Radio Bandon was an annual short stay station that broadcast for the Bandon Week Festival.
In 1977, it was available for an hour each night on 206metres medium wave whilst the festivities were taking place. It carried interviews and information about the various events. 206m was deliberately chosen as it was close to 208 (Radio Luxembourg).
Radio Bandon was also on air for the festival on 205m in 1979.
The station’s transmitter was eventually used by WKLR. When Dave Heffernan approached the owners, they were happy to pass the transmitter onto him. The reason became obvious, as Dave explained, writing for a blog:
The last time [Radio Bandon] had broadcast was the last for a very good reason. One day, in the middle of one of its more popular programmes where the DJ repeatedly gave out the phone number, there was a phone call from Cork Airport.
“You need to close down that station and cease broadcasting immediately,” the official from Cork airport insisted.
“Oh, but we can’t do that in the middle of our annual festival,” came the reply.
“Well if you don’t shut down immediately you’re going to have a Jumbo Jet landing in South Main Street, Bandon because it’s locked onto your homing beacon.”
Needless to say Radio Bandon Management made the right decision and chose the greater good and that was the end of Radio Bandon.