Atlantic 252 - 25 years ago

Maggie_King · 28/08/14 - 23:57

Next Monday it will be 25 years to the day that Atlantic 252 launched. Their first schedule Monday-Friday for the first few months was, 6am Garry King, 9am Henry Owens. 12pm Tony West, 2pm Dusty Rhodes, 4pm Charlie Wolf, 7pm Closedown, Weekends was Jeff Graham, Paul Kavanagh, Al Dunne . Mary Ellen O'Brien.

Hertz · 29/08/14 - 01:56

First song played was Tears for fears' sowing the seeds of love, if I remember correctly.

It was a great alternative to Radio One and Virgin at the time (although Virgin didn't launch until 1993).

When it came to classic rock we were spoilt for choice.

R300 · 29/08/14 - 08:35

I listen to Long Wave radio, Atlantic 252. Up until the last couple of years of 252 it was a great station, shame my Walkman at the time didn't have an LW option when I was 'on the move'.

Shrewn · 29/08/14 - 11:12

In a previous, mad life as a Sous Chef in the Lake District we always had Atlantic 252 on in the kitchen, as that is all we could receive. Seemed to play You by Ten Sharp rather a lot

Les Wires · 29/08/14 - 12:14

The 90s seem to be the era that urban music invaded the regular charts.
Atlantic252 in it's earlier days managed to avoid playing much of this music and created imo a very pleasant modern playlist.

I guess it's eventual downfall was due to the demise of AM listening.
What a pity they never broadcast on satellite.

CRTHD · 29/08/14 - 13:32

I can't imagine listening to music via AM radio now but I was a big fan of Atlantic (and Lazer 558 in its day).

It just seemed so "snappy" compared to the boring "locals".

MGBCTV · 29/08/14 - 15:58

Imagine if it had survived in its original form and was now on DAB what am alternative it would be.

LaurelandHardy · 29/08/14 - 17:32

MGBCTV wrote: »

Imagine if it had survived in its original form and was now on DAB what am alternative it would be.

Trouble is that it would be playing the crap that is in the charts right now if Atlantic was still on the air.

millimole2001 · 29/08/14 - 19:38

I followed the plans for 'Radio Tara' on Prestel! When Atlantic 252 launched it was better than anticipated - it was refreshing, it was dynamic, and it wasn't the BBC!
Here in the midlands reception was reliable and clear.

Gwylfa · 29/08/14 - 19:56

millimole2001 wrote: »

I followed the plans for 'Radio Tara' on Prestel! When Atlantic 252 launched it was better than anticipated - it was refreshing, it was dynamic, and it wasn't the BBC!
Here in the midlands reception was reliable and clear.

...it was a revelation in Wales.Living on the coast the reception was very good.Great station.

Rodney · 29/08/14 - 20:57

I actually have the whole first day of transmission recorded (along with test txs and many programmes over the first few years) and will happily share with you all if there is anywhere to upload the MP3s to?

Rodney · 29/08/14 - 20:59

millimole2001 wrote: »

I followed the plans for 'Radio Tara' on Prestel!

I followed developments via the AnoraksUK Weekly Report magazine (hello Barry, Ruth & Gary!)

[Deleted User] · 30/08/14 - 11:18

Rodney wrote: »

I actually have the whole first day of transmission recorded (along with test txs and many programmes over the first few years) and will happily share with you all if there is anywhere to upload the MP3s to?

Have you thought of Mixcloud?

Maggie_King · 30/08/14 - 11:18

Rodney wrote: »

I actually have the whole first day of transmission recorded (along with test txs and many programmes over the first few years) and will happily share with you all if there is anywhere to upload the MP3s to?

The early stuff is already up online. What is rare is stuff from the final years 1999-2001. I would like recordings from 99 and their relaunch in 2000.

Maggie_King · 30/08/14 - 11:21

imagine if Atlantic 252 had launched 10 years earlier like originally
planned.

Rodney · 30/08/14 - 12:50

Maggie_King wrote: »

The early stuff is already up online. What is rare is stuff from the final years 1999-2001. I would like recordings from 99 and their relaunch in 2000.

I have some recordings from 2000-01 from the likes of Greg Parke & Enda Caldwell (who I had worked with at a pirate station in Dundalk in 1999/2000) station samplers and also the final closedown doc in studio quality, but don't have them digitised yet. I am currently working through my anorak collection and am up to 1993 (and that has taken years to do) so it will be a while yet before I finish the project.

