Saturday is World Radio Day!
The annual event, which is now in its tenth year, aims to raise awareness about the importance of radio and strengthens networking among broadcasters and listeners.
All this chat about the importance of radio had us all feeling a little nostalgic so we thought we'd take a cheeky look back at Beat's first presenter roster from way back in July 2003 and ask: where are they now?
First, the breakfast show. Back then it was called Rapple and Rob, featuring none other than, you guessed it: Orla Rapple and Rob Lanigan.
So, where are they now? Rob now works as a freelance producer for independent television, working on the likes of First Dates and the Podge & Rodge show. Orla, meanwhile, is still with us, hosting The Sunday Grill every weekend.
Having returned to Waterford following a solid career in the UK, the one and only Andy McCloskey, known to you & and I as Andy Mac, continued to present Beat Drive for another sixteen years before moving on to WLR FM early last year.
Dublin's Dan Ruane kicked off his Beat career by hosting The Top 40 Countdown. Dan has since jumped ship to the world of tech, where he works as an app developer.
Now there's a familiar face! Niall Power kicked off his career in Beat as the presenter of Beat Talk, which ran from 2 to 4 pm on weekdays. Now, he has to get up that little bit earlier as the presenter of Beat Breakfast with Trish, and fellow beat stalwart, Vinny!
Speaking of which, take a look at this babyfaced Vinny Bradley! The Wexford man hosted 20/20 Sportsbeat as well as providing your hourly sports bulletins.
Our resident agony aunt Diana Luke went on to win a PPI award for Best Audience Interaction. Diana has since retired from radio, but not before several stints at BBC Leeds, Sheffield, York.
Release Yourself host Roger Sanchez was already a worldwide chart-topper thanks to the French house single Another Chance by the time he joined Beat. Already boasting a spectacular CV, he went on to become DJ Award's Best House DJ in 2004 and 2007. Sanchez remains on the live circuit; he's playing Creamfields Glitterbox in Croatia this summer.
A familiar voice to weekend listeners, Pete Windle continues to dabble in radio with his ever-popular Old Skool Sunday slot on Beat. Pete also works as an eLearning Development Officer at Waterford Institute of Technology.
Head of News and Sport when the station launched in 2003 (pictured with Vinny Bradley coming out of the studio after reading the first-ever news and sports bulletin on Beat on July 1st, 2003), Gabrielle Cummins is now Beat's Chief Executive/Programme Director.
We had to do a little digging about on Perry Ayre. Ayre is a pseudonym for Kieran McGeary, the founding CEO of Beat 102-103. He's now the Chief Executive, Station Manager and Programme Director of Cork's 96FM and C103.
Beat Mix host Ray C spent several years at Beat before moving on to WLR FM where his fine music taste is put to fantastic use as head of station sound and presenter of The Shift.
Last but not least we have the first voice to air on Beat 102-103, Leigh Doyle. Leigh is now making an impact down under where he operates as the CEO for the Australian telecommunications company, Llama.
