing in 1989, do it well and do it safely. See you soon. Bye.



 Mick, how are you? Mick Curtis.

 Another tea time presenter. I was sitting here to myself and thinking, I did the tea time programme, the lunchtime programme, the breakfast programme and round about them. That's about the way I am now at the moment. I'm round about my belly somewhere.



 (Laughing)

 Well, you started like way back, didn't you? You were involved almost from the very start.

 I was on a sabbatical in County Clare.

 I like it, a sabbatical.

 And yeah, this was after Southside Radio had a little change in direction that I went off down to the County Clare to discover my roots, although I never found them. Did you find them now? No, I never did, but I came back and I was sitting in my sitting room, I think exhausted from the journey of from County Clare. And you arrived around to tell me that's BLB. We're back in the air. And would I mind grabbing a few records and coming down and do the eight to 10 slot, because there's nobody to do it. So that's why I got back into radio at that stage. It wasn't as petrified me, I had gone on BLB as I was on Southside. I was doing children's programme on Southside. That's right. I remember that. I had a bold notion what I was doing. Well, none of us did, no one was doing me. After about an hour, I was like jelly, of course. And you think that every mistake you're making, you just get worse and worse and worse. But I was thinking back at the people who were there in Southside and people who went on to BLB and more people now that are involved in BLB. And it really has gone from strength to strength.

 Have you a funny story for us, Mick, before you go?

 Well, the only funny story I can tell, and I hope it's no offence to Joe Ballard now, probably be listening here. I don't think anything can offend Joe. Well, for those of you, there may be some people who still don't, I understand fully that Joe has died. And we were down in the old station in Galtram House, which is no longer with us, that's raised to the ground. Indeed. And I think Joe was doing a country and western program. He was mixing for himself. And I was there with another fellow, Dave Murphy. Remember Dave Murphy?

 I do, yes.

 Yeah. Yeah. We were there and we were giving Joe a hand out and whatever. And Paddy Feeley, who was with BLB at the time, was coming around the side of the building. And you've got to understand that there's a big window in the studio and you could see who was coming around the side of the building.

 Remember it well.

 And we could see Paddy Feeley coming around. Of course, Joe couldn't. And Paddy thought he was being real smart. And he thought he'd creep in on Joe, you know? And he put his key into the lock and he turned very gingerly. The door opened, no squeak around. And Joe was continuing on with his program at this time, no problem whatsoever. And Paddy Feeley crept in behind Joe.



 And we never said a word. We were all sort of

 (Imitates

 the doorbell)



 Well, good radio, I'll be back in the area. All right.

 Thanks, Mick, thanks for calling. Peter Carroll. How you doing, Mark? How are you, Peter? Grand, yourself? You can't be with us tonight in person, so you're on the phone.

 Unfortunately, I can't now because I'm doing a little bit of spinning discs, as they say, very, very shortly.

 I know all about that.

 You did a bit of that in your fair time.

 I have done indeed. Your brother was involved in BLB long before you were, wasn't he?

 Oh, that's right, yeah. Well, he's actually, he's taken the thing at the moment, I hope.

 Oh, good.

 The Polish used to be involved in a program used to present called Abra-Cadabra. That's right. He's called the Abra-Cadabra.

 That's right, yeah, Abra-Cadabra, yeah.

 Abra-Cadabra years ago.

 So that's where, presumably, where you got the interest then, was it?

 Well, it wasn't really, because the first time I ever heard of BLB was one time about June, July 1980, and I wanted to, no, it was actually just before the Leaving Certificate in 1980, and about 20 or 30 of us had decided to run around the reticament in shorts and held eggs at the various nuns. So we decided, a couple of us got down and got a request played, and of course we had some job trying to find BLB. We knew it was somewhere around by the P&T office, but we're exactly, we weren't quite sure. But we eventually found a place, and I think yourself was down there, and Mick Curtis, so we got a request played, and Mick Curtis said to me, "How about producing a program for me in a while?" So we said, "Fair enough, "I'm gonna get a few records together." Organized that, and the next week, I produced a program, and after that, Mick said, "Well, I've tied up. "How about presenting the program from now on?" And I said, "What?"

 (Laughing)

 Okay, Peter, I'm gonna have to leave you there. We've got loads of people to get through tonight.

 So Mark, listen there, the best of looks here and everybody else is down there. Well, yes. And we'll wait and see what happens.

 It's all gonna happen in the new year, I can tell you. Hope so, anyway. The revolution.



 Cheers, Mark. All right, Peter, thanks very much. Peter Carroll joining us there on the telephone, and we've got on tape here now one of our other inserts. This is the Marathon Man, the man that went for 110 hours, am I right? 110 hours nonstop. This is Nick Ogan.

 Well, thank you very much indeed for giving me the opportunity to come back for this special program, Mark. I applied to BLB, in fact, to do a program, and I wanted to do a hospital's request program the other way around. Now, the management staff at that time, well, they were a bit dicey on whether to say yes or no to me at that time, but they eventually said yes, because I think their fears were that maybe if you interviewed somebody during the weekend, they may not be there at the weekend, then you'd be playing their tape. Well, in fact, that didn't happen. Well, it did happen, actually. It happened twice, but I was stopped in time for doing that. I used to actually record on a Saturday and put them out on a Sunday between four and five, a hospital's request program.

 Good evening, you're very welcome along to the Folk Program. Well, for nearly six years, I was saying that every week on the Folk Program. My name's Myra Gurn, and this is my little piece as a finale to BLB. Folk Program had gone on for nearly six years, and during that time, we had a variety of national and international folk artists featured on the program. Very traditional, most of the program was, and the best part of it all, I think, was recording and listening to local folk musicians and singers that we had on the program from time to time. One of the great things about all of that was that we got to meet them, we got to talk to them, and listen to their music, and record music that we mightn't hear again anywhere else.

 Hi there, this is Eddie O'Sullivan. Just to say I would like to wish each and every one of my regular listeners a very bright and prosperous new year.



 And also, of course, to say thanks for listening in every Sunday afternoon to the Senior Citizens Program.



 Thanks very much for all your phone calls, your dedications, and requests. I can also thank those people who gave me prizes for the show each week, every Sunday afternoon.



 Because without your help, folks, the Senior Citizens Show would not be possible. I've enjoyed doing the show each Sunday afternoon, and I'm looking forward very much in the new year to be back again. Can I also say a very big thanks to the staff down here in BLB for all their help during the year. So I want to say thank you again in the new year. This is cuddly Eddie saying, "May you be a half an hour in heaven before the devil knows you're dead." Good bye, look after each other, and God bless.



 On the telephone line is my old newsreader. Siobhan, how are you? Hi, how are you? Crown, you're ringing from county me, they believe.

 From county me, they're ringing from Chicago in America. Oh, really? Chicago? It's taken me three hours to get through to.

 Oh, wow.



 This is great, I'm honored. I should hope so. Have you got any news to read for us?

 Gosh, I've got so much news, but I don't think I have time.

 Well, what are you doing over there?

 I'm working cable television over here.

 Really? Very good, very good.

 We work on a little show called Irish Television Chicago that we syndicate out to America.

 Very good. Siobhan Buckley, by the way, is the name of the person I'm talking to on the line here. I didn't introduce you. You used to read the news on the "Braid Today" program, didn't you?

 "Braid Today,"



 gosh, I used to read it at six o'clock in English and have six in Irish.

 That's right, that's right. I was listening to some tapes during the week and I discovered a tape where I introduced the news in Irish and my Irish is dreadful. Well, I think you'd written it out for me.

 So how are you doing? I have no value.

 How are you doing over there? What are you working in? What part of television are you working in?



 I'm still writing the news. Really? Very good. Still writing the news and I'm co-hosting the show.

 Very good.

 So my face is spread all over America, unfortunately, but it's a little Irish community here.

 And is this, would you think, because of your experience in radio, local radio, that you've got yourself into that job?

 Oh yeah, definitely. Definitely, because when the job was going, I mean, there were a million people going up for it, but it stood to me that I've been working in BLB.

 You're very good to, very good to read the news. Of course, in those days, our news gathering was a little bit iffy, wasn't it, to say the least?

 Of course, I used to run down and buy the papers from chicken on the corner of the Royal Hotel and then see what was in the news on the way home.

 That's right, that's right. I remember, I remember well. But we tried, you know, we did our best.

 All I can say is I just hope you get a license. I mean, if any station that I ever remember in Ireland deserves a license, it's BLB.

 Hello, Uncle Bob here. I'd just like to thank one and all who helped with the programs over the past nine years, to Amanda Bell, to Billy Joe Duffy, to David Grant, and all who have been with us, they've been with us since more lessons than they've been in NAPIs. And last, but by no means least, I'd like to thank you, who tuned in every week, religiously to kind of face, and I do hope we'll meet again very, very soon.

 Can I tell you my funny story? My funny story, of course. Am I allowed a funny story? Of course, yeah. Yeah, well, I just think that I have to claim credit for being one of the only people ever been involved in what's called an aroma cast. Do you know what an aroma cast is, Mark? No.



