Declan Meehan (radio presenter)

Declan Meehan
Born	Declan Jude Meehan Dublin, Ireland
Nationality	Irish
Occupation	Broadcaster
Employer	East Coast FM Today FM
Known for	Pirate radio protests Radio in 1970's to now
Title	Mister

Declan Meehan is an Irish radio presenter. Currently fronting The Morning Show with local radio station East Coast FM, Also Sunday Mornings on Today FM His career has incorporated involvement with multiple pirate radio stations (including Radio Milinda, the first to be raided and prosecuted) and, later, RTÉ Radio 2 (2fm) (where he was one of the pioneering station's original presenters). From there he moved to the superpirates of the 1980s, before a spell with legal radio in London, England. He is remembered for "presenting a cool and calm front"." on the morning that Radio Nova was raided in May 1983. He had joined the station from Sunshine Radio.

When Radio Milinda was threatened with closure in December 1972, Meehan declared on air in the week prior to the eventual raid, that they would "fight anybody who tried to close them down". Years later, he commented on the raid:

"We were fined £2, all the equipment was confiscated and it was great fun, a great adventure."

Meehan's first broadcast was in September 1970 on Radio Vanessa transmitting from Tolka Cottages Finglas, Dublin. The transmitter was bought by Ernie Melia from Tony Boylan who ran Radio Galaxy from Santry Dublin Radio Vanessa broadcast on 1525 Khtz (196.7mtrs) on Medium Wave Band. The station was named by Meehan for Vanessa O'Callaghan of Santry.The first shows were pre recorded. Other dj's were owner Ernie Melia as Edward LeeRoy and Oliver Cummins as Hungry Herbie. Meehan used the name Aaron St. Jude. They were soon joined by Robbie Irwin as Bob Ruskin.Irwin is now a sports producer with RTE Radio 1. The station broadcast every Sunday and moved between their various homes. Meehan and Irwin started intermittent late night broadcasts from Meehan's home and on one occasion gave out the phone number of the Irish Press newspaper as the request line. They got a front page story the following morning. Meehan was renamed 'Arno' St. Jude by Don Hall son of RTE TV star Frank Hall having misheard 'Aaron' The name stuck. Sunday programmes went live from Meehan's house in 1971 using the roof tv aerial as the antenna.

The station closed as did all others active at the time after the Radio Milinda raid. Other stations around at the time were Radio Caroline Dublin from Dalkey, Radio Eamo from Glenageary, Channel 70 from Monkstown and Radio Dublin/Baile Atha Cliath from Drimnagh.

!n 1976 Meehan with Mark Story and Davit Kelly founded ARD, Alternative Radio Dublin.The station broadcast for up to three hours each weekend By 1978 ownership was ceded to 'Dr.' Don Moore and Bernard Llewellyn owner of a TV shop in Dublin who took it to the next level of all day broadcasting and to its own building on Belvedere Road. Meehan Story and Kelly disagreed with some decisions and joined Big D Radio in April 1978. A separate administration was agreed in Big D for the period Friday evening to Monday morning 'Big D Weekend' It brought together Meehan,Story and Kelly with Marty Whelan, Dave Fanning, Gerry Ryan, Robbie Irwin ,Greg Gaughran, and John Clarke. In late 1978 Meehan,Kelly, Gaughran, Irwin and Ryan returned to ARD and were joined by {Ian Dempsey}, {Tony Fenton} {Stephen Rhodes} and {Mike Moloney}.

RTE Radio 2 1979-1980 He was the first Breakfast Show presenter on the station but had a troubled time settling in. He found his niche when moved to 'Nightmoves' (10PM to Midnight) produced by Mark Story in late 1979.In spite of huge audience figures and critical acclaim Meehan's contract was not renewed in November 1980. This decision caused unhappiness in RTE and won him strong support from all producers who signed a letter of objection to controller Billy Wall. The story was broken on the front page of the Irish Times by Joe Breen with headline 'Mutiny as RTE slips Disc Jockey' Presenters, particularly Vincent Hanley, Dave Fanning, Ken Stewart and Gerry Ryan were vocal. Gerry Ryan wrote of the incident in his book 'Would the Real Gerry Ryan Please Stand Up' According to Meehan back then Billy Wall told him he was 'a limited broadcaster with no future'. Meehan told him he didn't believe him and would continue outside of RTE. The late Bill Graham in Hotpress Magazine wrote an article with headline 'The End of Decies Midnight Run'

