35 years since Radio South came on air in Cork City

thejuggler

Its 35 years ago on 10th August 2024 that Radio South FM came on air in Cork city with a mixed format. Initial presenters in the line up included PJ Coogan (breakfast) Neil Prendeville, Tadgh Dolan (ex RTE Cork), Roger Ryan, Geri McLoughlin (RIP) Tony Magnier, Paul Byrne and Joe Reilly (RIP).
Founded by 4 former journalists from the then Cork Examiner they leased the former pirate ERI studio and transmission facilities from the O'Connor family and were the 3rd legal station to launch in 1989. Ratings were disappointing and the station was relaunched as hits and memories 96fm in July 1990. The station was later bought out by county sound who held the north and west Cork franchises.

Listen back to the launch here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uXrPeAsk-oM&pp=ygUXcmFkaW8gc291dGggY29yayBsYXVuY2g%3D

Declan A Walsh

Can you think of former staff from Radio South/96FM currently involved with other Irish stations? Here are a few I am aware of.

Neil Prendiville - Red FM.

KC - Red FM and Today FM.

John Murray - RTE Radio 1.

Rick O'Shea - RTE Gold. I read in a thread about Atlantic 252 that he did a brief stint with 96FM.

thejuggler

Of the original line up PJ Coogan, Rob Allen and Mark Malone are still there. Paul Byrne was the southern correspondent for Virgin Media news for many years and has done a few fill ins for holiday cover on both Red FM and 96FMs talk shows in he last few years.

Joe Reilly moved to radio Kerry. Geri McLoughlin moved to RTE radio Cork.
Roger Ryan and Tony Magnier both appeared on CUHFM hospital radio in later years.

Michael Cahill was at 96FM in the early years and later moved to 2FM/RTE Gold.

Unsure if Tadgh Dolan turned up anywhere else - I think he was with rte radio cork/cork local radio prior to radio south.

John Cahill was the broadcast engineer there for many years (maybe not from launch though). He moved to the US some years back and his son Kyrl took over the role.

john457

I knew PJ was in the original line up but never knew Rob Allen and Mark Malone were there also.

Mark is one of the best presenters in Cork but he is a little under the radar. A testament to this is that he, I think, has been presenting Saturday breakfast on 96Fm since 1994. That’s 30 years on the same show in a very very competitive marketplace. Then he drives to C103 and does Corks Sports Saturday from 2 to 6 pm and he has been doing that since I reckon 94 if not longer. Another 30 years in the same slot.

In a world of social media influencers on the radio he is old school radio and just a great presenter.

thejuggler

True about Mark - I think he did a stint on drive time at one stage too. AFAIK his main 9-5 consists of commercial production duties at c103.
Wayne Hilton has also had a long run on weekends (and swing jock/ traffic reports) at 96FM. I think he started out reading news and doing overnights there in the early 90s.

smallfridge

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122485577#Comment_122485577

Ed Roche - Spin SW

Andrew Morrisey- Radio Kerry

Victoria Nichols - Red FM

Declan A Walsh

Here are a few more former 96FM staff:

Ken Tobin - C103 (owned by same company - Wireless Ireland Group)

Steve Haze - Music scheduling role with Wireless Ireland Group. They own 96FM amongst other stations but he is based in Dublin so maybe he will turn up yet on their Dublin stations FM104 or Q102.

thejuggler

Nick Richards and Martina O’Donoghue also moved to c103.

Tuathla Lucy - LMFM

Aaron Burchael went to Clare FM and Tipp Fm

Brian Gunn and Lana O Connor went to RedFM when they launched.

Justin McCarthy - Today FM and now RTE

Jonathan Healy - Fm104, Sky News Ireland, Newstalk

Cathy Farrell - Today FM

john457

Wayne Hilton does a great show “Totally 80’s” on Sunday mornings on 96Fm and C103, between 6 and 8am, yes AM. Despite the graveyard nature of the timeslot he seems to have a hugely loyal listenership texting in for the “80’s Club” and between the trivia and the regular cast of listeners texting he runs a great show. It’s again a glimpse of radio of old and seems out of place on a “cool” station like 96FM is at the moment, but works really well and is just really good radio.

dulpit

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/122496204#Comment_122496204

Is 96fm cool? I always view it as my parent's generation's station.

Also, is that Wayne who used be Wayne in the plane?

Blackdog34

I remember this. On the launch day, one of the presenters, I think it was PJ Coogan, went around the county in a helicopter, stopping in various towns along the way. Once he’d arrived in a place he’d phone back to the studio and give a report on air over the nearest landline. I’m sure I still probably have my old radio south T shirt somewhere that I received on the day!!

Coverage in the city on 96.4 was very good, however particularly in the north of the county coverage was patchy from this transmitter, although still listenable. When Clare fm came along on the same frequency a few months later it made reception much more difficult.
i remember Geri McLoughlin and Tony Magnier on air. ‘Chartattack’ I think was the name of Tony’s show, obviously the chart hits of the day. It was a good format station with something for everyone, it’s a pity it didn’t last!

john457

I remember Chart Attack was Tony Magnier’s show 7 to 10 and Paul Byrne I think was on 10 until 12. Can’t remember the rest of the schedule.

When it was relaunched as 96FM all the shows went to 4 hours long the with Neil Prendeville I think doing 10 to 2 weekdays. And later doing 7 to 11 with breakfast from 7-9 and The Opinion Line from 9-11. You could nearly trace back his hugely successful show of today on RedFM back to that time.

Ken Tobin followed him 11 to 3 and Ken is the very successful c103 breakfast presenter now.

thejuggler

Geri McLoughlin used to do drive time in the radio south days. Not sure about early afternoon - Tadgh Dolan maybe? I think Neil Prendeville was mid morning before moving to 7-11. Paul Byrne left after a few months and Tony’s show got extended to 7pm-midnight including 60 heartbeats - an hour of love songs between 11 and 12. Chart attack was sponsored by Maddens and dialogue from the movie Batman including Jack Nicholsons Joker laugh was used as part of the jingles/imaging. Weekends were a mixed bag and included presenters such as Tom Cotter, Rockin Jerry with a chart show at 3pm on a Saturday afternoon and Oldies and Irish with Joe Reilly. Some presenters and formats transferred directly from ERI. During the summer of 1990 an Australian consultant ‘radio doctor’ was brought in who ‘prescribed’ changes in format and style to a classic hits ‘hits and memories’ format. The playlist was tightened up to exclude most chart hits and presenters were instructed not to talk over song intros. One of the liners proclaimed ‘We will never talk all over your favourite song’. Mike O’Sullivan, Mick Mulcahy and Ken Tobin joined (from County sound - possibly following the merger in 1991). Tony and Geri both left around then too. There was an hour long dial in request type show between 6 and 7 with Martin Mullen featuring a list of songs printed in the evening echo. This was later replaced by 60s at 6 which was simulcast with County Sound.