 (Laughing)

 A couple of years ago, when I was involved in lunchtime, we decided there'd been all sorts of different experiments in broadcasting and John Murphy had been doing all sorts of community, of sort of computer broadcasting and things like this. And we decided in the lunchtime team that we would have an aroma cast, right? Which involved, you know, having different smells in front of the microphone, and we had things like perfume, and we had fish and chips, and we had garlic, and we had all sorts of strange smells wafting over the microphone. And we invited listeners to ring us up and tell us what the different smells were.

 I love it.



 And we obviously, the one who guessed correctly was going to win the actual prize, and we had, you can imagine, we had some extraordinary answers we really had. Most of which are not actually repeatable a second time. They barely bore repeating the first time, I can tell you it was time-dipping. But the one, of course, that won, because of the date that it was in it, it was April 1st, and the one that won was the lady who rang up, I can't remember her name, and I'm sorry I can't remember it, but she rang up to say that it was a particular perfume, and it was called April Fuh.

 (Laughing)

 She won. So there you are, I had the dubious honor of being the only person, I think, around here involved in an aroma cast. It was an interesting experience.

 Okay, Sally Reynolds, thanks very much indeed, thank you. Would you kindly move over and let that young man then, this experienced broadcaster who, at the moment, well, youngish. Not so young. I was young at heart, thanks Sally, by the way.

 I was young many years ago before I joined this organization.

 Indeed, and you're a veteran at this stage, a veteran. I don't like using the word pirate radio, but it's true, it's pirate radio.

 Well, I tell you, when I started out, it certainly was pirate radio, and it deserved the name pirate radio, because we were broadcasting from sort of very ramshackle buildings. My very first live broadcast was made from the projection room of a deserted cinema.



 (Laughing)

 Very good. Somewhere in the suburbs of darkest Dublin.

 This is Chris Conway, by the way, that we're talking to in case you didn't know. Chris, you're also involved with Radio Caroline,

 the definitive pirate radio. I'm trying to work out, decide whether, since leaving BLB, I've moved off the ladder, or sort of down, or simply sideways, as I prefer to tell. Or across the sea. Across the sea, I think that's the best way of putting it, yeah.

 Listen, I have to very quickly ask you a few questions. One of them is, what have you learned from-- An age of my-- Well, yes.

 What have you learned from all of this? What have I learned from all of this? Well, one of the things, since moving from



 community radio to commercial radio, is I think you get a great appreciation of what community radio is all about.



 I think perhaps people can become complacent about having community radio in their town, and they just switch on the radio, and they expect it to be there. If you're in a place where, I mean, like Britain, for instance, at the moment, there isn't anything like BLB.



 You've just got radio stations that play wall-to-wall music all the time, which is all very well and good,



 and it's great. It's nice to have that choice there, but it's also nice to be able to wander in off the street. And as Sally was saying earlier on, talk about Mrs. Murphy's cat, or find it if it's lost. Absolutely.

 You're a radio fanatic, I know this, because you've been a fan of lots of radio stations over the years. You followed radio stations, as it were. You're a bit of an anorak, as some of them call it. Some of them followed me.

 (Laughing)

 What do you think about this whole business of the future now, the next year or so is going to revolutionize broadcasting in this country?

 Well, I just hope that, I hope it does revolutionize it. Really? I think very often, when we think of radio, we think of it in terms of legislation, okay, we'll allow certain radio stations to broadcast, we'll hand them a license. I think what you need is, you need that sense of spirit and adventure, which I think we had in BOB, and to a certain extent still do have today,



 of just being creative, imaginative, and thinking of new ideas, and new ways of approaching broadcasting. And I just hope that under a legal situation, we don't lose that, hope doesn't become stale. I hope we continue to have the edge. Yeah, I hope you keep breaking down the barriers and opening up new exciting vistas in radio. All right,

 okay Chris, thanks for joining us. Nice to be here again. The last show on BLB, would you believe it? I don't know. Okay, Chris Conway there, and before we go any further, I've got a little tape to play for you. This is Bach McCann's contribution. We asked everybody to be creative for five minutes, give us a recorded piece of creativity, and this is what Bach gave us.

 (Flute Music)



 Well, well, well, ladies and gentlemen, tonight sees the end of an era that has spanned for nearly 10 years.

 And now the end is near



 And so I face the final, the final curtain

 Yeah, what are we gonna do? No, Joe Bullard.

 And a very good, good, good, good, good, good, good

 morning to you. And no more Mike Fallon. Hi, girls.



 No more afternoon affairs with Daphne Mitchell, and no more swatch watches to be won on the yuppie program.

 Adrian, Kennedy, yes, giving away a swatch watch today. Yes, folks, between four and six, ringing with the most stupid question, and we can do a swatch watch, swatch, swatch, swatch, AKA the afternoon, AKA the afternoon.

 Thanks very much, Adrian. And there will be no more... Moonshine, 101 a.m. hot hits. There will be no more. Superglue, 102. But all is not lost. 1989 is the year of community radio. We shall be back. Well, folks, that's my little vist. I would just like to thank everyone in BLB who has become special for the past five years.

 (Imitates Explosion)

 And to all the rockheads who tuned my way into Tuesday night, one of the three years that we did the stint for.



 So that's it. And anyone who was up early enough to catch me on a breakfast burger. I thank you all. Right now, it's time for me to go. Hi, home silver. Hooray!



 (Laughs)

 Well, we did ask them to be creative. That's Buck McCann there and riding off into the sunset on that horse of his. I'm joined now by a member of Radio Dublin, I believe, on the telephone. Dave Felton, is that correct?

 Good evening, Mark. Hello.

 How are you?

 Not too bad.

 What are your plans with this new proposed legislation?

 Well, our plans at the moment are to carry on till tomorrow night, midnight.



 All the staff are leaving at midnight tomorrow night, but as far as they know now, the captain himself, Mr. Eamonn Cook, is carrying on.



 Whether he be legalized or illegal or whatever. He's been in court today. He's lost in junction. He was in court this afternoon. In court went on till, I think it was seven o'clock this evening.



 He lost in junction, but he got the appeal. He can appeal this thing in the court now in the coming weeks.

 Okay, and what sort of a license would you like to get? What sort of a license would Radio Dublin like to have?

 Well, I don't know what he's actually going for. I think he's going for a national license or a town license. We're not sure at the moment.

 Right.

 We're going for premises, as I say.

 Okay.

 It's on our phone.

 Presumably you've heard about BLB over the years.

 We have. We've been monitoring BLB. We actually linked up with BLB earlier on this afternoon. We didn't actually put you, we put you out on the air. We went to actually talking to you on the phone.

 I see.

 We're going along the tune along the stations to see how many are around still at this particular point in time.

 Right.

 We know Q have gone in sunshine. Our cells are still on yourself.

 So it's going to be a good year next year for local radio.

 Yeah, we just have to wait and see. The reason I rang you up, Mark, was actually to invite you over. Well, I'm the party tomorrow in the station between 11 and four, if you'd like to drop over a few drinks. All right. For a bit of crack.

 All right, Dave. Thanks very much.

 This is where you go, Mark. You might even get Andrew Caffey over, you know.

 (Laughing)

 I'm sure you'd enjoy that, I would. You would, Mark.

 Okay. Okay, nice to see you.

 Dave Kelton from Radio Dublin. Thanks very much indeed for joining us.



 (Upbeat Music)



 And a very good afternoon to you, and welcome to the roundabout program. Alwyn, how are you?

 That was my line. You're still in it.

 (Laughing)

 Yes, well, it's great to be here, but it's very sad to be here. But roundabout started, as you know, back in the days of Southside in 79, and it continued right throughout the life of BLB's 10 years. I thought it was great because it was a program of, as we used to say, news, views, and interviews. That's right. And we certainly covered everything from your local school, FATE, the floods and break, and then the sort of issues of more national interest, such as AIDS, abortion, divorce. In fact, I remember doing what I thought would be quite a controversial program one week, on AIDS and having various people in to discuss the issue and safe sex. And the reaction, the silence was stunning that morning. I remember that program, and I didn't know whether it was because nobody was listening, or they just didn't know what to say. I thought the phones would be hopping, but it's funny the things people would ring up about.

 That program was sort of, if you like, our flagship program in terms of community, current affairs, and all that sort of thing, wasn't it?

 Well, we certainly covered everything. I mean, we did council meetings, local controversial issues, just happenings of every shape and size. And really at this stage, I'd just like to thank all of the guests, because really if it wasn't for the people who came down to take part in the various discussions about all the different issues, we wouldn't have had a program.

 Generally people were willing to go on a program like that, weren't they?

 Oh, they were, yeah. And it was very interesting because it sort of went in curves. You'd have everyone willing to take part in various discussion programs on BLB. And then something might happen, like a minister might make a remark, or a certain political party might draw the reins in. And all of a sudden people would say, "Well, maybe I shouldn't go on, "and I might get into trouble from X, Y, and Z." And then you'd be on the upward curve again, and they'd all be back, you know? So it was strange. We went through the droughts and the floods, as far as guests are concerned.

