Radio Nova

Riverdeep (an educational software publisher) founders Barry O'Callaghan and Pat McDonagh are backing a bid for a proposed classic rock radio licence in Dublin.

The pair are part of a consortium backing Radio Nova 100's application, which was one of three received by the Broadcasting Commission of Ireland (BCI) yesterday.

This is thought to be the first time that either of the wealthy businessmen has backed an application for a commercial radio licence here.

Other members of the Nova consortium include Vienna Investments, which is headed by former FM104 chief executive Dermot Hanrahan; Des Whelan, chief executive of WLR FM in Waterford; and aviation executive Ulick McEvaddy.

Nova, which was named after a Dublin pirate radio station that closed in 1983, will face competition from Classic Rock, which is backed by East Coast radio in Bray, Co Wicklow; and Rock Radio, which is supported by Phantom FM, which already operates an alternative rock service in Dublin.

Nova said it would employ 20 full-time and 12 part-time staff across programming, marketing, sales and administration, and will operate from Dún Laoghaire.

It has projected its initial launch costs at Euro 3.8 million. Nova is forecasting modest revenue in year one of Euro 1.2 million, rising to3.5 million by the end of its fifth year.

Nova expects to hit profitability in its fourth year of operation.

The classic rock licence on offer is aimed at over 25s. The BCI is expected to invite applicants to oral hearings in October, with a decision likely before the year end.

http://home.eircom.net:80/content/irelandcom/topstories/
12905374?view=Eircomnet
(with thanks to Andy Lawendel)

From Wikipedia:

Radio Nova was a pirate radio station broadcasting from Dublin, Ireland.

Owned and operated by the UK pirate radio veteran Chris Cary, the station's first broadcasts were during the (northern) summer of 1981. Prior to its arrival, Irish radio consisted of the government broadcaster RTÉ and a number of local AM pirate stations.

Radio Nova was the first station in Ireland to utilise a high powered signal on FM. By in 1982 Radio Nova was pulling in over 40% of the available audience around Dublin. In September 1982 Radio Nova (operating on 88.1FM and 819AM at the time) introduced a new service called Kiss FM.

Until May of 1983 the stations had been allowed to operate without interference from the Irish government. However, on 18 May 1983 officials from the Department of Posts and Telegraphs together with Irish Gardaí raided both the studio site and the transmitter sites of Radio Nova and Kiss FM. Both stations went off air until the next day.

On 19 May at 6.00am, Radio Nova returned to the air to announce that they would be closing down at 6.00pm that day. They urged listeners to protest to the government and to show up at the Nova studios in Herbert Street, Dublin 2 for a huge protest. The story was front page of every national newspaper and was headline news on RTÉ. The hysteria continued when a rival pirate Sunshine Radio was raided at 9.00am. By 6.00pm, there were several thousand people outside the studios of Nova as the station played its last record.

The political fallout of the Nova closedown was huge. More protest marches continued and following criticism of the government's action by the judge in the State's case against Nova the station returned in glory some days later.

During the winter months of 1983 Radio Nova started test transmissions on UHF TV. The station was to be "Nova TV" and was to run a similar format to MTV in the United States. Tests stopped after the government raided the studios and warned they would not tolerate a pirate television station operating.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Radio_Nova_(Ireland)

Here is a short promotional video

• TV3 in Ireland had a special programme about the pirate station this week - I wonder if any of your readers can help me find this online?

Many thanks

Mike