Forgotten obscure radio presenters thread

Dr Julius No

It used to happen that a presenter would pop up on an national station but quickly disappear and never be heard again, some examples I can remember, Anna Santina = a young girl who did a once a eweek overnight show on 2fm about 30 years ago... Jay Ahern = an American guy with a great radio voice who did a late night Sunday indie show on 2fm in the early 00s... Susanne McReyonalds = popped up one summer in the mid 00s on RTE Radio 1 filling in for Marion, was never mentioned again. Anyone else have any examples ?

ford fiesta

There are loads of examples.
Even more examples of longer term presenters who were never heard on the radio again!.

I remember Anna Santina alright, around 1990 - 1991. Part of overnights.

Jay Ahern took over the album show from John Clarke and briefly Mike Moloney when John become head of 2FM / take over the biggest jukebox from Simon Young.

Declan A Walsh

Many of the examples that I can think of come from Dublin pirate stations.
So, I will kick off with them. I will only list the stations that I heard them on.

- Al Graham - 90s pirates Coast FM, Spectrum and Phantom - the latter going into the '00s.

- John Jetsson (real name Derek Peele I think) - 90s pirates Spectrum and Phantom - the latter going into the '00s, but think I heard him on Alcatraz before those.

- Pete de Fries - heard him on Coast FM and possibly Alcatraz.

- Paul Russell? - Coast FM

- Stephen Lewis (real name Stephen Ryan) Ken Regis, Jason King, Conor Brooks, Neil Hayes, a guy with a folk music show and a female presenter I only heard once - all on Capitol Radio in the 1980s'. Stephen Ryan did pretty well for himself in the U.K. but he would be pretty obscure to radio listeners here.

- Jeff Collins (real name Ollie Dowling) - heard him on '90s pirate Power FM, although I believe he would be more associated with Jazz FM ('90s and '00s).

- Christian Coates - Club FM in the mid '90s.

- Miles Long (!) - Hot 107 in the mid '90s


It is that bit harder to be on licensed radio and to be obscure, but I will try.

- Derek Peele (see above) - Dublin South FM

- Mike Williams - Premier FM (temporary licenses)

- Brian Wilson - Premier FM (temporary licenses)

- Denis Wilson - Premier FM (temporary licenses) - he was even more obscure than Brian if that makes sense! Brian had previously been with pirate Radio Caroline.

Getting into national radio and commercial radio, I cannot think of any that could be classified under the thread heading. If I think of any examples of these or above, I will be back again!

MikeyTaylor

Former 2FM drivetime presenter Barry Lang who moved to Dubai and became an airline pilot. Does he count?

MikeyTaylor

ford fiesta wrote: »

I remember Anna Santina alright, around 1990 - 1991. Part of overnights.

Looks like she is on Twitter! Going by the name "Anna Acciarini".

ford fiesta

There are a good few that had national shows maybe went elsewhere to local radio or some other related industry and are not heard on the radio now...not even on Temp stations....for example Andy Ruane, Paul Scanlon....you could possibly add Anton Savage to this list!

But think the OP is looking for presenters who had a very brief and promising spell on national radio and were never heard again on the radio for whatever reason.

twinklerunner

Ken Stewart (Ken's Club) on RTÉ R1 in the 70s

bureau2009

When RTE Radio 2 started Paul Blanchfield had a show. Back then this was major but he just disappeared.

Ciana Campbell worked for a few years on Radio 2 - one of the very first female DJs I reckon.

Radio Dublin - a Gerry Jones had a very popular phone in requests show. Also DJ Lee.

Many many others also.

barrera

Siobhan Walls, Century Radio. Fabulous late night presenter - left the ship before it sank, and I believe went off to be a continuity announcer with RTE2 (Network 2 as was) and then disappeared without trace - any clue?

I could have sworn I heard her one Saturday night on KFM a couple of years ago, but the presenter never identified herself.