 And tell me about the funny stories. There must be at least one funny story. I can remember, I can remember one of the first round about programs, us doing an interview outside and using a tree as the kind of, the studio. We parked the machine, the recorder, and, do you remember that?

 I think that was actually a sports result.

 Was it a sports result? Something or other, anyway.



 John Murphy's here. He might remember more detail.

 It was a do with the Bray School Project, one of our own favorites. That's right, that's right. The group that we've always known and loved. Yes. The Bray School Project. That's right, yeah. And in fact, those who work in the Bray School Project know the person, I won't mention his name in a book.

 Who we're not allowed to.

 He's not allowed to. He's a very well-known presenter on RTD to do with news, right, so anyone who knows him, he was one of our first guests in this program.

 Well, that actually, is that the same man? This reminds me of a funny story. We were doing an outside broadcast and we were interviewing a nameless person from the Bray School Project and we were always very nice to people. We tried to be very nice to people and in case they were nervous, right, so we'd say to them, don't be nervous, pretend the microphone isn't there and just speak clearly into it. And John did this helpful hint to this nameless person who--

 Who's these two guys? You know, interview them about the project, right?

 Who we then saw presenting the news on RTD, the following day.

 You weren't afraid of the microphone.



 Well, that's one of the things-- He very kindly didn't point this out to John of the Down, though, you know?

 We weren't afraid to go out with the recorder and talk to people on the street as well.

 That's right, yeah, we used to go to all sorts of places and of course we did the various St. Patrick's Day parades and outside broadcast of every shape and design, it was just incredible, you know?

 We've tried all evening to avoid going through lists of names, but we did, oh, you managed to get a list organized, so just

 quickly-- I did, and I'm sure that I may have forgotten someone who might be listening who did contribute to a roundabout, so if I've forgotten your name, I'm very sorry, but there were an awful lot of people. So I'll just mention them, Mark Quinn, John Murphy, Mick Curtis, Dennis Crawley, Elaine Kil, Claire O'Farrill, Karen Shees, Lisa Corcoran, Doug McGuire, Jim Scannell, for what it said in the papers, and Mike Suttel, and as I say, there's probably other people, but it's been a lot of

 people over 10 or 11 years. All right, thanks, Elvin.

 Okay, thanks, Mark. All right, thanks very much indeed.

 Thanks for the roundabout team.



 Thomas, you're the man that presents the Thursday Folk Program. Ballads. Ballads. Excuse me, well, you know, it comes under the broad term as folk for me, but of course, you are obviously a fan of this type of music. Yeah, definitely, definitely. And you get a great response to your program, don't you?

 Yeah, well, I suppose I got all the problems



 some weeks as good and some weeks as bad, you know? Yes, yeah. But I remember when New Kelly died, I'd done a two-hour special on him, and we had an accident out on the day he was buried. Right, very good. And that got a great response.

 I remember that show, yes.

 That got a great response. I fell down a little bit on it, because I'll tell you what happened. I heard that Luke was on a life support machine, and I was walking up in Dunjum Shopping Center, and I said to myself, now, I'll do a special problem on Luke, because I had a book on the Dubliners, and I had all their best partner LP's. So I rolled out a script on you, and then I heard he died, and I rang through to, I think it was, I don't know who was still your manager at the time, and asked him, could I get another hour before he fixed it up? I think Liam Shea was following me at the time, and he said, yeah, so I scribbled it out, and he joined me lunch break, more of the script, and this, that, and the other, and then I spilled a cup of tea over it, and it was done in ink. So it all went by the way, sorry, right? So I had to read me a script down from a book of the Dubliners, which a lady wrote, and she was writing the book, I think she was English, and she was writing about, I mean,



 from England, that when the Dubliners came over here, you know, to Liverpool, this, that, and the other, and I thought, so I had to scratch it with all these, and you know yourself, I read it on air from a book. Adapted for radio. Yeah, and I fell down a bit on that, but it was a great response, you know, and then every year after that, that was over two years, for two hours, and every year after that, I think I was doing a three hour run on a anniversary, you know?

 Well, before you go, right, you have to tell us what that was that Mark Nevin showed you that day.

 I was sitting at home, I'd not have been in Dublin all day, I was sitting at home having me dinner, fishing ships when I heard that. Can I tell you, can I? Well, have you always had to tell you?

 Well, I think so, we were all adults here, you know.

 I won't tell you directly, but I'll tell you what it was.



 I won't say the word directly, but you know, what a person is called that plays a piano, right? Yes. Yes, well, he slapped one of them that rhymes with that, straight up there, like that, right? Don was a battery on in there one hour. He slapped up there, he was presenting me with an award, and he had it here, and he slapped up there, well, it was speechless.

 And you were on air at the time.

 I was on air, we used to do, actually, we used to do a great little thing, used to go down very well, just have a little chat in between the programmes, you know, unfortunately, since Mark finished up, I haven't been able to do it because it's been an Irish programme, and my Irish was kind of a, kind of a great, but it was a great crack, a really inside. Good stuff.

 Okay, well, it's great to see you, Thomas.

 Right, Mark, and I'd like to wish us all, not the whole lot of us, the best of 1989, and of course, all my listeners to the Ballad programme, and of course, the Wulfton District Ucla programme.



 (Upbeat Music)

 Hi, I'm Margaret, and my involvement to be a B goes back over the last nine years. My roles have been many and varied, from management to presentation, production to librarian.

 (Upbeat Music)



 My first experience on air was with Joe Naylor and the Senior Citizens programme. Mark Quinn was supposed to be at the controls, but Mark's idea was different. He took us into studio and told me to push that, spin this, switch that, and away you go. I was dropped in at the deep end, and it was a case of sink or swim.



 (Upbeat Music)



 Well, I obviously swam. I went on to produce the CIC programme with Dot McKenzie and Morleburn. I did a series of programmes titled Your Choice, where I interviewed many people from all walks of life. It's the end of an era, and I'm looking forward to a bigger and brighter future in radio in the North Wicklow area.

 On the telephone line, we have the Bell Mick Gray.

 How are you Mick?

 How's it going, Mark? You can't be with us, because you're not in Chicago like our last caller.

 Where are you? I'm in the Westbourne Hotel working.

 Oh God, that's terrible. Working on a night like this.

 On a night like this, yeah.

 Can you remember when you started in BLB?

 I can indeed. I can remember being woken up at six o'clock in the morning on a tent down in British Bay by Terry O'Neill, who called himself Terry Daniels on air, and he was coming up to do a programme called Love Directions. He hands me, really dragged me out of the tent into the car and up the break. Yeah. Do a seven to nine programme, and then back down to Wicklow.

 (Laughing)

 Back into the tent, I went to sleep.



 (Laughing)

 That was my first introduction, and ever since that, then I've been hooked.

 Yeah, and you were involved in a lot of early morning shows.

 I used to do seven to nine for a long, long time. Yes. And I used to hate that. And through that, through me doing the breakfast programmes, he's got Bob McCann.

 That's right.

 Used to drag him out of the bed at six o'clock and bring him down.

 Well, that's one programme that I always avoided, the breakfast programme, because, well, I knew that I wouldn't be very good in the morning anyway. And I probably wouldn't make it either. I wouldn't get to the studio.

 I used to do mine on a Sunday morning, and I tell you, it's no joke getting up a half-six Sunday morning after being held Saturday night.



 Is Colin there?

 Yeah, how are you Mark? How are you Colin? I'm not too bad at the moment.

 Don't tell me you're working as well, are you?

 Well, you see, I have to tell Mick what pots to watch and what pots not to watch. He's the hygiene expert up in this end of the world.

 Somebody has to produce them, is that it?

 Somebody does, and unfortunately, I'm the one that was picked for.

 You're another man for the graveyard shift. I mean, the early morning shift.

 Yeah, ever since I started, well, I remember starting off first down in BLB. It was on a Monday afternoon. I came down to do a producer programme for Sally Bird.



 And I arrived down real early and put it all together. And the next day I was told that I was asked to do a programme. So I walked down to the studio with about 60 different albums in my hand, not knowing that the record library was there to be used.

 Yes.

 And I put on a 12-inch instrumental record as a team music. And I was so nervous, I couldn't get the needle onto the record properly. Somebody had to do it for me.

 And here's somebody who's off work at the moment, but she's been working hard all day. Hilda, how are you? Hilda Hennesy.

 I'm fine, thanks, Mark.

 You've been working hard all day, well, minding your daughter here, who's broken her arm. Yes. How did she manage that?

 Well, she tripped in the Albert Walk about a week before Christmas and broke the arm. And unfortunately had to go back into hospital today to have the arm reset. So we spent a lot of time toing and froing to the hospital with her today, but hopefully now it'll be okay.

