Witness History
Witness History
When Britain tried to censor the Troubles in Northern Ireland
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January 23, 2023
9 minutes
Available for over a year
Frontman of punk-rock band The Undertones, Paul McLoone, recalls the “weird, slightly funny, slightly sad, slightly surreal” time he was the voice of IRA commander-turned-politician, Martin McGuinness.
It was during the so called ‘broadcasting ban’ in the UK which came into force in 1988.
It saw organisations believed to support terrorism forbidden from directly broadcasting on radio or television.
Paul tells Alys Harte how the legislation led to extra work for him.
(Photo: Paul McLoone during a performance. Credit: Getty Images)