April 04, 2025

#098 Ireland's First Radio Station... and the BBC News theme album

44 minutes

14 August 1923: Ireland's first licensed radio station takes to the air...

Yes for one episode, The British Broadcasting Century leaves Britain to become The Irish Broadcasting Century. Well how could we not bring you the tale of Marconi setting up a (legal) radio station at the Royal Marine Hotel, Dun Laoghaire, Dublin, to broadcast to the Horse Show... only to be closed down a few days later because the government panicked - and especially in the company of the Irish broadcasting historian Eddie Bohan.

After Ireland in 1923, we return to Britain in the present-day for an interview with composer David Lowe - the man behind the BBC News theme (as well as The One Show, Grand Designs, Countryfile and more). David's new album of official BBC News themes (and remixes) is available now from Spotify, Apple Music and other places.

SHOWNOTES:

David Lowe's album of Official BBC News Themes is on Spotify, Apple Music etc: https://davidlowemusic.com/product/bbc-news-official-themes/

David's website is https://davidlowemusic.com/

Eddie Bohan's book The History of 2BP: Ireland's First Licensed Radio Station is available from https://amzn.to/4jcoVwe

Eddie's brilliant blog is at The Irish Broadcasting Hall of Fame: https://ibhof.blogspot.com/

We also mention these episodes: See episode 48 for more on 2BP's earlier role for Daimler's in-car radios at the Glasgow Motor Show in January 1923. See episode 77 for the tale of Frank Milligan, thanks to Eddie.

The Early Recordings Association Conference takes place at The University of Surrey, Guildford this July. I'll be presenting on 1 July. Details here: https://www.surrey.ac.uk/events/20250701-early-recordings-association-era-conference-2025

If early recordings are your thing, do consider joining the Early Recordings Association, for free, at https://www.surrey.ac.uk/early-recordings-association. And its lead Dr Inja Stanovic joins us on a future podcast.

Original music is by Will Farmer. The BBC News themes you hear are used with kind permission from David Lowe. Get his album!

See Paul Kerensa on tour, with The BBC and Me: Then and Now, aka An Evening of (Very) Old Radio: www.paulkerensa.com/tour - come and hear about the first firsts of broadcasting, live.

Also catch Paul at the Religion Media Festival on Monday 9 June: https://religionmediacentre.org.uk/events/religion-media-festival-2025/

This podcast is nothing to do with the BBC. Any BBC copyright content is reproduced courtesy of the British Broadcasting Corporation. All rights reserved. We try to use clips so old they're beyond copyright, but you never know. Copyright's complicated...

Comments? Email the show - paul at paulkerensa dot com.

Do like/share/rate/review this podcast - it all helps.

Support us on Patreon (£5/mth), for bonus videos and things - and thanks if you do!

Next time: Episode 99 - Godfrey Isaacs - head of The Marconi Company, and the chap who come up with the idea for... the BBC.

More info on this broadcasting history project at paulkerensa.com/oldradio

...more

View all episodes

By Paul Kerensa

4.7

1111 ratings