JoeA3

barrera wrote: »

Siobhan Walls, Century Radio. Fabulous late night presenter - left the ship before it sank, and I believe went off to be a continuity announcer with RTE2 (Network 2 as was) and then disappeared without trace - any clue?

I could have sworn I heard her one Saturday night on KFM a couple of years ago, but the presenter never identified herself.

http://siobhanwalls.com/about/

MikeyTaylor

There was a Grace Waller on 2FM a few years ago. She covered a few slots but hasn't been on in a long time.

Fr Tod Umptious

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

Former 2FM drivetime presenter Barry Lang who moved to Dubai and became an airline pilot. Does he count?

He certainly does count.

He's the first one that pops into my head when I see these types of threads.

May even have been one of the original Radio 2 DJs back in '78.

I always thought he left in the '80s but by all accounts he was around till the turn of the century.

Lady Chatterton

bureau2009 wrote: »

Ciana Campbell worked for a few years on Radio 2 - one of the very first female DJs

Ciana Campbell has been living in Ennis, Co. Clare for the last 20 years, she works as a PR Consultant these days.

testarossa40

Suzanne Duffy - Radio 2/2FM '80s/'90s - wonder whatever happened to her...

JoeA3

testarossa40 wrote: »

Suzanne Duffy - Radio 2/2FM '80s/'90s - wonder whatever happened to her...

She went into writing chick-lit novels and goes by her married name... Suzanne Higgins.

Kristopherus

twinklerunner wrote: »

Ken Stewart (Ken's Club) on RTÉ R1 in the 70s

Is he still around/alive?

Declan A Walsh

I don't think Barry Lang, Anton Savage, Suzanne Duffy or Ken Stewart count because they are certainly not obscure and in the case of Anton it's a bit soon to be talking about forgotten!

Declan A Walsh

Here's another name that might qualify for this list: Derek Jones. I heard him on Premier FM and Christmas FM. Despite decades of pirate radio experience, he would not be well-known outside the Dublin radio scene, and probably just north Dublin at that!

MikeyTaylor

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Here's another name that might qualify for this list: Derek Jones. I heard him on Premier FM and Christmas FM. Despite decades of pirate radio experience, he would not be well-known outside the Dublin radio scene, and probably just north Dublin at that!

I'm a Northsider... And I've never heard of him.

LimeFruitGum

Was a big fan of Aidan Leonard back in the early 90s. Think he was on Century or Atlantic 252?

MikeyTaylor

LimeFruitGum wrote: »

Was a big fan of Aidan Leonard back in the early 90s. Think he was on Century or Atlantic 252?

2FM as well. i think he is on RTE Gold nowadays

Welsh Megaman

There was a guy who used to DJ very briefly on 2fm last year called Larry Gogan.

Not heard from him since. :pac: :pac:

tinpib

Gerry Wilson was part of my youth on 2FM in the 90s. I think I had just got a radio alarm clock so used to listen to him in bed at night.

May not have been the originator but he was the forerunner to Adrian Kennedy. It was late night phone in.

I remember people used to ring in and swear on air which, naturally, was absolutely hilarious.

MikeyTaylor

Welsh Megaman wrote: »

There was a guy who used to DJ very briefly on 2fm last year called Larry Gogan.

Not heard from him since. :pac: :pac:

Does Larry have a son called Gerard who was also a presenter on 2FM?

tinpib

ford fiesta wrote: »

for example Andy Ruane.

Ya, Andy Ruane moved behind the scenes and has his own production company named after his famous catchphrase "Like it, love it" productions.

His company used to do that music video show on TG4 with the people walking by the window. Eoghan McDermott presented it at one stage, and another Irish lassie with amazing eyes.

MikeyTaylor

tinpib wrote: »

Eoghan McDermott presented it at one stage

The rest is history!

LimeFruitGum

MikeyTaylor wrote: »

2FM as well. i think he is on RTE Gold nowadays

Ah really? Good to know, thanks.

... dang, I am old enough for the Gold stations now?! :eek::eek:

KReid

tinpib wrote: »

Gerry Wilson was part of my youth on 2FM in the 90s. I think I had just got a radio alarm clock so used to listen to him in bed at night.