 All right. You've been involved in lots of programmes, haven't you? You've been involved particularly in the classical programme and the jazz programme.

 I have, well, actually I started off reading the news. Oh, really?

 On VLB, which is some... You surprised me, I'd forgotten that.

 Well, yes, I did. I started off reading the news, which I enjoyed very much. But I remember there was one day a lady rang up after the news. I was only finished about five seconds when the telephone rang. Would you please to ask that woman not to be breathing all over my kitchen? I can hear her all over my kitchen. Heavy breathing.

 Well, you can please some of the people. So what happened anyway? How did you respond to this on air?

 Well, I mean, I had to watch my breathing. I had to sort of turn away when I wanted to take a deep breath, but it's something that you do when you're nervous, I believe.

 Well, I'm Joe Kenna from the sports department here in VLB. And one of my highlights of 1988 was no doubt the interview I had with the world's number one dad's pair, John Lowe. How did you find the receptionary arrive over here in Ireland?

 Oh, great. The Irish people have always been great. The only thing I say about Ireland, I can only manage five days in. I can't... After five days, I'm worn out because they treat me so well that I've got to get on for a rest.

 The man who presented the Monday evening sports programme was Vincent Kerwin. On one very important sporting weekend last June, Vincent was absent from the sports studio. He was, in fact, in Germany, watching Ireland's famous one-nil victory over England. And he came on the phone to us live in the sports studio afterwards with a first-hand report. Brother Horse was full of optimism.

 Anything is possible. There's no doubt about it. The players now, Jack, has made them believe in themselves. OK, they got off the hook a couple of times yesterday. But it's like everything else. You make your own look in these games.

 They've been found lucky in the past. They deserve a break.

 They certainly do deserve a break. Yeah. And there were plenty of people from Breyhir. Oh, yeah. I met TJ Minaug after the match yesterday. Yeah. And Peter Geller. And I also met Cher Hayes, Palanzi Hayes.

 Vincent Kerwin on the phone from Germany, and that was David Kelly talking to him. And that was only one of the many sporting highlights that we were privileged to be able to cover during the year here in BLB. Other people who were working in the sports studio with us were Brendan McCarthy, Dennis McGinn, Seamus Pender, and many other people who contributed to the information on the various activities. And on behalf of all the people in the sports studio, we would wish all of the hundreds of people who keep sport going in the Breyhir-Northwicklow area every success in the new year.

 The sports department there and their little insert for us, I hope Vincent heard that, because I know that Vincent Kerwin hasn't actually heard that recording of himself from the European Championships in Germany there during the summer. And that was a great report. Well done to all the chaps there. And we hope that in the future, when we get this local radio thing sorted out once and for all, we'll be able to have commentary from those home Breywanderers matches, those home games. And I know Joe Bullard is one man who's going to be delighted about that bit of news. How are you, Joe?

 How are you, Mark? I'm delighted to be here.

 Isn't that one of the things you said earlier in the documentary, that that's one of the things that you... One of the three things that you think has changed dramatically in Brey over the last 10 years was the dart, BLB and Breywanderers.

 Right, three of the things are very close to my heart, but I'm not so much... not so sure about the dart. But certainly the close... well, the part of the anatomy might be right when I'm sitting on the dart. It's not my heart. But the other thing is that certainly the Breywanderers and BLB coming to them both to the town certainly made a difference to me. And I think the difference to the town is putting Brey on the map.

 This whole business about sports and local radio, to me, is really exciting. I mean, what do you think yourself?

 Well, there are problems with it, of course. I think if you realise that if we were going to do a commentary from the Carlisle grounds, I could see problems where people... I don't think the directors would be too happy because people wouldn't go to the matches. Gates might be affected, yes. Gates would be affected. So I think where it would... It might be very handy to do it if it were possible to do it were in the way games in Dublin.

 Right.

 I think, you know, if we were playing people like Home Farm or Shamrock Rovers, if we could do even the second half commentary from Dailymount Park or Tolker Park or somewhere like that, a lot of people in Brey that couldn't get to the match would enjoy it.

 Well, you put your finger on it there, maybe the second half commentary might be the thing. Second half commentary. Because then people would perhaps go to the matches, like they do on BBC Radio 2.

 Yeah, like they do on BBC Radio 2 on Saturday afternoon. And not necessarily every week, you know, or every home game. Right. Certainly the away games would be interesting. That's the way they do it on the local station in BBC Radio Merseyside. For instance, if Everton are playing at home, they don't give you the Everton game, but if they're playing away, they give you the second half commentary on whoever may be thrashing at that particular time.

 Oh, yes, of course. I'm not... You can tell this guy's at Everton's...

 It's not that I'm biased, I don't care, whoever it may be.

 Well, Joe, this local radio thing has changed your life, has it?

 It has, Mark, and I was just thinking there in the house this evening that... In fact, last night, when I was getting my last programme ready for today, I was just saying at home, "This is the last time I've been doing this for quite some time." Yes, yes. But I don't think it's the beginning of the end. I think it's the end of the beginning.

 Yes, yes.

 You know, because I think that, you know, this is... We've proved it can be done, and the people at the beginning said we couldn't do it and we were headbangers and all sorts of things. But I think this, as I say, is the end of the beginning. Now we've proved to people that it can be done, community radio works, as I've said, and it's meant to be a change in my life, totally, because I was rejected by the national station and I was totally and utterly disappointed, having done a very short course with them and said, "Dear Mr. Ballard, we hope that you enjoyed your recent course." This was a letter. "But unfortunately, we cannot see any future for you in radios. Your voice is totally unsuitable for radio presentation." And I was shattered, I really was.

 Well, the future. Tell us about the future. Apart from the sports angle of things, things are going to change radically, aren't they?

 They are, Mark, because with the help of God and the government, we'll get in that order, by the way. Hopefully, a license will be given for this area. Now, the next step is it will have to be much more professional, less, maybe a little less personal, but certainly it'll have to be much more professional. There'll have to be a totally professional outlook to it, but at the same time, it will still remain community.

 Yes, exactly. OK, and we don't use that in a pompous sense. That's the word professional. No, no, no. Not like, "Dear Mr. Ballard." No, no, no, certainly not. All right, Joe, I'm going to have to leave you there because...

 The check is in the post, Dan. All right. OK, Joe.

 Thanks very much. Joe Ballard there, joining us. OK, another group of people that got together, got their own programme on air, were the people involved in the Civil Defence, the Red Cross, all those organisations, the Order of Malta and so on, headed by Louis O'Rourke and along with Betty McAvoy. They presented a programme for a good nine years, believe it or not, called At Your Service, and here is their signing off tape.



 Hello and welcome. This is Louis O'Rourke. And Betty McAvoy. Bringing you just a little snippet about what the At Your Service programme is all about. The way it all happened to us that I was involved as a producer on another programme called Tim Court Bree, and I realised the implications of what local radio was like for the voluntary services and put a proposal to BNB Management at the time, and they accepted it. And we started At Your Service, which is a programme mainly aimed at the members of Civil Defence, the Red Cross and the Order of Malta, and it consists of a magazine type programme with news and interviews and music requests and that sort of thing.

 Yes, and we do get people listening who don't have anything at all to do with the services. We found this out on a few occasions when we had competitions and such like, and people rang in from as far afield as Ballyfermet and North Dublin. So we have quite a large listenership to At Your Service.

 With me now in studio, I have Mr. Andrew Ledwidge, who is one of the infamous Ledwidge Brothers from Ledwidge Brothers Shop on the Main Street in Bray, and in fact, Ledwidge Brothers are BLB's longest-running advertisers. So there you are. Tell me this, why did you decide to get involved in advertising with this local station? Because you were one of the first shops I remember to take an ad out with us.

 Well, I felt there was an enthusiasm towards the local station, and my hunch at the time was a thrust there for it. And my pride for another venture within Bray, for which we should be grateful, and I hope that to maintain it in the future.

 All right. Okay, well, that's what we're hoping for as well. You're obviously a keen radio listener, are you?

 Most of it. I spend much of my part time at it. Right.

 You've been established for a long time now, haven't you, Bray? I mean, you've been established since the 30s?

 My father, well, my uncles and so on were longer than that in the 20s, at least in the early 19s, 19s, 20s. Right.

 And how long have you yourself been involved in the shop, working in the shop?

 Oh, well, I remember standing there in 1956 at least. Really?

 Really? You do a great trade there, don't you?

 Well, I wish it was a lot better.

 Oh, really? Well, of course, if you ran your ad more often, perhaps.



 Maybe. Oh, yes. It was a great help indeed. Did you think that you did... The response I got towards it was really...

 That's what I was going to ask you, the response. It was good, was it? Oh, yes.

 Really. I really enjoyed it at the time. Of course. And people did come and tell me how they had listened to my ad and so on. Some of the early ones which I didn't plan at all were really good. Great pleasure to people around me.

 Of course, I remember one of the ads we did, we said that you had everything from... What was it?

 I can't remember now. Needle to an anchor.

