Sad to hear that the economic situation has resulted in a high-profile casualty in the radio industry, with the announcment that INN is to go out of business at the end of this month (October 2009).

http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/breaking/2009/1001/breaking48.htm

Most importantly this is very bad news for the 16 full and part-time journalists and newsreaders in INN. I know some of them personally, and know the others by voice, and my thoughts are with them at this difficult time.

This news will also come as a fresh worry to many radio stations around the country, unless some other group steps forward to provide a similar service. Irish commercial radio stations are required by law to provide 20% news and current affairs content in their daytime output, and the 4 minutes per hour INN bulletin (6 minutes if you take the sport) is a big help towards this.

The station I work for, Phantom 105.2,  has its own news staff during daytime hours, but takes INN evenings and weekends. Many stations around Ireland rely on INN at all times.

I wonder if someone might step forward to fill the gap. The national commercial speech station Newstalk is one group who would already have the resources to offer this, and indeed the already provide a news feed for at least one other station. It is also possible that an overseas media company may move in to fill the gap.

The INN guys and girls are a great bunch, very professional, and I wish them all the best for the future.

Steve

Came across the wonderful Wordle site yesterday – www.wordle.net – which allows you to generate a “word-cloud” from any given selection of text, or blog.

It handles quite large amounts of text too – I fed the entire text of Shiprocked into it, and generated the image below.

Shiprocked, as analysed by wordle.net

Despite being closeted away writing my second book (more on that soon) I’m still associated with Phantom 105.2 in Dublin, and will be popping up on air from time to time, when a window in my schedule coincides with a slot they need filled.

Here are my confirmed air-dates for September:

Saturday 12th 0800-1100 (weekend breakfast)

Saturday 12th 1100-1200 (guest on Kiosk the arts show)

Sunday 13th 1900-2100 Random Access (all request show)

Saturday 19th 0800-1100 (weekend breakfast)

Sunday 20th 1900-2100 Random Access (all request show)

You can hear Phantom on 105.2fm around Dublin, nationwide on UPC Cable Ch.935, and worldwide via www.phantom.ie

Hope you can join me sometime

Steve

It’s JNLR (radio audience figures) day here in Ireland, and I’m pleased to see my friends at Phantom 105.2 continuing to do well and grow the station, as per the press release below.

(Note: I stepped down from regular programmes on Phantom earlier in the summer due to other demands on my time, but I remain associated with the station, and fill in on shows from time to time).

Steve
Station increases reach by 15% …

20th August 2008 – Phantom 105.2, Dublin’s indie rock is delighted to announce that the latest listenership figures released this afternoon confirm that year-on-year we have increased our daily and weekly reach by 15%*

“Phantom continues to grow in the increasingly competitive Dublin market” said Ger Roe, Phantom’s CEO, “We’ve increased our average quarter hour listenership for Pure Morning, our breakfast show, and are looking forward to further growth in 2009”

Phantom 105.2 plays the best in indie and modern rock and is available in Dublin on 105.2FM, nationwide on Chorus/NTL Digital channel 935 and online at www.phantom.ie

* Source: JNLR-July ’07-June ’08 (Published Aug ’08) V JNLR- July ‘08 to June ’09 (Published Aug ’09). All adults weekly reach and listened yesterday (year on year).

Here are some pictures that I meant to put online back in April, but with all the stuff going on with the book launches etc, it just slipped my mind.

I’ve posted before about Radio Jackie, and how its modern-day operation still keeps that local flavour and feeling that it had in the pirate days back in the 1980s. Indeed, many of the same people still work for it, including one of my longest-standing friends in the world of broadcasting, Geoff Rogers, who after the closure of Jackie in February 1985 moved to South East Sound, where he helped me prepare and record my first ever programmes.

When I was over in London in early April for the launch of Shiprocked, I made sure to call out to the Jackie studios in Tolworth, where Geoff made me really welcome. And I was amazed to see that even though it has been legal for a number of years now, and is a really successful and thriving commercial business, that they haven’t forgotten where they came from. When you enter Jackie’s studio complex on Tolworth Broadway, the first thing you see is the “Jackie Museum” a little display of press cuttings, photos, and original equipment from the pirate era.  It’s a nice touch, harking back to their roots in the community, and great for the anorak in me too.

Press cuttings from the 1980s

Old equipment from the days of transmitting from the fields

Jackie broadcast from the late 1960s to the mid 80s as a pirate

Modern day offices in Tolworth

Geoff Rogers in the Jackie studio, April 2009

I came to know a number of the Jackie people over the years after it closed, working with some of them on South East Sound (Geoff) or Radio Caroline (Richard Jackson, Peter Philips) but my only involvement with Jackie was as a listener. When I arrived in South West London as an Irish emigrant in 1984, I quickly found Caroline for music (joined shortly by Laser) and within a week or two had come across Radio Jackie, which told me everything I needed to know about the area I was now living in, and entertained me too.