Rodney · 30/08/14 - 12:54

Maggie_King wrote: »

imagine if Atlantic 252 had launched 10 years earlier like originally
planned.

I don't remember this being proposed in 1979? Did RTL say they wanted to run a daytime TOP 40 station for the UK at this time? Certainly RTE wouldn't have wanted anything to do with it - they had only just launched Radio 2 in May 1979 and were trying to fend off the challange from the pirates (and this was before Cary's NOVA had even launched!)

Maggie_King · 30/08/14 - 13:08

Rodney wrote: »

I don't remember this being proposed in 1979? Did RTL say they wanted to run a daytime TOP 40 station for the UK at this time? Certainly RTE wouldn't have wanted anything to do with it - they had only just launched Radio 2 in May 1979 and were trying to fend off the challange from the pirates (and this was before Cary's NOVA had even launched!)

Rodney Collins has posts online saying that RTE/RTL held meetings in the late 70s with a view to being on air by Summer 1981.

MrRayDO · 30/08/14 - 13:24

Rodney wrote: »

I have some recordings from 2000-01 from the likes of Greg Parke & Enda Caldwell (who I had worked with at a pirate station in Dundalk in 1999/2000) station samplers and also the final closedown doc in studio quality, but don't have them digitised yet. I am currently working through my anorak collection and am up to 1993 (and that has taken years to do) so it will be a while yet before I finish the project.

someone will make loads of money selling them on EBAY from your recordings.

Glenn A · 30/08/14 - 16:02

It was very popular in Cumbria in the early nineties as it was the only alternative to Radio 1. However, the playlist became extremely predictable, the same Top 20 and recent hits on a loop, and when CFM opened, which basically played the music the BBC didn't play and was local, Atlantic 252 tanked locally. Also fewer radios came with long wave in the nineties, which put it at a disadvantage, and modenisation at Radio 1 in 1994-95 and the rise of specialised ILR stations on FM hit 252.

Rodney · 31/08/14 - 22:53

OK, here are some dropbox links for the first day from 8am to 7pm.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/krzaxz0dote02e7/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20Station%20Launch%20From%208am.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4j2o8yhdtr7y752/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%2011.01am.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5rmkfleowimgefp/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%201.54pm.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lwh0pi7ebujlxch/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%202.21pm.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xi38d13ukhnppdy/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%204.04pm.mp3?dl=0

Resonance · 01/09/14 - 04:35

Rodney wrote: »

OK, here are some dropbox links for the first day from 8am to 7pm.

https://www.dropbox.com/s/krzaxz0dote02e7/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20Station%20Launch%20From%208am.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/4j2o8yhdtr7y752/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%2011.01am.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/5rmkfleowimgefp/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%201.54pm.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/lwh0pi7ebujlxch/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%202.21pm.mp3?dl=0

https://www.dropbox.com/s/xi38d13ukhnppdy/Atlantic%20252%20LW%20Trim%2001-09-89%20First%20Day%20From%204.04pm.mp3?dl=0

Many thanks for these.

MikeBr · 01/09/14 - 08:42

Radio Today has posted

"t’s exactly 25 years ago since Atlantic 252 first signed on the air, and in celebration here’s a tribute of the long wave giant.

It was an official tribute created and broadcast as the station closed on Thursday 20 December 2001, created by Eric Murphy and Enda Caldwell, commissioned by Atlantic 252′s Managing Director John O’Hara."

1 hour 14minutes of audio.
http://radiotoday.co.uk/2014/09/audio-25-years-since-atlantic-252-launched/

Ex Pat · 01/09/14 - 11:02

Would be fun if RTE were to split programs today for a couple of hours and put something Atlantic related on 252.

Les Wires · 01/09/14 - 12:58

Rodney wrote: »

I followed developments via the AnoraksUK Weekly Report magazine (hello Barry, Ruth & Gary!)

I remember the mag well and also followed A252's developments on there.
Loads of info regarding it's progress. Very useful in the pre-inet forum days.
Wasn't it a 2 weekly mag ?

Shrewn · 01/09/14 - 13:25

Did they tell people to tune to Luxy at 7pm? I honestly dont recall it closing down in the evening

Hey there!

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Atlantic 252 - 25 years ago

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