Comreg Activity Regarding Pirate Radio

[drumandbasshead010]

Wasn't sure which forum on which to post this, but for those interested this seems to make up the activity of Comreg between 2013 and 2017.
July 2013: NRG 88.1FM, Dublin, raided
December 2013: Play FM 93.2 and Tonik Radio 107.1, Dublin, raided
October 2014: Galaxy92FM 92.2FM, Kildare, raided
October 2016: Rince Radio 88.1FM, Dublin, raided, no TX taken
They've been seen at several station's sites in the meantime, most recently Klub FM Cork in February.

[dancemusicdj]

Some decent stations on that list when they were on. NRG fm and play fm, even if the music wasn't quite to my taste. tonik was a good little station as well especially in the earlier years.
Did you get this information from a source and can you post the link? Or just from memory?

[drumandbasshead010]

Some decent stations on that list when they were on. NRG fm and play fm, even if the music wasn't quite to my taste. tonik was a good little station as well especially in the earlier years.
Did you get this information from a source and can you post the link? Or just from memory?

The majority of it comes from early posts on the thread that you indicated we both use as a source for the band scans and such. I have been reading it since the early days so could recall certain dates from memory, and went back to those posts to confirm them. There might be more posted there that I somehow missed, and some other activity that the people on that thread did not catch, but that's all I could find or think of. Of the stations that you mentioned, Play closed down after the raid I wrote about in the original post. NRG came back on air and closed in 2015. Tonik did not shut down until early 2016. Both Play and Tonik went online only for a while after they ceased FM transmissions but didn't last long.

[dancemusicdj]

The majority of it comes from early posts on the thread that you indicated we both use as a source for the band scans and such. I have been reading it since the early days so could recall certain dates from memory, and went back to those posts to confirm them. There might be more posted there that I somehow missed, and some other activity that the people on that thread did not catch, but that's all I could find or think of.

Thanks.

[drumandbasshead010]

To add to that list is Connect 101.2FM, Dublin, which was taken off air on Friday 13th October 2017.

[drumandbasshead010]

Wednesday 6 June: Phever 91.6FM, Dublin, raided

[drumandbasshead010]

Wednesday 15 May 2019: Redrock 106.0 FM, Carlow, raided.

[dancemusicdj]

Friday, March 3rd 2021.
Cork.
Power 87, 87.5, apparently have been raided.

[Persona Non Grata]

On the historical front the Radio historian Eddie Bohan https://ibhof.blogspot.com/ got a list off COMREG of all raids ("Search and seize" operations) carried out between 1978 and the mid 1990's he's published it online (although I don't have the exact URL off the top of my head)

The list is *fairly* accurate although there are one or two errors for instance it lists a raid on Sunshine radio on 18/5/1983 (this raid actually occurred on the 19th but it was rumoured at the time that it was actually planned for the 18th -the same day as Nova but the raid on that station took longer than anticipated) also it lists an abortive raid on Channel D television (As he was about to come on air the operator of this station spotted the authorities hanging around nearby and so didn't switch on hence there was no actual raid however as this station never broadcast after that the authorities doubtless counted it as a win anyway)

[Persona Non Grata]

although I don't have the exact URL off the top of my head

Here it is https://ibhof.blogspot.com/2016/08/pira ... ing-3.html

Missing from the list is an abortive raid on Radio Dublin in April 1990 in which they failed to find the FM transmitter and the studio equipment which had been stacked in the hallway for loading into their van somehow disappeared.

The failure to locate the TX may have been down to the security system which cut all power in the building when they forced entry.

[Persona Non Grata]

Also missing from the list is a raid on Carousel radio (Dundalk) in 1988. The raid came as a bit of a surprise (there were allegations of interference although the station had operated for over a decade from the location without complaint) as did the complete failure of the station to make any serious attempt to resume broadcasting from there (their "affiliate" stations in Navan and the NI border continued broadcasting for a few months after) despite being considered one of the more successful broadcasters of the era.

Maybe with legislation around the corner they decided it wasn't worthwhile anymore although there were new stations popping up in other parts of the country throughout 1988.

[87to108]

Also missing from the list is a raid on Carousel radio (Dundalk) in 1988. The raid came as a bit of a surprise (there were allegations of interference although the station had operated for over a decade from the location without complaint) as did the complete failure of the station to make any serious attempt to resume broadcasting from there (their "affiliate" stations in Navan and the NI border continued broadcasting for a few months after) despite being considered one of the more successful broadcasters of the era.

Maybe with legislation around the corner they decided it wasn't worthwhile anymore although there were new stations popping up in other parts of the country throughout 1988.

From what I recall reading/hearing somewhere, it was a warning visit from the D.O.C., warning them to cease operations (over alleged interference to 2-way radio mobiles), as distinct to a raid. This may not be 100%.
I think I heard this version of events on one of the Radio West Anorak news programmes available online.

Nothing on the Carousel page of the excellent DX Archive about the closure of 'Carousel' :
https://dxarchive.com/ireland_a_to_z_ir ... ousel.html

https://www.independent.ie/regionals/lo ... 28647.html
https://www.independent.ie/regionals/lo ... 27533.html
https://www.dundalkdemocrat.ie/news/hom ... ooley.html
https://pirate.ie/archive/full-recordin ... l-dundalk/
www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6OtIvX1oGk

[Persona Non Grata]

Yeah reading up more on the history of the period it was indeed a "warning visit" rather than a full raid. Surprised the DX archive doesn't go into more detail on the demise of a onetime pretty major pirate. (The Navan and NI affiliates continued for a few months after and there was a very brief attempt at a comeback from another location in Dundalk) The owner (Hugh Hardy) was pursuing other interests (KLAS) in Dublin at that stage with Carousel seemingly relegated to the back burner and the level of competition in the area had gotten pretty intense so the DoC action may have been just one nail in the coffin so to speak.