ERI
FACTSHEET

Location: Cork
Frequencies:
97.7FM & 225MW

 

 

ERI was probably one of the most unusually-named radio stations in Ireland, with the exception of the ones that had "borrowed" jingles packages from the 4-letter call-sign stations in the US.

While other stations in Cork had to make do with names such as WBEN (???) or the slightly less inappropriate WKLR (West corK Local Radio), ERI's acronym was something of an enigma. Some sources quote it as "Eastside Radio Ireland", while others list it as "Enterprise Radio Ireland". An email that I received from a former ERI presenter, now working with the BBC, finally solved this dispute and quoted the official name as "Eastside", based on it's original broadcasting base in Ballycotton. Thanks Andrew!

ERI later moved to "Fort 97" (???) White's Cross, Cork, and from there it broadcast on 97.7FM and on its workhorse 225MW transmitter which covered most of Munster. ERI was, as it's jingles claimed, "the winning place to be".

28th March 2003

I was reminded today of the fact that ERI's 225m transmitter was also announced as 1305kHz, which are not one and the same thing (300,000/225 would actually be 1333). It prompted me to remember an old physics book in secondary school which explained the concept of "frequency vs wavelength", and I remember being completely confused when the one practical example that I tried didn't work out! Looking back, it was an appropriate lesson for maths & computers for later life!

Anyway, the reason ERI announced 225 was that RTE Radio 2 were on 235 from Cork, so I presume that the similarity in frequency stood to them, as well as theirs being slightly catchier. And thanks to 021 from RadioWaves for prompting the memory of poor old Brother Murray's Physics class!

ERI's production of promos and ads was of the highest quality in Munster, and many of the ad jingles and voiceover artists are almost indistinguishable from those being used by Cork's 96FM today.

One of the most unusual occurrences on ERI was that they regularly broadcast JAM Productions' own promo song, consisting of jingles from various radio stations. The presenters at ERI used to fade the end of the JAM song into one of their own jingles.

The original JAM song is available in MP3 format on JAM's jingles.com site at this link - enjoy!


Audio clip courtesy of, and with thanks to, Ian B.