Former Jazz FM (Dubin Pirate) Staff on Licensed Radio

Declan A Walsh

Jazz FM was a pirate which started in 1995 and was raided in 2003 after the infamous "Black Tuesday" raids. I remember when Simon Maher started Spectrum FM in 1996 that it was initially sharing studio (shed!) and frequency with Jazz FM - 100.7 at that time. Despite the name, it wasn't simply a pure jazz station at all, and tended to play all kinds of crossover genres including reggae and soul. Ollie Dowling, it's owner, more recently referred to it as a "Jazz, Funk and Soul" station.

At least three of its presenters ended up on Dublin City FM in 2003 after the raid and are still there as far as I know. I thought it closed at the time, but, according to its owner, it closed in 2004. The three presenters are: Chris Maher (Soul Kitchen), John Public (Black Echoes - reggae - he had presented that program on various pirates since the 1980s right up until 2003!) and Sean Brophy (Jazz Mine and Sunday Jazz). Chris and Sean also had weekly specialist programmes on 4FM (now Classic Hits) in its first year-and-a-half. Chris is a former station manager for Christmas FM and has still been involved in the last few years as a presenter. John Public used to present his Black Echoes show monthly on 2FM.

I also know that Gary Matthews, who had been with various dance pirates during the 1990s, turned up on Jazz FM, and was later to be on a few temporary licensed stations: Premier FM and Christmas FM.

I looked up the owner of Jazz FM - Ollie Dowling. I think he used to use the on-air name Jeff Collins. I actually had heard him on Power FM previously. He set up an online station last year based on Jazz FM, but called Head Wax FM. His own pirate radio experience warrants a thread in itself.

Any other examples of people connected to Jazz FM who have surfaced since on licensed radio?

Infoanon

Jazz FM was a very popular niche service , and while it was closed on the Wednesday of the 'Black Tuesday ' raids in 2003 , Jazz returned a few months later.

Jazz relayed the UK ILR Jazz overnight iirc.

Jazz was a very professional service and there was talk of applying for a licence but I don't recall them applying.

Ger Roe

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833085#Comment_118833085

I think they did apply for a licence at one stage, and got through to a hearing session... might have been for the community of interest licence (memory is not as good as it used to be). IIRC they had investment from the founder of Eddie Rockets? *

*Some aspects might be confused, but I am nearly sure there was an application and a public presentation, at one time.

Update - on doing a bit of the Google, it seems that the noggin is still at least partially functioning.

"In 2000, i applied for a legal FM licence, but the authorities decided to give it to a country & western music station." Ollie Dowling.

That would have been them up against Dave Harvey (Star Broadcasting), for what then became the Dublin Country Music licence. We (Phantom) were also in the running for that - it was a specific music genre licence that was offered and 'the powers that be' went with 'hot hit country' as being the most appropriate need. The Dublin taxi drivers and legions of TTTR Irish country music fans, were not happy (nor jazz and alt rock fans either).

https://nialler9.com/theres-now-a-jazz-funk-and-soul-radio-station-operating-out-of-ireland/

Declan A Walsh

Club deejay Aoife Nic Canna presented The Urban Soul Show on Jazz FM, which was her first foray into radio. She eventually ended up presenting shows on community radio station Near FM.

Declan A Walsh

Jenny Wren, a former presenter with Jazz FM, ended up as a Dublin correspondent for BBC Radio Ulster.

LouisLeRooski

Hi All,

I presented a programme on Jazz Fm in it's first year. Fantastic times.

Regards,

Louis.

Lord Nelson

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118833135#Comment_118833135

If I recall correctly, the late Liam O’Dwyer of Break for the Border etc was one of the investors for the licence application. Ironic that given the perceived demand for a country station, the successful applicants managed to f#ck it up and morphed into an early listening station playing dreary elevator music.