Across the Line (BBC Radio Ulster)
Encyclopedia
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
(92– 95 FM). It broadcasts Monday, 8pm to 10.00 pm and Friday, 12.05 am to 02.00 am. Rigsy
Rigsy
Rigsy , real name David O'Reilly, is an award-winning presenter from Newcastle, Northern Ireland, currently living in East Belfast. He is a graduate of Queens University, Belfast....
(real name David O'Reilly) presents the Monday programme. Saturday is the Dance
Dance music
Dance music is music composed specifically to facilitate or accompany dancing. It can be either a whole musical piece or part of a larger musical arrangement...
show and is presented by Paul Hamill.
Support for Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland
Northern Ireland is one of the four countries of the United Kingdom. Situated in the north-east of the island of Ireland, it shares a border with the Republic of Ireland to the south and west...
music and musicians in central to the Across the Line editorial brief. Since its inception in 1986 as The Bottom Line, the programme has championed Northern Irish rock music and in particular bands from Northern Ireland. The Monday edition of the programme continues that tradition.
Regular contributors have included Stuart Bailie (who also writes for NME
NME
The New Musical Express is a popular music publication in the United Kingdom, published weekly since March 1952. It started as a music newspaper, and gradually moved toward a magazine format during the 1980s, changing from newsprint in 1998. It was the first British paper to include a singles...
magazine), Paul McClean, Helen Toland and Bernard Keenan. Across the Line won gold at the PPI Awards (the Irish version of the Sony Radio Academy Awards
Sony Radio Academy Awards
The Sony Radio Academy Awards , started in 1983, are some of the most prestigious awards in the British radio industry. They are run by ZAFER Associates in association with the Radio Academy...
) in 2008 and 2009.
History
Established on 8 September 1986, The Bottom Line was named after the Big Audio DynamiteBig Audio Dynamite
Big Audio Dynamite are a British musical group formed in 1984 by the ex-guitarist and singer of the Clash, Mick Jones. The group are noted for their effective mixture of varied musical styles, incorporating elements of punk rock, dance music, hip hop, reggae, and funk...
song which the programme used as its theme tune.
The original presenters were Mike Edgar, Davy Sims
Davy Sims
David Gerard Sims is a broadcaster, writer and communications consultant from Northern Ireland. He lives in Holywood, County Down was educated St. Patrick's College, Knock....
, Michael Bradley
Michael Bradley (musician)
Michael "Mickey" Bradley is the bassist for Northern Ireland pop-punk band, The Undertones. He also is a radio producer for BBC Radio Foyle. Bradley presents a one hour programme on Radio Ulster, "After Midnight with Mickey"...
and Barry McIlheney. Mike Edgar had been drummer with Cruella de Ville and started the programme presenting on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday evenings. Davy Sims was the producer and founder of the programme. He had been working in Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio
Downtown Radio is an Adult Contemporary music radio station based in Newtownards, County Down, that serves all of Northern Ireland using a network of FM and AM transmitters.- History :...
before joining BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster
BBC Radio Ulster is one of two Northern Irish BBC radio stations, the other being BBC Radio Foyle located in the city of Derry. BBC Radio Ulster is located at Broadcasting House in the Ormeau Avenue area of Belfast city centre...
and presented the Thursday edition. Michael Bradley
Michael Bradley (musician)
Michael "Mickey" Bradley is the bassist for Northern Ireland pop-punk band, The Undertones. He also is a radio producer for BBC Radio Foyle. Bradley presents a one hour programme on Radio Ulster, "After Midnight with Mickey"...
"Mickey", had been Bassist
Bassist
A bass player, or bassist is a musician who plays a bass instrument such as a double bass, bass guitar, keyboard bass or a low brass instrument such as a tuba or sousaphone. Different musical genres tend to be associated with one or more of these instruments...
with The Undertones
The Undertones
The Undertones are a punk rock/new wave band formed in Derry, Northern Ireland, in 1975.The original line-up of the Undertones released thirteen singles and four studio albums — The Undertones , Hypnotised , Positive Touch and The Sin of Pride — before disbanding in July 1983.Music guide Allmusic...