I did actually have one, tiny and insignificant part, in the Jackie pirate era. Six months or so after the final closure in Feb 85, a group of us from South East Sound came to a house on a suburban road in Cheam one Saturday afternoon, to assist in the lowering and dismantling of Jackie’s mediumwave aerial array, a sad and symbolic task.

I didn’t think Jackie would ever be back after that, but time proved me wrong.

It’s great to see the station remembering its past with the display at the Tolworth studios, though the great and truly local content they are broadcasting is a better monunment still.

Steve

I’m a hard person to please when it comes to breakfast radio. Most of currently fashionable “zany” style breakfast show leave me cold, and over the years there have been few that I have been really hooked on. Totally straight music doesn’t quite do it for me either, as in the mid 80s, before I got involved in Radio Caroline myself, I always much preferred Caroline’s breakfast shows (Johnny Lewis, Kevin Turner, Peter Philips) to the Laser 558 ones, even though I would have listened to Laser a lot during the rest of the day. There was more warmth and personality on the Caroline breakfast, plus news too, which is an essential in my world.

I might add here that years later I was to do the breakfast show myself on Caroline, out of necessity when there were few people around. I would never consider my own breakfast shows anything to write home about, and was always glad to relinquish the slot when there was someone more experienced on board. Likewise I did breakfast on Phantom from 2000-2002 when it was a pirate, but wouldn’t have dreamed of seeking the slot in the later, legal phase.

So here is a listing of the very few breakfast shows which have really engaged me as a listener over the years.

(Note: any station that I have worked on is automatically excluded, as I can’t really judge from the listener’s viewpoint).

Kevin & Andrew on Atlantic 252 – mid 1990s

Kevin Palmer and Andrew Turner (news) were the perfect pairing in my opinion, and had exactly the right balance between the music, and a little bit of houmour and chit chat. Breakfast on the station was never the same once Kevin left.

Kara Noble & Lee Simpson – Heart (London)  – mid 1990s.

For an all-too brief few months when Heart first opened in London, there was a perfectly balanced, really enjoyable pairing between Kara (who had formerly been a sidekick to Chris Tarrant on Capital) and Lee (who was a comedian). Lee was gently spoken, the comedy was never too much in your face, and this would go down as the best male/female pairing I have heard. Lee and Kara came across on air as true equals, the show was co-presented rather than being a fight for attention between the two, as so many of these shows tend to be. Kara was treated intelligently, and really came across as an entertaining and thoughtful presenter.

Mark & Lard on Radio 1 – late 1990s

This is a show I shouldn’t have liked, but did. Mark & Lard did a lot of clowning around, but in a wonderfully self-deprecating way, and the music was brilliant. It was too good to last, and Radio 1 were not brave enough to stick with them for long enough to see if it would really work. They moved to the afternoons and did essentially the same show, and I listened when I could.

Gareth O’Callaghan on 4fm (Ireland) – 2009

As I have got older, my tastes have evolved, and I have found myself listening to pure speech much more in the mornings, but Gareth O’Callaghan has lured me back into the music breakfast. 4fm has a very strong playlist for anyone of my generation, delving much more deeply into the back catalogue of 60s, 70s 80s than most stations, and combine this with a fair dose of intelligent speech. The music/interview ratio is just perfect for me, and the interviews are medium to heavyweight issues rather than trivia.

Gareth is a great presenter, warm and natural, friendly without being intrusive. His newsreader, Cathy Creegan is incorporated well into the body of the show, and the interaction between the two is adult and entertaining. They come across as two people who actually like each other, rather than just being forced to work together.

A great show, and long may it continue.

Steve

Although for the most part fully occupied on my new book project at the moment, I will still be heard on Phantom 105.2 from time to time.

This weekend I am filling two slots – 8am to 11am on Saturday 1st August, and 1-5pm on the (Irish) Bank Holiday Monday 3rd August. You can listen locally in the Dublin region on 105.2fm, nationally via UPC cable ch.935, and worldwide at www.phantom.ie

On Sunday 2nd August I will be taking time out to MC a themed open-mic event for Seven Towers  – “Both Sides Of The Pond” – featuring American, Canadian and Irish poets.  It’s at 2pm, Cassidys of Westmoreland Street, free admission, all welcome.

Readers include Californian poet Lynne Knight, Dublin writer Oran Ryan, New Zealand born Dublin writer, Ross Hattaway, Canadian writer and model Roslyn Fuller, Dublin poet Eamonn Lynskey, Dublin poet Catherine Ann Cullen. Other names will be added to the list as they are confirmed

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I’ll be appearing on Newstalk this morning (Mon 13th July 2009) as a guest on Tom Dunne’s show, in to talk about 90s Britpop.

Steve

This weekend looking busy.

On Friday evening (3rd July 2009) I’ve been invited to present the Best Band award at the Balcony TV Music Video Awards.

I’m also on Phantom 105.2 this Sunday, covering the 3-6pm slot.