May not have been the originator but he was the forerunner to Adrian Kennedy. It was late night phone in.

I remember people used to ring in and swear on air which, naturally, was absolutely hilarious.

Very distinct voice, I remember him from way back as well, don't think he was on 2fm though then. Still hear him on some radio adverts, used to be on B&Q a few years ago, might still be actually, just haven't heard any.

KReid

KReid wrote: »

Very distinct voice, I remember him from way back as well, don't think he was on 2fm though then. Still hear him on some radio adverts, used to be on B&Q a few years ago, might still be actually, just haven't heard any.

Gerry Wilson was definitely 2FM, he had a late night show called World Web Radio in the late 90s where people could e-mail him stuff. To this day I remember someone sent him 8MB of WAV files and it was massive at the time.

ford fiesta

Gerry Wilson was part of the original overnight schedule from 1988 and was with 2FM up to 2001.

'world web radio' was at the time 2fm stopped doing live overnights and this was the recorded replacement at the time the internet was getting being promoted in rte around 1999.

Other shows he presented were:

'Dial-a-Number one' on saturday lunchtime in early 90s (a 'hotline' type show for oldies, the list was in the RTE guide)

'Get it off your chest' in early 90s (the late night phone in 10pm - midnight weeknights , it was very mild stuff not on the level of the current radio phone in's)

thesandeman

LimeFruitGum wrote: »

Ah really? Good to know, thanks.

... dang, I am old enough for the Gold stations now?! :eek::eek:

He does the 3am-5.30 show on Gold/Radio 1 sometimes.

bobbyss

Morgan someone. He used to interview film stars from USA on RTE Radio 1. Connected to Ardmore studios in some way. Morgan... ???

KReid

Karsini wrote: »

Gerry Wilson was definitely 2FM, he had a late night show called World Web Radio in the late 90s where people could e-mail him stuff. To this day I remember someone sent him 8MB of WAV files and it was massive at the time.

Oh I know he was on 2fm, but I think i heard him somewhere else, probably around 2003? Could be my imagination but I remember his voice.

Leo Varadkar

A good few of the today fm weekend line-up of the early to mid 00s, Cliff Walker, Enda Caldwell, Tracy Lee,

MikeyTaylor

Leo Varadkar wrote: »

A good few of the today fm weekend line-up of the early to mid 00s, Cliff Walker, Enda Caldwell, Tracy Lee,

The latter two were last heard on Non Stop 90s.

Ursus Horribilis

bobbyss wrote: »

Morgan someone. He used to interview film stars from USA on RTE Radio 1. Connected to Ardmore studios in some way. Morgan... ???

That'd be Morgan O'Sullivan

ford fiesta

KReid wrote: »

Oh I know he was on 2fm, but I think i heard him somewhere else, probably around 2003? Could be my imagination but I remember his voice.

Gerry Wilson went on to Dublin's Country 106.8 and was on the original line up October 2001, think mid morning slot.

Declan A Walsh

Again, I would not describe Gerry Wilson and Aidan Leonard as obscure and I'm not sure if they have exactly been forgotten either!

I remember talking to Gerry Wilson on three different occasions when I rang Dial A Number 1!! The last time I heard him was on last year's run of Christmas FM.

Thanks to the publicity associated with Non Stop 90s, Enda Caldwell and Tracey Lee have been mentioned quite a bit this year. There were well-known names from the late '90s after moving from pirates to licensed radio. So, obscure? Not true either!

As regards Morgan O'Sullivan, he is a successful producer. The wider public may not remember him, but he certainly was far from obscure when he used to present his weekday morning show on Radio 1!

As I alluded to before, the best examples of forgotten obscure presenters are those that never made it to commercial or national radio stations and only got as far as pirates or temp. licenses or community stations.

