New book released to coincide with Downtown Radio’s 50 anniversary

A new book marking 50 years of Downtown Radio has been released, telling the station’s story from its earliest roots up until today.

It Brought a Smile to Your Ear, written by Ivan Martin and John Rosborough, charts broadcasting in Belfast from 1924 through to the launch of Independent Local Radio in 1976 and the decades that followed.

Both authors draw on direct experience. Ivan Martin presented the breakfast programme First Edition alongside Richard Young for more than 20 years, while John Rosborough was Head of Programming for 21 years until 2000.

The book includes recollections from former staff, reflecting on working in Newtownards during challenging periods, when the station combined reliable news coverage with entertainment to support listeners.

It also documents key developments in the station’s growth, including its expansion across the province in the mid-1980s, the launch of Cool FM in 1990 to target younger audiences, and the introduction of Downtown Country on DAB in 2015.

Chapters are structured like a playlist, with a second section featuring a series of one-to-one interviews offering personal and often light-hearted memories from contributors associated with the station.

The publication has been released to coincide with Downtown Radio’s 50th anniversary and is available in Belfast and online from colourpointbooks.com.