Four decades on the air - SBB is still going

IT’S milestones on the double for broadcaster Seán Ban Breathnach as he celebrates his 60th birthday today (Thursday) - and marks 40 years on air, mainly with Raidio na Gaeltachta.A native of Cois Fharraige, Seán is known as an all rounder broadcaster who has covered sports, news, current affairs and light entertainment in the last four decades.Raidio na Gaeltachta, which was named Station of the Year by the Celtic Media Festival in Wales at the weekend, went on air three years later in 1972 on Easter Sunday, giving Seán the opportunity to follow his dream of being a broadcaster. His first broadcast was with RTE when he was just 20. That was called Pop Seo na Máirte, which was the first ever pop show 'Tré Ghaeilge.’ He had cut his teeth deejaying in London, a city he emigrated to at the tender age of 16, having left school at 14.After returning to Ireland and after his RTE debut he applied for a job with the then new Raidio na Gaeltachta. He recalls that he told his interviewers he hoped to have his own pop show on the station. He remembers that they laughed as there was a strict all-Irish, no advertising policy at the station that excluded the airing of pop music until four years ago, when Anocht FM was launched. This devotes four hours of airtime at night to pop and world music with the DJs using the medium of Irish.So Seán Ban...