Steve

Publicity and promo work on Shiprocked has continued to occupy me recently with readings and signings in Galway and Dublin. The Galway event, as part of the Volvo Ocean Race celebration, was a particular success, with a large crowd attending the reading at Galway Museum, many of whom were from the yachting and maritime world – they particularly enjoyed hearing the grounding and rescue sequences!

A large number of other readings and events are being planned for later in the summer, through to November, when I will be doing a reading tour in the UK. In addition to this, I have also started work on my second book, which is also non-fiction, and is aimed for publication in the second half of 2010. I’m keeping the topic under wraps for now but will update here as the writing progresses over the months ahead.

With this workload, and my frequent need to be travelling around the country, I’ve had to scale back on my broadcast duties with Phantom 105.2, for the time being. The station management have been remarkably uderstanding about my frequent absences due to writing and promotional commitments, and have given me every help with my various outside projects, but I can’t ask them to do this forever.

Phantom stalwart Sinister Pete takes over the Sunday evening request show Random Access, and the Saturday hours are filled by an extended Phantom Anthems.

Broadcasting is still a passion for me, and I will still be heard on Phantom from time to time, filling in for regular presenters if I am in Dublin at the time.

Life has changed in many exciting ways for me over the past 18 months since I signed up with the Seven Towers Agency, and I have a feeling that in the next year it is going to get more exciting still.

Steve

READING FOR VOLVO OCEAN RACE, GALWAY, SAT 6TH JUNE 2009

Seven Towers Press Release

We would like to invite you, your friends and guests to a wine reception and reading to celebrate the recent launch of ‘Shiprocked, Life on the Waves with Radio Caroline’ by Steve Conway, in the City Museum in Spanish Parade in Galway at 3.30pm on the 6th of June – just after the boats leave the bay.

Steve Conway, a former newsreader, DJ and programme controller on the famous pirate station Radio Caroline has just released this ciritcally acclaimed memoir – described as ‘the radio obsessive’s version of Nick Hornby’s ‘Fever Pitch” by the Sunday Business Post; as ‘hard to resist’ by the RTE Guide and former Galway Bay abd current 4FM presenter Gareth O’Callaghan praises ‘Steve’s wonderful ability to tell stories and create pictures’.

Steve will also have a thing or two to share about life on the high seas, and the perils that are likely to face the the sailors who have just left the bay – including treachorous currents, high and sometimes unpredictable winds – and the possibility of running out of chocolate.

You will also be given a chance to donate to the brave members of the RNLI who daily risk their lives to rescue people on the seas around Ireland and England and €1 from each book sold on the day will be donated to the RNLI

You can RSVP to this email address, which can also be used to send your messages on to Steve.

Steve’s agent can also be contacted  on 0872283351.

Looking forward to seeing you there
Best regards
Sarah Lundberg
www.seventowers.ie

After a very hectic last three months, I’m taking a long weekend off this weekend (23/24 May 2009), so my shows on Phantom will be covered by others.No shows, no phone, no internet for three whole days

I’ll be back online, batteries recharged,on Monday night!

Steve

Dublin band Heavy Traffic played two hours of Quo classics

I was delighted to be invited down to Port Laois on Saturday to introduce the band at Ireland’s first annual “Quo-Day” at Cloisters pub.

Around 150 turned up for the event, which featured Status Quo concert footage playing on a big plasma screen during the evening, with two hours of live music from tribute band Heavy Traffic in a marquee outside which went down very well with both older and younger fans. The band really knew their material, and threw themselves into the performance with gusto.

A nice touch was starting their set with “Caroline” after my introduction!

Hopefully this even will grow year on year.

Steve

Got this email today from a regular Phantom listener.

I know Quo aren’t everyone’s cup of tea but no-one actually knows anything but the chart hits. Anyway see pic included. A mate and i decided to give this a go, England and Europe have regular Quo days so why not here. The band lined up are Heavy Traffic from south Dublin who have put together a setlist of Quo album tracks from as far back as Piledriver so this is a perfect day for Quo fans and also for the knockers who have always slagged them off, a chance to hear what /quo are really all about. The gig is in Cloisters pub, Portlaoise on May 16th,

Mick

Sounds like it will be fun, especially if they are playing good covers of the lesser-known Quo stuff.  I’m on-air 5-7pm next Saturday, but might head down afterwards in time to catch the gig.

Hope it goes well.

Steve

I’ll be presenting an extra show for the bank holiday Monday on Phantom 105.2, from 0900 to 1300.

As well as the normal selection of Dublin’s Indie Rock, listen out for some Phantom Famous Firstplays from 10am, with clips of Phantom artists describing the first album they ever bought, followed by a track from the album. Some really interesting choices from the best indie rock bands, and the feature runs throughout the whole day until 8pm on Phantom 105.2.

Hear us on 105.2FM - Chorus/NTL Channel 935 – Online at www.phantom.ie -  Mobile Phone