Musicians protest at poor airtime given to their music on Irish radio stations.
Musicians took to the streets of Dublin demanding a forty per cent content ruling for Irish produced music on Irish radio.
They say that Ireland is the only country in the developed world that doesn't safeguard its home music industry.
Demonstrators warn that if there is not forty per cent home output from the new local radio stations, the music industry in Ireland could face extinction.
Musician Johnny McEvoy describes how the recession has hit musicians in Ireland.
As the protest reached Leinster House, several musicians including Ronnie Drew and Jim McCann took to the stage singing about hard times.
Bass player with U2 Adam Clayton and manager Paul McGuinness also took part in the protest.
Irish Musicians Protest (1983)
Representatives for the musicians met with RTÉ bosses yesterday asking for more Irish records to be played on air. The protesters are also critical of the pirate channels, one of which refuses to play any Irish music.
Speaking to RTÉ News, Dubliner Ronnie Drew believes Ireland has some of the finest musicians in the world and says that if Irish music is good enough to be played in places like Germany, Australia and America, then it's good enough to be played in Ireland. For Ronnie, Irish radio stations are suffering from a national inferiority complex where anything Irish can't be any good.
It's good enough to be played in Ireland.
An RTÉ News report broadcast on 14 December 1983. The reporter is Joe O'Brien.