 A needle to an anchor or something of that order, yes.

 I couldn't get it in break.

 Well, you have a great stock of stuff there. There's always a great lot of stuff in the window and so on.

 Yeah. Well, I wish there were more... greater ability to myself to display and so forth. Better thrust towards it, I suppose, is missing too.

 Of course, the main street has changed an awful lot over the years, hasn't it?

 Well, I don't agree entirely with international traders coming in and taking over. I think people should be... the smaller trader should be given a greater opportunity.



 Because I think they have...



 You know, where people are eager to work for themselves, I think far better than they would for anybody else. I don't want... that's been my experience in watching what's been happening and what I hear from people around me.

 And of course, the personal service that goes with a shop like yours.

 I feel more eager to do it, I suppose, yeah. Yeah, it's a good point. But it's... I prefer to do it in that sense.

 And so, do you think that there's a... Sorry to be so... Not at all. There's a role for local radio in a town like brain.

 Very much so and I'm grateful to listen to it as well and within our own town and... ...sense of pride for me that really engenders a pride in me in that sense.

 Right. Okay. Well, it's good of you to join us. I'm sorry we can't talk for much longer. Thank you. Thank you. In fact, I understand that.

 This is the first time... You can use them here tonight. It's really... really explicit in itself.

 This is the first time you've ever been to BLB, is that right? Anywhere. But that's not right.



 All right. That's Andrew Ledwidge of Ledwidge Brothers and I think... Thank you very much. ...it's fitting for us to play this little commercial before you go. Thank you. All right. Thanks very much indeed. The longest running advertisers on Brelock Broadcasting, it's official, Ledwidge Brothers of Main Street Brae.

 Ledwidge Brothers Main Street Brae have been serving this area for years. We have hardware, household goods, garden tools and many more items, genuinely reduced. Call in to your old friends, Ledwidge Brothers at Main Street Brae.



 Now then, who have we got next on tape? We've got Daphne Mitchell.



 I had aspirations once of becoming a concert cellist. I practiced and played for eight years, but like most dreams, it never happened. But then in 1979, I came across a dream which was shared by a few people and this was called BLB. And I suppose I was fortunate enough to be invited to join this few... these few people. One of them was Mark Quinn, another was John Murphy, Mick Curtis.



 And just a handful in fact, who all had the idea of starting a community radio station. There were very few people who had faith in this idea. And I suppose I must confess at this time in 1979, we weren't sure at all whether it would work. But anyway, we decided to give it a try. For myself, without community radio, I think I would possibly have been one of those frustrated musicians who never got anywhere. BLB has given me so much back that I think it's far outpaid all of the hours that I have put into it. And to the listeners who indeed have kept us going all through the years. Thank you very much.

 Thank you Daphne. Daphne Mitchell there. It's 12 minutes before 10 on BLB. Daphne was on tape there, as were lots of the inserts you've been listening to this evening. And there are one or two more to go before we finish up. We've got about an hour and 12, 13 minutes or so to go of Brelock Broadcasting. And I'm joined on phone now by a member of another community radio station, Jack Byrne. Can you hear me there, Jack? I can hear you. How are you, Jack? Jack's ringing from North Dublin Community Radio. Whereabouts are you based exactly, Jack?

 We're on the Oscar China Road, Kulak. And we're on the frequency 105.5.

 How long have you been in existence there?



 Sorry, excuse me. Would you tell them you're on the air live?

 Put the phone down. Hello, yes, sorry.



 There's bedlam here. Well, there's bedlam here too, you know. We have a local choltist branch in Plainview here in the background.

 Tell us about the beginnings. How did you get started there as a community radio?

 Well, we started back in late 1981, early 1982 in St. David's Secondary School with an old radio aid transmitter built for £500 or something. I think it's got to put £1000 to get on air.



 And there's been a very good committee and very good community spirit ever since. And I think it stayed small and sort of basically rather anarchic in that it didn't have a very formalised structure. But people were always felt very welcome to come in and get involved.

 And how did the whole notion of community radio come about with you people? Just as a matter of interest, because we sort of feel to some extent as though we made it up ourselves as we went along here, you know?

 Well, certainly I think most people in the country got their inspiration from BLB. And I would have to on this final night of BLB pay credit and tribute to BLB for the pioneering work you did in the area and the idea of community radio. And I certainly, basically we got interested in the idea of decentralised radio, but most of them were small commercial stations. And some of us felt there must be something more to do with radio than just play pop records and sell ads, you know? And we discovered the BLB experiment and liked it and got back to some of your people out there. We took it from there and we sort of stayed friends and we've roamed together and we've learned a lot from each other. And I think stations like BLB and North Dublin, I think we've proved over the years to the politicians and to the doubters that it could work, that community radio actually is quite a viable project. I think as a result of the experimental work of BLB and North Dublin, I think we will now see community radio, licensed legal community radio in 1989. But I don't think it would have happened without the BLB experiment, quite frankly, you know?

 Well, that's fair. You've just answered all my next list of questions that I have.

 I tend to do that. I tend to do that.

 And you were at a public meeting recently, the public meeting that launched the North Wicklow co-op, that I'm abbreviating here now, with the North Wicklow Broadcasting Cooperative Society, whatever. What was your feeling at that meeting? What was the response like from your perspective?

 I was very encouraged because I feel that community radio for me is a community, the work community to me is a very inclusive term. And it has to be a very broad, all-embracing sort of idea. And I think the fact that BLB is broadening out now into the cooperative and encouraging even more groups to become involved has to be good for community radio in the North Wicklow area. I was very encouraged by the mix of people at that meeting and the obvious enthusiasm. And I think the people of North Wicklow are very fortunate. There are groups all over the country now getting ready to apply for licenses with no experience of running a radio station at all. The people of North Wicklow are very fortunate to have that core of experienced broadcasters coming out of BLB into the cooperative. I think that's a great asset to the people out there in North Wicklow.

 You're closing down tonight as well.

 Ten o'clock. It'd probably run a bit over because everybody is only getting wound up now. But we had said ten o'clock and as they're the closest people that just arrived and they're playing some nice lively music. And in fact, it's putting a new lease of life into the thing, you see. But we're heading for the local pub then, you see. Oh, nice. I heard some of the commercial people this evening sort of closing down. They're all quite sad and sorry for themselves. But I think there's a good spurs in community radio here and I sense it in BLB because I think we know we'll be back. You know, I think we can be very positive about this. I think that our license is there for community radio. So while it's a sad night tonight that we're closing down after quite a few years' experimentation, I think we can all look forward with some confidence to 1989 and licenses for community radio. And I think we're only really starting. It's not an end. It's really only the beginning of this whole experiment.

 You can tell this fellow speaks publicly about this country, you know. All right. Listen, Jack, thanks very much for joining us, all right?

 Okay. And thank you. And good luck for the rest of the night there.

 And the same to you. Good luck in the new year as well. Okay. Bye-bye. Take care. Bye-bye. Jack Byrne there from the North Dublin Community Radio. I keep calling them the North Wicklow Community Radio. Of course, that's us, isn't it? Dennis Crawley, how are you? Mark Quinn, how are you? Joins me in the studio here live. Live, yeah. Kind of live. You, now, let me think. You started off as a producer, didn't you?

 I did with that reprobate you have there beside you. Shay Byrne.

 Shay Byrne. Shay Byrne. Working hard tonight as I say. Yes, I see.

 Thorsten Eyes, Rock Rendezvous. I already got that name from him, not entirely showable. We promptly changed it to Thursday Track once I got rid of him, you know. Yes.

 Once you took over. Once I took over.

 And they didn't stop there, as you will.



 I was just telling the lads there, I was one with Thorsten Eyes on, and I went into the record shop on the Wednesday. I said, "Yeah, there's no records here." So I got the boat over to Halliehead for the day. I bought 15 albums, Sweating, Coming Through the Customs. I got back up. I had to go and explain my signature tune. Des Born was producer for me at the time, and he was Sweating Breaks, and I burst in the door, and I forgot the albums were shrink-wrapped, you know, because they had them when I couldn't get the damn thing out.



 I was staring at the bits. I put it on. I didn't even know what I put on. They were just about made.

 Why? You know, what attracts people to this local radio thing?

 I don't know. I suppose there has to be a certain amount of ego involved. I mean, you've got to sit down in front of a microphone and say, "Listen, I can cut this. I can do it." I was listening to some of the stuff earlier on. Doug McGuire said, "Hello, I'm Doug McGuire, and I'm terrified."

 Yes, yes.

 I sat down and said, "Hello, I'm..." And I just went blank. Who the hell am I?

 What am I doing here? So there was a sense of challenge to get over this thing.

 Yeah, and once I got over it, the initial thing I suppose was, "I can play music and entertain." And that was my first thing. But when I came down and saw how many other people had other ideas, I learned a hell of a lot, you know? And I said, "It's just not this. It does much more to it than this." And we got involved. I mean, the days up on Brayhead when the area went crazy and the back axle on the car got bent. And, you know, it was just a hard of it. I remember we were digging through cow shovel stuff, you know,



 to sink some copper wire down. I never knew that if you braid copper wire in cow shovel, that it improved the signal on the radio station.



