98.

So, Dublin's 98 hit the big 20 yesterday. Nice

I have a lot of great memories of working for that station. Back in 1998 I did the breakfast show (The Dawn Patrol) with Debbie Allen and Morgan Jones. I never laughed so much in my life...we were fired after three months ! You know what? They were dead right too. We were having a ball, but the show was awful! When they're right, they're right.

Then in 2000, I went back for more. Starting off with a year on the 1-4pm shift, then the guts of six years on afternoon drive (The Home Run) and the last year on the late night gig.

The great friends I have met in there include Dave Moore, Dermot Whelan, Hugh Cahill, Marty Miller, Adrian Barry, Johnny Lyons, Teena Gates, Brendan O'Loughlin, John Taylor, Liam Quigley, Barry Dunne, Debbie Allen, Lisa Sport, Tony Kiernan, Dee Woods, Cormac McDonagh, Robbie Fogarty, Tara Duggan, Claire Brock, Claire McCarron, Dara Quilty, Trina Mara, Emma McEvoy, Mark Byrne, Louise Hearghty, Toni Tenaglia, Matt Dempsey, Dan Healy, Mick Brady and on and on.

Of course there are some folks who don't know how to leave a place - such as Dara O'Beirne, who I first met in Sunshine 101 back in '86 and has been a fixture in 98 since day one!

Then there's Morgan Jones, who I went to college with (strange world sometimes).

To all the people who have worked on Classic Hits 98FM/98FM/Dublin's 98 - nice knowing you folks. To the real radio people who keep a station like this alive and kicking: great job :-)

Dusty has placed some audio on his website from the opening day...also, did you know that his DAP studio is in the original 98FM studio in the city? Take a look and listen here:

http://www.digitalaudioproductions.com/98-launch/

Obama Weather.

Always on the look out for funny and original ways to get the same message across?

I was on the KSON San Diego website and thought I better share this with you, if you haven't seen it already:

Obama Weather.

Instead of the usual blah-dy blah about wind and temperatures, they just show you what Obama would wear in this weather. Brilliant !

Today's Obama Weather.

I'm delighted to have the chance to take part in an A&O conference call across North America tomorrow with KSON morning man Cliff Dumas and legendary radio consultant Jaye Albright. If you are part of that call - talk tomorrow (literally) :-)

http://www.kson.com

4-i's.

WJLQ is an FM outlet based in Pensacola Florida. They have just switched from Hot AC to full on CHR and are now known as i100 (formerly Q100).

As with most launches and re-launches these days, they're doing a music marathon. In this case 2,000 songs in a row. No presenters yet and no ads...just the music and the imaging.

It's interesting to hear a raw format like this before the bells and whistles are added. The music is obviously there to convey their exact audience message and the imaging is the only clue to the station's personality right now.

Hopefully they add live presenters to the roster and allow that to compliment the music etc.

Artists played today include Lady GaGa, Flo-Rida, Taylor Swift and David Coo.

http://www.i100hits.com

There are now four 'i' stations in the States under the one company umbrella:

i106 Nashville

i93 Dallas and

i94 Indianapolis.

BigAppleAirchecks.

Lots of people are interested in Airchecks...we can always learn from other presenters and the best way is (of course) via their on air work.

So - have you been on this site?

Take a look around and have a listen. Lots to poke around in here:

http://www.bigappleairchecks.com/main.html

Xtreme Change.

Absolute Radio are pretty innovative when it comes to their online product - and they continue to be with the news of a re-brand for their Xtreme station. Actually, Xtreme is on the way out and will be replaced by an new 80s station, 'Absolute 80s',from next month.

So they will have Absolute Classic Rock and the new Dabbl on board as well.

Only negative is that '80s' will be presenter-free.

Pity.

www.all80s.ie showed that using presenters in this format can sound great.

Two Things.

1. Robin Banks is back on the radio. As I write this, he is flying away on his first gig on BRMB from Birmingham and networked to Mercia FM, Wyvern FM and Beacon Radio Shropshire & West Midlands and will be every weekday evening from 7-10pm.

Have fun young man :-)

http://www.brmb.co.uk

2. Real Radio Dublin finishes up it's month long run tomorrow. It certainly has been something new in the market, bringing 'Hot Talk' to the dial for the first time. What did you think of the format? Does it have legs here? I know the people behind the station are very keen to pursue a full time licence and good luck to them with that.

Listen for the final day on 100.3 in Dublin.

Can't be long before Christmas FM is back on the dial, eh?

http://www.realradio.ie

Party On !

RadioInsight are reporting that the 87.7 FM freq in new York that was recently the home of Pulse, will be taken over by Long island based WPTY (Party 105.3) tomorrow (Monday), formatting the same product as Pulse - ie Dance.

The station will be called 'Party 87.7'.

That was fast !

Here's how they look right now:

http://party105.mfbiz.com/#/home/4532194844