Here are a few I can think of: Dave Jackson on temp. licensed Premier FM, Mike Doyle on temp. licensed Premier FM and Choice FM and James Murphy on the first temp. license run of 8radio.com, Actually, there are a few who went through temp license runs of 8radio.com who are now kind of that category - one more is Brian Gunn.

Phantom, the fully licensed version, did have a couple of presenters that are now arguably forgotten and obscure - Shane Galvin, Micko, John Meehan, Emma Meehan and Aidan Lynch, for example. Poor Aidan Lynch went back to Coast FM, then Alcatraz (his own alternative rock station), then part of the guys who set up Spectrum and Phantom through its different unlicensed/licensed phases. He used to be called Paul Clarke in his pirate days (don't confuse with at least one other with the same name!). He was mainly behind the scenes in the fully licensed Phantom but was the original presenter of Icon.

CeilingFly

Paul Vincent - a mainstay of the old Sunshine Radio even before it became "hot hits"

Wonder where he is now?

Probably about 65 years old.

Declan A Walsh

CeilingFly wrote: »

Paul Vincent - a mainstay of the old Sunshine Radio even before it became "hot hits"

Wonder where he is now?

Probably about 65 years old.

Here you go - I had a thread about him!
http://www.boards.ie/vbulletin/showthread.php?p=102212564

I just thought of two possible contenders from the Radio Ireland days (now Today FM): Donal Scannell and Ita Ryan.

Red Fred

Ursus Horribilis wrote: »

That'd be Morgan O'Sullivan

He also presented Late Date in the 1980s.

A few names that spring to mind include Brian Paige from Sunday mornings on Radio Dublin. I remember a jingle he had "Your man on stage - Brian Paige". He became station manager when they introduced their better music format. He left after I think to set up Smile FM in Ballyfermot.

Another name I remember was Clem Francis. He did Friday and Sunday nights on DCR/ KISS 105 based in Foley Street, Dublin.

Will add more as I think of them.

Declan A Walsh

Random names are beginning to come to me!

'90s pirate DLR (later renamed Hits 106) proved to be good training ground for future careers as presenters on licensed radio (especially starting with East Coast FM!), but they, too, had their fair share of presenters who could be categorised as "Forgotten obscure" - certainly to the general public. I have three examples: Sean Rivers, Nigel H and Bud Johnston.

I had a thread about northside pirate Radio Caroline. What became apparent about it was that, despite its lengthy period around (1989 - 2001), very few of its presenters were particularly well-known - many are long forgotten obscure presenters!

testarossa40

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

I don't think Barry Lang, Anton Savage, Suzanne Duffy or Ken Stewart count because they are certainly not obscure and in the case of Anton it's a bit soon to be talking about forgotten!

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Again, I would not describe Gerry Wilson and Aidan Leonard as obscure and I'm not sure if they have exactly been forgotten either!

Appreciate your insights & contributions, Declan, but not everyone contributing here is an industry insider.

bobbyss

ford fiesta wrote:

Jay Ahern took over the album show from John Clarke and briefly Mike Moloney when John become head of 2FM / take over the biggest jukebox from Simon Young.

Declan A Walsh wrote:

As regards Morgan O'Sullivan, he is a successful producer. The wider public may not remember him, but he certainly was far from obscure when he used to present his weekday morning show on Radio 1!

No O'Sullivan was quite a fixture at the time but today he is largely forgotten and obscure.

twinklerunner

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Random names are beginning to come to me!

'90s pirate DLR (later renamed Hits 106) proved to be good training ground for future careers as presenters on licensed radio (especially starting with East Coast FM!), but they, too, had their fair share of presenters who could be categorised as "Forgotten obscure" - certainly to the general public. I have three examples: Sean Rivers, Nigel H and Bud Johnston.

I had a thread about northside pirate Radio Caroline. What became apparent about it was that, despite its lengthy period around (1989 - 2001), very few of its presenters were particularly well-known - many are long forgotten obscure presenters!

More like obscure radio stations - never heard these pirates.

Red Fred

twinklerunner wrote: »

More like obscure radio stations - never heard these pirates.