. He presented three out of four Friday editions. The monthly London
London
London is the capital city of :England and the :United Kingdom, the largest metropolitan area in the United Kingdom, and the largest urban zone in the European Union by most measures. Located on the River Thames, London has been a major settlement for two millennia, its history going back to its...
edition of the programme was with Barry McIlheney, former editor of Smash Hits
Smash Hits
Smash Hits was a pop music based magazine, aimed at teenagers and young adults and originally published in the United Kingdom by EMAP. It ran from 1978 to 2006 and was issued fortnightly for most of that time...
and Empire
Empire (magazine)
Empire is a British film magazine published monthly by Bauer Consumer Media. From the first issue in July 1989, the magazine was edited by Barry McIlheney and published by Emap. Bauer purchased Emap Consumer Media in early 2008...
magazines.
After a short time off air, the programme returned as Across the Line under the production of Mike Edgar. The show is aimed at teenagers and young adults (the same target audience as BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1
BBC Radio 1 is a British national radio station operated by the British Broadcasting Corporation which also broadcasts internationally, specialising in current popular music and chart hits throughout the day. Radio 1 provides alternative genres after 7:00pm including electronic dance, hip hop, rock...
, but with a more regional focus). The show is notable for its promotion of local musical talent, actively promoting Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol are an alternative rock band from Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland. Formed at the University of Dundee in 1994 as an indie rock band, the band is now based in Glasgow...
before they became widely known. This tradition continues with the regular "Breaking Bands" section on the show at www.bbc.co.uk/atl .
Over its three decade span ATL radio has had various core presenters for the main indie and rock shows most notably Mike Edgar, Donna Legge, Rory McConnell and Paul McClean (co-presenting) and Rigsy
Rigsy
Rigsy , real name David O'Reilly, is an award-winning presenter from Newcastle, Northern Ireland, currently living in East Belfast. He is a graduate of Queens University, Belfast....
(David O'Reilly) but has also regularly entertained guest presenters and co-presenters such as Michael McKeegan from Therapy?, Snow Patrol, David Holmes, Radiohead, In Case of Fire, and Ninja from The Go! Team.
Since 1999 Dance and club life has played an important role. Initiated by Paul McClean, and beginning on Thursday nights, the show has since moved to a Saturday night slot before it's current Friday night slot and is dedicated to Electronic music
Electronic music
Electronic music is music that employs electronic musical instruments and electronic music technology in its production. In general a distinction can be made between sound produced using electromechanical means and that produced using electronic technology. Examples of electromechanical sound...
from Hip-hop and House music
House music
House music is a genre of electronic dance music that originated in Chicago, Illinois, United States in the early 1980s. It was initially popularized in mid-1980s discothèques catering to the African-American, Latino American, and gay communities; first in Chicago circa 1984, then in other...
to Drum and bass
Drum and bass
Drum and bass is a type of electronic music which emerged in the late 1980s. The genre is characterized by fast breakbeats , with heavy bass and sub-bass lines...
and techno
Techno
Techno is a form of electronic dance music that emerged in Detroit, Michigan in the United States during the mid to late 1980s. The first recorded use of the word techno, in reference to a genre of music, was in 1988...
and is presented by Belfast club dj Paul Hamill with a strong emphasis on supporting the music of local dj's and artists. Recent co-presenters include legendary techno DJ Dave Clarke.
In 2008 Across the Line was awarded the New Irish Music gold award at the prestigious PPI Irish Radio awards, with the same production team gaining a second gold in the Music Special category for the documentary 'A Beautiful Day'about the U2 and Ash waterfront Hall concert in 1998 which arguably had an effect on the NI peace process. Across the Line repeated their success in 2009 lifting the gold award once again.
Early in 2009 the ATL team assemble a line-up for the celebrations of the reopening of the Ulster Hall in Belfast. Broadcasting live from the venue, (and later making its way onto BBC 2NI), the event featured a surprise appearance from Snow Patrol after performances from Ash, Divine Comedy, Duke Special, Therapy?, Foy Vance, Panama Kings, Cashier No.9, Kowalski, LaFaro, Fighting with Wire, The Lowly Knights and many more.
