Ray Hadley to lose thousands of regional listeners from 2GB radio show

Radio king Ray Hadley is set to lose tens of thousands of listeners after six radio stations decided to cut his morning program.

Radio king Ray Hadley is set to shed tens of thousands of listeners after Southern Cross Austereo announced it was dropping his program from some regional markets.

It comes months after SCA launched a digital breakfast show with former 2GB host Steve Price.

The program airs between 7-10am daily and Price hosts alongside Natarsha Belling.

Hadley has broadcasted with 2GB for 20 years and in that time championed NSW’s local regions.

Ray Hadley when he recently appeared on Fox League.

He told The Daily Telegraph he hoped the stations would still perform strongly.

“I fully respect what they broadcast on their networks. It is a brave decision given over the past number of years we have had between 30 and 40 per cent of the available audience,” he said.

“In some cases more than 40 per cent on the network stations. I wish them all the best.”

Hadley’s show had been syndicated on Triple M’s regional stations for years garnering a huge following.

These include Coffs Coast 106.3 Triple M Coffs Harbour, Mid North Coast’s Triple M Port Macquarie, Mid North Coast’s Triple M FM 106.7 Kempsey, Orange & Central West’s 105.1 Triple M Orange, Riverina’s 1152 Triple M Wagga Wagga, and Riverina’s 963 Triple M Griffith.

Steve Price has a new digital breakfast program. Picture: Mark Stewart

The decision will be a relief for local councils across the state who have been routinely blasted by Hadley.

Last month, Port Macquarie-Hastings Council were hammered by Hadley for their “stupidity” to have a $90,000 poll on whether fluoride should stop being added to their water supply.

“Some heavyweight people across the globe are supporting putting fluoride into your water, some lightweights in Port Macquarie are not,” he said.

“They’re akin to anti-vaxxers!”

Steve Price left 2GB in 2019 after the station was purchased by Nine Entertainment.

In December 2019, he told The Daily Telegraph: “In the last 24 hours two of the best-known names on 2GB, Ross Greenwood and I, have decided we are going to walk away. They will carry on.”

Originally published as Ray Hadley to lose thousands of regional listeners from 2GB radio show