 You have to be a bit of everything, don't you? Yeah.

 I think if I have lasting memories, I think it was programs I did with you. We did two particular programs. One was for Colin McStay. Do you remember that? It was a bit of a marathon. That's right. I remember it. And I couldn't believe the amount of feedback. The amount of money that came in was phenomenal. That's right. And we did another one then for the Vincent Nepal. And both times when we, you know, we were so high doing it, so excited by the whole thing, that when we stopped, normally we might go for a drink afterwards. And I said, "Cheap, I'm blown." You know? He said, "I'm going home." I said, "I'm going home too. That was it."

 That's right, yeah.

 We had some funny incidents though. I think the famous one was the St. Patrick's Day parade. You and I were doing it. And I was driving to work good morning. And Saturday morning I started at 5am. I was like, "See, there has to be something wrong with being in the ball and going to work at 5am." And I had a radio on that Buck McCann was doing over the years. And here the most difficult, and I heard the famous St. Patrick's Day parade where you and I were trying to describe a ball and his large appendages. They were actually saying, "This ball has apparently huge things." You know? We never did actually say it, you know? Of course not. You know, it's him. Change balls, please. Well, Jim, we never actually said it, you know? And lots of people rang up afterwards. But I was amazed at going in to work at 5am in the morning listening to that, you know? Yeah.

 What are your feelings tonight now that it's all coming to an end as well?

 Well, I have to say we did this before, you know? A few years back then. But I think this is for real. I think this is for real. Well, my attitude is that we've done it before and we'll be back again. I can't see that we haven't. There's too many hours. There's too much effort going in. I mean, you and I at this stage, at the old stage, when we look around, I'm just looking at people behind me here, you know? And I don't know the half of them. I really don't know them. And when I walked in, they did. And I said, "Who the hell I was either, you know? I'll come to that." But we were now on account of Mark.

 Oh!

 And men were men.

 Right.

 Enough of this patting over the back.

 What I'm going to say is, goodbye, thank you. It has been fun and I'm sure we'll all meet again. And especially with you, Mark, and everybody else just here. I had a ball of a time. And I learned a lot. I got educated here. Right.

 Thank you. All right. Dennis Crawley there. Thank you, Dennis.



 We're getting through as many people as we possibly can. We've got a couple more tapes to fit in. This one comes from the Access team.

 It started off as lunchtime in 86, with our old friends Sally Reynolds, Clara Farrell, Maura Byrne, and Aideen Paul, Sally Byrne, and Ellen Keogh. The producer then, with his memorable jingles, was a certain Paul McGovern. In October this year, lunchtime became Access. And during its reign, Access lunchtime's main idea was to bring the community into the studio, to put forward their views, including the very valuable Jenny and John from the Make It Work team, providing up-to-the-minute information for the unemployed by the unemployed in the area.



 On behalf of all the team, this is Judith. We're issuing you all the very best in 89. And we're looking forward to legalized community radio in North Wicklow.

 And there it is. The Access team there and their little piece for us caught me on the hop there nearly. You know, it's difficult. All this live radio, buttons, knobs, things happening, all the rest of it. I'm slightly out of practice here, but anyhow, I'm sure you'll bear with me. I have two more headcases with me in the studio.

 I always thought you were a great man for the knobs, man.

 Well, yes. I always knew which colours to tweak. Which colours? It was always the yellow button. Shay Byrne and John Ryan, or Rasher, join me in studio. You chaps have been around for a while in this thing as well. We have really. Too long.

 Yeah, they've been trying to get rid of us, but you know.

 You were on on the first day, Shay.

 I was, and I was, as Doug said, as everyone said, terrified. I remember I actually made a record skipp. I played it was by Wings. It was London Town or something. So I came back on and said, well, that was the 12-inch version.

 I always had a way with words, didn't they? My earliest memory of Shay Byrne was him not allowing me into the studio.

 Really? Why? Why so?

 Or would you? Would you?



 I remember knocking on the door of Galtram House in this spotty youth open the door. It was Shay, skinny as a matchstick, of course. And he said, no, you're not getting in. So I turned and walked away.



 And he looked too legal, you know.



 Well, listen, what has it taught you guys over the years? I mean, you've done so many different programs, both of you, different music programs, got involved in lots of things behind the scenes as well. What have you learned from it all?

 Have we said this together or? Well, in fact, to be serious for a moment, the thing I learned from it was, to be honest, when I started the whole thing, I was just, Dennis hit on that ego thing. I suppose it was a bit of that. It was just fun to be involved in a radio station. It was exciting, all that sort of thing. I was actually just leaving school at the time.



 And I suppose the things I've learned as I went along, hopefully I've learned a bit about the medium of radio and what radio production is like.



 And it's been very educational in that sense. You know, Doug, during the documentary we heard earlier on, mentioned the idea of it being an outlet for creativity, if you like. It certainly was that.



 One of the other things that struck me was that BLB served its purpose in more ways than one. And what I really mean is that I found just by being in the studio, you met so many different people who were involved in all sorts of things in the community. And she really suddenly realized how busy Bray was and how many people really cared about the place. And, you know, it really gave me a sense of community in Bray. And that's something that we've mentioned a lot, but, you know, it is a very fundamental thing to it.

 I'd like to echo that sentiment. And being a little Bray man myself,



 I think BLB really came into its own the night of Hurricane Charlie.

 Yes, absolutely.

 It was amazing. I mean, I had moved out of the Dark Road, believe it or not, the Friday before.



 Aren't you glad? I wasn't like that. Unfortunately, my parents and friends were still living down there, obviously. And it just blew me away. The commitment of the people in BLB, we did what was it, 48 hours straight through, keeping people going, organizing collections. That was what it was all about. And that's really when BLB came into its own. A few funny stories and incidents.

 Yes, come on. Give us one. Give us a funny story.

 I remember one Saturday morning, yourself and myself going down to do a roundabout, and there had been a snowfall the night before. And the area was lying across the Royal Tower Park.



 Mick Curtis, Mick Curtis, and Shane Burne climbed up.

 I knew you'd ask Mick Curtis out the window.

 That's right, the side window of the Melafon, which is now the Westbourne. And you and I got up on the roof of Galtram House.

 And we hauled it all up again. Absolutely.



 Sorry to interrupt, but there is one other thing that BLB did for me. I'm now able to pronounce TH.



 There you go.



 John Murphy from the NACV, also for a member of BLB, and Lawrence Hallat, who is a member of CRA, which is the Community Radio Association in the UK. You're very welcome, by the way, to pray again.

 It's nice to be back. You're a regular visitor, aren't you? Afraid so, yeah. Can't get rid of me.

 The community radio thing across the divide of the Irish Sea. Who's learning from who at this stage?



 Good question. That is a good question. I mean, there are some things that I think the UK has done quite well on, in terms of looking at structures for new community stations, and in looking at the way in which stations will operate on a very wide range of formats. Again, because of the greater density of population, as well as having small stations like BLB has been here, serving a specific geographical area. We also have stations for special interest groups. For example, you might have a jazz station or a rock station or a country and western station or something like that. And also, because of the dense pockets of ethnic populations, Afro-Caribbean, Asian or Greek, whatever they may be, we also have a lot of practical experience of pirate foreign language broadcasting and also a number of community groups which have got together to run those stations with licenses when they become available. But on the other hand, in terms of being able to make experiments, successful experiments, the lead is definitely here in the Republic, because you can actually go out and do it. And there's nothing to be, practical experience.

 Well, we have the advantage of having a lot of natural broadcasters in this country.



 I mean, you look at the size of the town of Bray and surrounding areas, right? And the amount of people who have gone through the station that work now in radio professions, the amount of skilled and talented people who have done programs over the years here, as an interest, right, who do other things. There's a lot of good radio people in this country, and they're not all going to take the bullet, as some might suggest. There's a lot of enthusiastic community broadcasters, ready and waiting, and I don't think that that level is going to be a problem in the future. I think there's a lot of potential, particularly in this town.

 You look at it this way, the people that can't make it in radio here, they go over and do it in the UK. Terry Wogan's a prime example.

 Right. He didn't start in BLB, I have to make it. No, he didn't, no.

 Mary Dine, how are you?

 Well, thanks, Mark.

 I just about opened your mic on time there.

 A few blisters on my hands from carrying drinks down, but I'm okay apart from that.

 I remember when you joined BLB, you were an innocent little girl.

 I still am an innocent little girl, mind you, not so innocent.

 And you very quickly adapted to this radio thing, didn't you?

 I did, actually. I loved the radio because I was a really shy person. Underneath it all, I still am. But I came in and there you were, you did the mixing for me. You also sent me up to Dunn's stores to buy the breakfast.

 Well, I always played long tracks, though. That's right.

 George Benson and Weekend in LA, more like War and Peace.