DLR stood for Dunlaoghaire Local Radio but covered all of Dublin and beyond. It was a pop music station. A name that springs to mind from DLR for the list is Les Vickers. Think he was on Radio Dublin at some stage too.

Radio Caroline was based in Sutton on Dublin's northside. I don't think they covered all of Dublin but open to correction there.

Dave Jackson who was mentioned earlier was one of the founders of Premier FM in its pirate days. Apparently there were "artistic differences" between the founders during the temp licence runs so they went their separate ways.

twinklerunner

Kristopherus wrote: »

Is he still around/alive?

I don't know. Can't find any info on him. Enjoyed his show when it was the only 'rock' programme on RTÉ Radio.

Ursus Horribilis

bobbyss wrote: »

No O'Sullivan was quite a fixture at the time but today he is largely forgotten and obscure.

If that's your criteria, then all anyone has to do is pull out the old RTE schedules and rattle off the names of presenters who happened to be on the air before most boardsies were born.

ford fiesta

Dr Julius No wrote: »

It used to happen that a presenter would pop up on an national station but quickly disappear and never be heard again

The original OP is not just looking at RTE Radio 1 and 2FM. All national FM stations.

I am sure there are more chance of obscure and forgotten presenters that popped up on national stations like R Na G, Newstalk, Century FM, Lyric FM, Radio Ireland...

Declan A Walsh

Declan A Walsh wrote: »

Random names are beginning to come to me!

'90s pirate DLR (later renamed Hits 106) proved to be good training ground for future careers as presenters on licensed radio (especially starting with East Coast FM!), but they, too, had their fair share of presenters who could be categorised as "Forgotten obscure" - certainly to the general public. I have three examples: Sean Rivers, Nigel H and Bud Johnston.

I had a thread about northside pirate Radio Caroline. What became apparent about it was that, despite its lengthy period around (1989 - 2001), very few of its presenters were particularly well-known - many are long forgotten obscure presenters!

twinklerunner wrote: »

More like obscure radio stations - never heard these pirates.

Red Fred wrote: »

DLR stood for Dunlaoghaire Local Radio but covered all of Dublin and beyond. It was a pop music station. A name that springs to mind from DLR for the list is Les Vickers. Think he was on Radio Dublin at some stage too.


Dave Jackson who was mentioned earlier was one of the founders of Premier FM in its pirate days. Apparently there were "artistic differences" between the founders during the temp licence runs so they went their separate ways.

Yeah, DLR was actually quite a well-known pirate in the '90s - most of its listenership would have been the southside - Dun Laoghaire Borough area - the Dublin Bay area (north and south Dublin by the sea) and Bray. It had its share of well-known names go through it: Nikki Hayes, 98FM's Barry Dunne, iRadio (and former 2FM) presenter Mark McCabe and Tipp FM's Dave Harrington (previously with Q102).

Les Vickers is a funny one as he was with East Coast FM, Dublin's Country 106.8 and Radio 1, but it does seem he was largely forgotten and obscure - strange!

In relation to Radio Caroline, in some ways it was a mirror image of DLR, as it too had a decent reach. I could pick it up in Dundrum during the '90s. It was reasonably well-known around the northside.

The other guys behind Premier FM, or at least when it reinvented itself as an oldies station, were Paul Shepard, aka Ray Jackson, and Walter Hegarty, aka Greg Townsend. And sad to say, despite the following facts
- that they were both veterans of the pirate scene going back to the '70s Capital Radio
- they presented some shows on Premier FM when it became legit
- they co-founded and presented a number of shows on Christmas FM over the years
... they are largely forgotten and obscure to the general public.... The only thing is they will be back, no doubt, next Christmas period again so they won't be names from the past!

bobbyss

Ursus Horribilis wrote:

If that's your criteria, then all anyone has to do is pull out the old RTE schedules and rattle off the names of presenters who happened to be on the air before most boardsies were born.

As far as I can remember he presented radio programmes in the past (like many others refereed to above) and now (as far as I know) doesn't.