Almost forgotten in the midst of the mists of history is the effect that Radio Nova, and Sunshine, had on other pirate stations — some of them long-established. Understandably, many focus on the battle for listeners with RTÉ (and with each other) but, in the meantime, many of the smaller pirates were feeling the pressure.
Many enthusiasts were to bemoan the effect of the new “superpirates”, but they were a natural progression from what had gone before. They also led to a clearing of the cobwebs to a large degree. Stations that had been plodding along disappeared, but new stations came along to take their place. The new breed, with driven people similar to Chris Cary running them, pushed everyone to up their game. They upped the ante…
Speaking of antes and the like, in Radio Nova’s world Dublin became “The Bay Area” and our familiar old antis became anTIEs. Gone was anTEE-apartheid, in was anTIE apartheid. It seemed that the American influence had really rubbed off on Cary.
To be fair though, although the reference to the Bay Area was quite deliberate, the anTIES for anTEES—and the struggles with pronunciation of one of the country’s official languages — were a result of employing North Americans to read the news. One newsreader called An Taoiseach “The Teashack”: absolutely seaching!
Enter Bob Gallico
The first of those newsreaders was Terry Riley, who did the early “88 News” broadcasts. Another is a reason we should for forever and a day give thanks to Radio Nova. Enter into the world of Irish broadcasting one Bob Gallico. In turn, enter into the Broadcasting Hall of Fame one Bob Gallico.
Gallico was responsible for most of the laugh-out-loud moments anybody listening to radio in the ’80s would have experienced. It’s hard to believe now but that deep, booming voice of his fell into the job almost by accident.
Whilst working as a double-glazing salesman — no, really — he heard a recruitment ad for newsreaders on Radio Nova. It is an incredible case of right place, right time. The ad ran only once and Bob was actually listening at a time he wouldn’t normally be tuned in. He submitted a demo tape from which he didn’t expect to hear anything more. However, having heard it, Chris Cary ordered Sybil Fennell to get him on board immediately. When he was told the job was his if he wanted it, he asked could he have ten seconds to think about it! Days later he was reading the news on the biggest radio station in the country!
That first news broadcast, on a Sunday afternoon, was disastrous. Bob stuttered and stumbled his way through it. Thankfully, Chris Cary is a better talent-spotter than most of the rest of us and wasn’t deterred.
Bob worked best as part of a team of two or more; most of his pairings worked exceptionally well, others didn’t, but he was always worth tuning in to. On top of that, he was a very competent newsreader, despite the stutteringly bad debut. His distinctive voice gave Nova News an air of authority and quality and, in its heyday, the double-headed bulletins—pioneered by Radio Nova—featuring Bob and Sybil Fennell became iconic moments in Irish radio history.
Bob's talents didn't stop at reading the News. Some of his more memorable broadcasts came from being let loose to review the day's newspapers or from bantering with the programme presenter, which at Nova was mainly Declan Meehan. Declan and Bob's double headers on the Dekki Wekki Brekki Trekki are the stuff of legend, still remembered with reverence. Forty years on, the show topped a poll of Radiowaves followers for best radio show of all time.
At the time, Bob said: "“I believe what we’re trying to do in the morning is entertain people. Keep them up to date with the news, yes, but give them a bit of a laugh. We try to start the morning off in a friendly, jovial fashion…I am looking for things that will let me exercise my wild, zany sense of humour.”
He also presented a Classical Music show on Radio Nova, and even managed to introduce comedic ideas to a format not usually associated with them.
Sybil For Nova
Sybil wasn’t American. But she was one of the most professional and talented newsreaders to grace our airwaves. Not just pirate airwaves. Not just 1980s airwaves. Ever. The world has moved on and we’re not really meant to say these things any more but, what the heck; she also had an ultra-sexy voice and a face that wasn’t meant for radio!
Sybil was another to have a run-in with Cary—the very first time they met, as it happens. Dublin-born and very well-bred, Sybil had cut her teeth with Southside Radio from a portacabin in the grounds of the Victor Hotel in Dún Laoghaire. She had applied for a job with RTÉ but had no Irish, and you needed at least some to work with the national broadcaster. Once Radio Nova came on air she knew she had to audition for the station.
And so it was, after a phone call to Brian MacKenzie, that she found herself in Herbert Street with a script in her hand that she intended to read for a recorded demo. Her intentions had been made without considering Chris Cary, who happened to be working under a desk in an adjoining studio whilst she was on the mic.
After a minute of Sybil’s three-minute script had elapsed, Cary popped his head out from under the desk, banged on the window of the recording booth and told Sybil there was no need to continue; they had what they needed. Sybil, however, had intended to read the script in full and that’s exactly what she did—much to Cary’s astonishment. He expected people to “jump” on his command after all!
“…whilst he was great in a crisis, he couldn’t deal with the detail of life. He would explode for the most trivial of reasons.”
Sybil Fennell on Chris Cary
She also agrees with Chris’s original assessment of her as “arrogant”, as was her assessment of him as being far too forward. A broadcasting match made in heaven? As it turned out. It was also a romantic match as they eventually married. But that’s way, way down the line…
Operation Novacare '83
In May 1982, Nova had ran a very successful fundraising event to raise funds for Dublin's Meath Hospital, in particular for the purchase of a kidney dialysis machine. The target was reached and surpassed with the help of an on air auction, a roadshow and a concert.
Operation Novacare '83 was scheduled for May 14th, this time raising funds to buy a minibus for the Rehabilitation Institute.
As part of the event, there was an outside broadcast from Dún Laoghaire Shopping Centre.
It was all hands on deck and the team did a remarkable job, raising the necessary funds and showing the value of radio in the community.