 I remember that very well.

 Did you enjoy it? I mean, you obviously did.

 I did enjoy it. It got me out of myself, really. And I met people like Chris Conway and Chris Conway and Chris Conway.

 You then moved on to RTE.

 That's right. And there's not really a lot more you can say about that.

 Well, there is.

 Well, I moved on to RTE.

 What do you think was because of your experience in BLB?

 I do. I definitely do because I wouldn't have had the courage to go forward for the job if I hadn't been in BLB. It taught me about life, taught me about bad food. No, it really did teach me to appreciate a station like BLB.

 Okay. And apart from the cold slow from Dunn's stores, any funny stories for us?

 Oh, I could tell you a few. Apart from being locked in the loo, having elastic bands flicked at me, tea bags being thrown down my neck, ice cubes down my back. There's not really a lot I can say except that one day I was doing a show at lunchtime and Wasp came into the studio and sat on the fader that I was about to push up. And I'm absolutely terrified of Wasp's and they all played on this, you see. Everybody out there knew that Mary Dinan was stuck in the studio with the Wasp, so would they come in and rescue me? No. Well, that's typical. So the notice board was a little longer than usual.

 Community spirit, huh?

 But I didn't scream once.



 All right, Mary Dinan, thanks very much indeed. And thank you, Mark. Sorry we have to leave it there, but we're moving along as quickly as we can. Mike Fallon, how are you? Hi, how are you, Mark? How are you doing? I thought you were going to say hi, girls. Hi, girls, right.



 You, like myself, came from this disc jockey background. You're still involved in that end of things as well. Oh, very much so. That's the redder bar. Indeed.



 We have to earn the few shillings, you see.

 Well, Alwyn was asking me earlier about the beginnings of getting into radio. There is a world of a difference between doing discos and doing radio shows, isn't there?

 Absolutely, yes. I quite agree. I mean, I was involved in the full-time occupation, as it were, as a live DJ, and I was never really interested in radio, believe it or not. I never had any inclination at all to go for radio. And I remember one time there was a guy called Mick Taylor.

 I remember Mick, yeah. You remember Mick.

 He approached me and asked me to join Southside in the Victor Hotel. They had just started there. And so he said that with my experience in a comprehensive range of music, he thought I would appeal to the housewives. And I haven't stopped appealing to them since.



 So you think?

 That's right. But I settled into it and spent, well, I was with Southside until they went off the air. And then I wasn't really interested in going back into radio again until such times it would be legalized. I really didn't want to be involved in stations that were being messed about. And so anyway, I came to BLB then, and I'm not sure I can't remember when it was.

 And you haven't looked back. I haven't looked back.



 Okay, I'm going to have to ask you to move over. Of course. And another, thank you, Mike Fallon there. Thank you. Another experienced disc jockey here came from the world of discos and twin turntables. Barry Nevan, how are you, Barry? I didn't know how you were going to introduce me there. Well, it's a fair introduction, isn't it?

 It's a fair introduction. Long time, no see. I have to say, I really never thought it'd see the day that the licenses would come. Not in my lifetime. Yes, indeed. If you think back to the days of Galtram House, where you had to catch the ferry from the steps over there.

 That's right. You know what I mean? Yes, indeed.

 One quick story, if I have time.

 Yes, do.

 Do you remember Christmas Day when the aerial came down? And with four hours, five hours recorded material to go out for Christmas Day. And a few faces I see around the studio. We were all out in the snow, over to the back of the mellifont, trying to get the aerial up. Do you remember that?

 I do indeed, yeah. There must be a better way than this. Yeah, exactly.



 Okay, Barry, thanks very much. I'm literally, I'm looking at the clock every few minutes because I'm trying to get as many people in as possible. Nice to see you again. Thanks, Mark. Liam DeShoon.

 I think over the years we have influenced RTE. I remember interviewing people on alternative medicine and self-development techniques and all sorts of weird things. And two years later, I'd hear them on RTE and I thought, "Aha, somebody heard that." Or, "They've got enough experience on radio to go forward and present themselves." And it's been the same with the political things we've covered. I think all the environmental issues that BLB has raised on its lunchtime and roundabout have made the politicians more aware of these things and has made them an issue in our society. And I think that's a perfect example of the good work that Community Radio can and does do. I'm glad to see that we kept to our guns over the years saying Community Radio should involve people, should discuss issues. It should involve lots of different types of tastes of music. Okay.

 At this point, I think it would be appropriate that we thank all those people that have supported us over the years, the advertisers.

 Yes, indeed. And they've been so well. There have only been a few who stiffed us and didn't pay their bills. We had another one last week, in fact.



 But basically, they've been great.

 They've been really terrific. A businessman through and through.



 Liam DeShoon, thanks very much, Liam. Thank you, Mark. Now, Ollie Dixon is in the studio with me here. And there's also a video camera pointed at me, which is kind of an unusual situation for me to be in, being on this side of a video camera. However, Ollie, how are you?

 Well, you're also now on that side of the microphone, because all evening you've been running this program and playing little bits on tape and having guests live in the studio asking them what their memories and experiences are. And nobody's done it to you, Mark. And like, if anybody is here from day one, you're one of the people. I mean, way back even in Southside's history. Yes. Speaking of Andrew Coffey, which we won't, unless we have to.



 So, I mean, who are you with and how did it all start?

 Who was I with?

 Yes. I mean, it wasn't just you. There were a couple of other names from the past in Southside. Yeah. At the beginning of Southside.

 Very, very quickly and briefly, I was asked by Andrew Coffey to be the head DJ of this new pirate radio station, because I was doing discos around the town at the time. And so were all the other chaps that he invited to take part in this radio station. And so basically that was it. I mean, I just was, I'd never done radio before, never even thought about doing it before. And very quickly discovered that it was a far cry from doing discos. You didn't shout at people anymore and you didn't play all, you know, all the fast sets and slow sets. It had to be pitched completely differently and I very quickly got into it very, very quickly. And of course, I think I might have said it earlier, at the time, like we were celebrities, you know, Southside radio, the response was incredible because...

 Those very little lads on the air were...

 There was nothing else on the air in Bray and for people to get requests played instantly almost was marvelous and all the school kids loved us.

 So all you had to do is walk down Bray Main Street with a bundle of albums under your arms and they said, "There's

 some DJs from Southside!" "Oh, there's Mark Quinn!"

 "Yeah, there's Brian Nolan or whatever, it's great fun!"

 So things progressed and there was a parting of the ways and Southside went off the air for a while and then it came back on. But it was broadcasting from Rotterdam Avenue in Dunleary and then BLB came on in August 79 and that was from Bray.

 That was from Bray and we were adamant that that was what we wanted to do was to keep it local. I mean, we've been over, this is old ground perhaps at this stage for people that have been listening all evening. But basically we wanted to do something different. We felt that there had to be another reason for being there other than playing pop music. And so that's the road we took. Difficult road, I think. More difficult road, I would suggest, than playing pop music all day. That's what we did. Very humble beginnings. There were lots of times when we thought, "It's not going to work, it's not going to happen for whatever reasons." But it has done and we've come a long way.

 Well, the premises grew from Goldtrum House to Strand Road to here on the Quinsmore Road. People grew, their programmes grew, their perceptions grew. What do you think for yourself has been the biggest change for you over the years?

 It's just got bigger. It's just got enormous.

 But I mean, perhaps in the way that you presented programmes way back and how you progressed in your ideas about what you should be doing on air.

 Yeah, I think it's fair to say that anyone that does it for a long time improves. And I would like to think that that's what I've done. I've improved. We'd like you to think that too. Yes.



 I thought you might say that.



 But I think in fairness as well, I found myself in the last couple of years wanting to do different types of programmes, not wanting to do music programmes, wanting to do interview type programmes, edited programmes, pre-recorded programmes and so on. And if you like, more into the production end of things. And I was fortunate enough to get a job that allows me to do that as well, albeit television. But nevertheless, it's the same type of work, an outlet for my creativity.

 Do you think that by being involved in radio, I had anything to do with where you've ended up in your real life job?

 Absolutely, absolutely. I think someone said that earlier. That's what's happened to a lot of us. We found naturally almost our niche, if you like, in terms of the work we've done. I count myself lucky, first of all, to have a job A and secondly, to have got a job that beats working for a living.

 So when you were in sixth year in school, you didn't say, I want to be in the media or I want to be in television. No, I don't think...

 That wasn't something you were... But I think, like as people have said all evening, the bug bit, as it were. And I think, in fairness, I would perhaps prefer to be doing radio full-time than television.

 He doesn't really mean this if you're listening, Mr. Employer.

 Well, they know that. They know that.

 So you hit me with the question earlier on, which I couldn't answer, and can you answer, what are your funniest memories?



 Tell us the funny story.

 Unbroadcastable. No, tell us the broadcast of the funny story. Well, I was going to tell the one about Paddy Feeley and the laying of hands on to O'Bollard. But Mick Curtis beat me on that one.