ATL TV
The same team also produce the BBC Northern IrelandBBC Northern Ireland
BBC Northern Ireland is the main public service broadcaster in Northern Ireland.The organisation is one of the three national regions of the BBC, together with BBC Scotland and BBC Wales. Based at Broadcasting House, Belfast, it provides television, radio, online and interactive television content...
television series, ATL TV, presented by Legge and O'Reilly. Colin Murray
Colin Murray
Colin Murray is a Northern Irish sports and music radio and television presenter. He is the current host of the BBC Television show Match of the Day 2 on BBC Two, and the BBC Radio 5 Live shows 5 Live Sport and Fighting Talk, as well as a show on BBC Radio Ulster. He has previously hosted regular...
also appeared on the show. The show has had four series of six shows, in 2004, 2005, 2006 and 2008 with a fifth series of festival highlights broadcast in summer 2008. Each show is made up of live music, music videos which are specially commissioned by ATL (featuring new directing talent) and interviews, mainly featuring bands from Northern Ireland. However Coldplay
Coldplay
Coldplay are a British alternative rock band formed in 1996 by lead vocalist Chris Martin and lead guitarist Jonny Buckland at University College London. After they formed Pectoralz, Guy Berryman joined the group as a bassist and they changed their name to Starfish. Will Champion joined as a...
, Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters
Foo Fighters is an American alternative rock band originally formed in 1994 by Nirvana drummer Dave Grohl as a one-man project following the dissolution of his previous band. The band got its name from the UFOs and various aerial phenomena that were reported by Allied aircraft pilots in World War...
, Chemical Brothers, Stereophonics
Stereophonics
The Stereophonics are a Welsh rock band now living in turners x that formed in 1992 in the village of Cwmaman in Cynon Valley, Wales. The band currently comprises lead vocalist and guitarist Kelly Jones, bassist and backing vocalist Richard Jones, drummer Javier Weyler, guitarist and backing...
and other international acts have also appeared. On series four, subversive Irish music scene animators Eyebrowy were commissioned to lampoon Northern Irish musical icons.
ATL Rockschool
ATL Rockschool is a TV 'battle of the bands' on BBC 2 Northern Ireland. Hosted by RigsyRigsy
Rigsy , real name David O'Reilly, is an award-winning presenter from Newcastle, Northern Ireland, currently living in East Belfast. He is a graduate of Queens University, Belfast....
and Donna Legge, the final on all three years features six bands from Northern Ireland, with every band member still at school.
The Tides won in 2006, with Busted guitarist James Bourne
James Bourne
James Elliot Bourne is an English singer-songwriter and co-founder of pop bands Son of Dork and Busted. He is currently pursuing a solo career under the name Future Boy. His albums have sold over six million copies...
, Kerrang Editor Paul Brannigan and MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
presenter Emma Griffiths
Emma Willis
Emma Willis is a British television presenter of such shows as Big Brother's Little Brother for its final series in 2010 and co-presenter of the now defunct Live From Studio Five the same year....
on the judging panel. Nice N' Sleazy won in 2007, with Divine Comedy frontman Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon
Neil Hannon is a Northern Irish singer and songwriter, best known as the creator and frontman of the chamber pop group The Divine Comedy. The band's official website even goes so far as to say, "The Divine Comedy is Neil Hannon," and Hannon is quoted in an interview as saying, "The Divine Comedy...
, NME writer James Jam and Therapy?
Therapy?
Therapy? is an alternative metal band from Northern Ireland. The band was formed in 1989 by guitarist–vocalist Andy Cairns from Ballyclare and drummer-vocalist Fyfe Ewing from Larne, Northern Ireland. The band initially recorded their first demo with Cairns filling in on bass guitar...
bassist Michael Mc Keegan judging. Both bands then played the Tennents ViTal
Tennents ViTal
Tennent's ViTal is an annual music festival in Northern Ireland. It was first held near Botanic Gardens in 2002 then later moved to Ormeau Park in 2007, both of these venues were in Belfast...
festival in Ormeau Park.
ATL Rockschool returned in January 2008, presented by Rigsy and Jill Morgan and was won by a new act called The Good Fight.