Meehan visited Sunshine Radio in the Sands hotel in Portmarknock in late 1980 and met Tony Allen and Robbie Robinson. The chemistry between Robinson and Meehan was wrong and they ended up in a strong disagreement over Radio Policy and even religion! However early in 1981 Mark Story held a dinner party in his home in Kildare with Meehan, Robinson and Allen and relations were patched up resulting in a tentative job offer . Meehan was still undecided whether to return to pirate radio or go abroad when he revisited the Sands hotel the following week. Chris Cary was on the air and said directly 'Now is the time Join or get lost..Do you want to work here?' Meehan accepted.

Others Tom Hardy, Tony Fenton, Tony Allen, Chris Cary, Robbie Dale Robinson, Peter Madison,Tony Dixon, 'Daffy' Don Allen, Martin King David Malone ,Johnny Lewis, Stevie Dunne Cathy Cregan

In spite of repeated calls from Chris Cary who had moved to open Radio Nova Meehan stayed loyal to Sunshine on less money. He even introduced John Clark from KELO to Cary with a recommendation. However in June 1982 a Radio Listenership survey put Radio Nova as the station challenging 2FM.At this time Andy Archer was PD and was interested in having Meehan for the Breakfast Show.There was a suspicion that Cary also wanted to damage Sunshine. Meehan took to the air on Nova on a Sunday afternoon in July 1982 in a caravan at Nova Park.

After a while on Breakfast John Clark noticed the interaction at news times with Meehan and Bob Gallico and suggested to Andy Archer a double header. The Dekki Wekki Brekki Trekki with Bob Gallico was born. It became the most listened to show on Dublin Radio in 1983.Meehan left Nova in July 1984 on been given the opportunity to work on Capital Radio for the summer (which lasted to Jan 1988) He has said he hated the division between staff during the journalist strike which prompted the decision.

Others Radio Nova) 1982 - 1984 Chris Cary, Greg Gaughran, Tom Hardy,John Clarke ,Mike Moloney, Gareth O'Callaghan,Jason Maine, Scott Williams,Tony Allen, Bob Gallico, David Harvey, Sybil Fennell, Bryan Dobson, Ann Casson, Colm Hayes, Hugh O'Brien, Ken Hammond David Malone, Jason Maine Andy Archer

Capital Radio London 1984- 1988 Producer/Presenter Worked directly on shows with Alan Freeman, Chris Tarrant, Mark Story, Kenny Everett, Richard Allinson, David JensenThe 'Kid' , Nicky Horne, Graham Dean Richard Skinner, Jessie Brandon

Meehan left Capital to join RTE Millennium Radio in early 1988 while still living in London.The invitation came through intervention by Robbie Irwin. Station head Louis Hogan, who had been his Breakfast producer in RTE, told him it was a way to repair relations after his controversial non renewal of contract in 1980 Hogan said it helped that the station would be located off campus in the GPO Arcade in Dublin city centre.

Meehan at this time was also researcher for David Jensen on a contribution for the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation in London

In 1989 Declan Meehan turned down an invitation from Kevin Healy of weekend shows on 2FM and a weekday talk show on BBC Radio Bedfordshire in preference to joining the ill fated Century Radio.

East Coast FM 1994 onwards.Programme Controller Joe Harrington told Meehan of a vacancy in 'Speech' at East Coast Radio. It is said Meehan was missing the challenge of Talk Radio he had developed at Millennium. Harrington accused him of constantly moaning his frustration at tightly formatted radio. Meehan said he would try it for three weeks.

Meehan has had a series of female presenters/producers who further developed their careers on his Morning Show, such as Colette Fitzpatrick (TV3) Claire Byrne (Newstalk) Jenny Kelly (Today FM) Sharon Tobin (RTE TV) Tracy Clifford (Spin) Lauren Kelly (Spin)