 God, I can't...

 Well, I remember hearing a story of you and Joe Bollard. This is all right. This is you and Joe Bollard in Gold from House in the Basement, which was like a death trap trying to get into the studio. Pitch black, you'd have to fumble your way around for the light switch. And you saying to Joe Bollard, "Hold on a minute, Joe, till I switch on the light sphere."



 Well, there you go. Actually, working with Joe Bollard was a great... God, I hate using that. It sounds strange, but an eye-opener. It was. It was a great...

 Or as he would say, deaf drunk. Yeah,

 very educational. Very educational. I think I said it earlier that teaching Joe how to mix was great. And there's a great... He's great about his blindness. And I got a good thrill out of, I'd say, working with him in the early days. It was great fun. So you'll be back. I hope so, yeah. I hope so. I'm really happy about this situation. We've waited a long time for it. In fact, it's timely, really, because had it happened earlier, perhaps we wouldn't have been as prepared as we are now, in every sense of the word. The momentum has gathered. It's snowballed over the years. And it's happening at the right time.

 So there's a bit of nostalgia, but you're happy that things are moving on.

 Absolutely. Yeah. I mean, we're all nostalgic, I think, you know? But you can't be looking back. You have to look forward, you know?

 OK. That was the mighty Quinn. Good night.



 Thanks, Albert. Gosh, fly me now. Is that Dick Roach I see there? Hey, Mark. How are you? How are you feeling this evening?

 A bit nostalgic. Somebody was saying, as I was coming over the head there, I think it was yourself, that it's really timely, that you're ready for the license at this stage. And so the whole thing is happening very well. Hopefully you won't have to wait too long. Yes, I hope so.



 From your perspective, do you think that stations like BLB, particularly BLB, has changed the attitudes in this community?



 I think so, yeah. But of course, BLB has become very professional over the years. It really has. I'm not just saying that, because Sally Reynolds is clearing up me here. In fact, I'm saying it because it's true. I think that there was an occasion when, for me, the whole worth of BLB really came across. I had a phone call, I was in the Grand Hotel, in Wicklow, and somebody said, "Bray is flooding." It was the night of the big flood. And I tuned into RTE. And after mentioning that there was a shock horror in Donnybrook, that there were six inches of water in somebody's house there, they mentioned that there was also some flooding in Bray, which is the understatement of the century. And then I went over to BLB, and I got it, as it was happening. And the real value of community radio came across. And I think, again, somebody said earlier on today, on the year, that it involved the whole community. It gave people a sense of the value of broadcasting. And it also let them say something, which, the ordinary people don't have time, don't get the opportunity to express themselves very often. I'm very confident that there will be two licenses in Wicklow, one will be in BLB, and the other one will be in Arklow. How long are we going to have to wait? I don't know. I think, again, Sally will bear me out, and a couple of girls will bear me out here. I was very frustrated when the motion was going through the dawn, and there was the requirement that there be a cut-off period.



 I said at the time, I didn't see the need for the small local stations for the Independent Broadcasting Commission, and certainly for the big money stations, that was absolutely a requirement. But at small local level, all I could see is that it was an overhead, and that it was going to cause a delay, and it was going to cause a break in continuity. And I think that's sad. But in the case of BLB, I'm particularly confident that there is a tremendous pressure building up, there's a tremendous enthusiasm in the community. We saw that in the public meeting down there in O'Shea's. And I'm very pleased, in fact, that that's the case. Of course, as I'm a shareholder in the community service.

 The first one to buy a shareholder.

 I was the first one to buy a shareholder. Very good.

 OK, well there we have to leave it, I'm afraid. Dick Roach, thank you very much for joining us. Thank you very much, Martin. Thank you. Who takes every kind of people



 To make what life's about, yeah



 That piece of music you're listening to in the background, Robert Palmer, Every Kind of People, was the theme tune of the original local radio and braids, South Side Radio, and I think it's a fitting piece of music for us to end with this evening.



 We've run over time, but we always do, you know.



 So I think everybody in the studio there in Studio 2 is ready, everybody in Studio 1 is ready, we've got the place packed here wall to wall with people to wish you a fond farewell and we hope to see you again in 1989. So from everybody here...



 Goodbye!



 Honest men know that revenge does not deceive



 When they're in yellow, black, or white



 Each and every man's the same inside



 Who takes every kind of people



 To make what life's about, yeah



 Who takes every kind of people



 To make the world go around



 On the 22nd of August 1979, BLB went on air for the first time. Since then, many thousands of hours of broadcasting have taken place to realize a goal of bringing community radio to the people of North Wicklow.



 The concept of BLB was born out of an idea carried by a small number of individuals.



 That concept has taken root and blossomed over the past nine years and today is carried by many thousands of people all over the country.



 The idea of setting up BLB was to prove that there is a need for community-based radio. Community radio is exactly that, the radio of the community, run and owned by the people of a community with the goal of bringing people closer together, informing them of events and happenings within their area, anything from fates to floods all year round.



 BLB has a record that both the people of the station and the community can be proud of. It has done what it set out to do from its first day on air.



 Now, due to the incoming Wireless and Telegraphy Act, which is something we have battled to have introduced, we must cease broadcasting.



 In 1989, a number of community radio stations will be granted licenses, and we in BLB will be hoping and working for one of these licenses.



 Today is the end of an era for BLB, but hopefully it is only the end of the beginning and we will be back broadcasting in a new and stronger form in 1989.



 Before closing down for the last time, I would like to thank everyone who has supported us over the past nine years.



 Without your support, we could not have lasted as long as we have.



 The environs of Bray and North Wicklow, as a community, it can be proud of.



 And so from myself, Douglas Maguire, on behalf of everyone who was ever involved in BLB, I would like to say thank you. Have a happy new year, and we look forward to broadcasting to you again, sometime in 1989. And now to officially close BLB is Councillor Michael Ledwidge, who, in 1979, as Chairman of Bray Urban District Council, officially opened the station.



 It is with both pleasure and regret that I speak here this evening. With pleasure because it is an honour and privilege to be asked to wind up this innovative community radio, and with regret because of the need for this group of talented people to dismantle the radio station which they worked so hard to build up. This statement logically leads me to ask you, the people of Bray and North Wicklow, to support by word and subscription the successor to BLB. And that successor is, of course, the North Wicklow Community Broadcasting Cooperative Society.



 In the declining days of 1988, I would ask you to briefly reflect on the activities and successes of BLB since its inception in 1979.



 In August of that year, I was Chairman of Bray UDC, and I was asked to open the then new local radio, BLB.



 Since then, I have personally experienced the advantages of having a local station.



 For instance, by partaking the Saturday morning discussion programs, I was able to put forward various ideas and concepts relating to the advancement of the town.



 I most particularly recall the many opportunities given to me by BLB to create a sense of public awareness of the need to press government and local officials for the implementation of the Bray Beach Protection Scheme. And this was only one of the many public services rendered by BLB to the town and North Wicklow.



 I believe that this type of broadcasting is at the heart of community radio, to provide a forum for exchanging and examining local affairs. And this BLB have done magnificently. They have broadcast numerous other programs of public interest. One is only to recall the coverage of the 1986 flood disaster and the Great Snowfall a few years previously.



Other fields in which they excelled were in the area of sports coverage, the affairs of the old folk and other charitable bodies, the coverage of St. Patrick's Day Parade, the various elections that occurred during those ten years, and of course, the Bray Festival.



This station was owned by and for the community, and so also will its successor. You can play your part in ensuring the continuation of this unique local facility by taking out membership of the North Wicklow Cooperative Broadcasting Society for as little as £5. I must tell you that I have already applied for membership of the Co-operative, so hurry and join me in our Co-operative. I must thank the personnel at the station whom I met in 1979, and who were the founder members and continuing strength of the station, amongst whom were Mark Quinn, John Murphy, Doug McGuire, Ken Duff and Joe Bollard. On this last night, I am pleased to say that most of them are still here, somewhat older, somewhat haggard from ten years of hard work, but nevertheless still full of enthusiasm for what is obviously the joy of their lives, local broadcasting. On your behalf, and on my own behalf, I would like to thank Mark, John, Doug and all the other hundreds of people who staffed and ran the station over the last ten years. Thank you for a job well done, and I hope I did not omit any names of founder members or hard workers, but if I tried to cover them all, I would run beyond my allotted time and the station's legal time limit.



On a lighter personal note, I would like to mention that this is the second media event of 1979, in which I found a satisfying symmetry. My father officially opened the Royal Cinema in Bray in the mid-1930s, and during my chairmanship of Bray UDC in 1979, I officially opened the then-reconstructed Twin Cinemas. That same year, I opened BLB, and now I am closing it. The Politician's Dream. I am getting the last word. Good night, Happy New Year, and I look forward to joining you again in 1989, when BLB Mark II comes on the air. Thank you.



 Transmitting from Bray on AM and stereo FM to North Wicklow and South Dublin. This is BLB Community Radio.



 That's all one word.



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