Retiring ABC Sydney host Richard Glover has described a decision to sack fellow presenter Simon Marnie as “baffling” and expressed confusion at recent changes made at the broadcaster.
Glover’s final show as presenter of ABC Sydney’s Drive program on Friday afternoon featured tributes from listeners and guests including Prime Minister Anthony Albanese, as well as Marnie, who appeared in a regular segment previewing what will be some of his final Weekend Mornings shows this week.
ABC veteran Richard Glover (second left), who has presented his final show as host of Drive after stepping down from the show after 26 years, is pictured here with (from left) Sarah Macdonald, Kim Williams and Simon Marnie. Credit: Monique Westermann
Glover addressed the news of Marnie’s axing, confirmed in an Instagram post on Thursday morning.
“I’ll listen to your announcement tomorrow, but can I say, before I even hear it – baffling,” said Glover, later adding “none of us know why these things have happened”, seemingly in reference to recent changes made at ABC Sydney.
“You’re an amazing broadcaster, and one of the things that you do that no one else does that you connect the city with the country,” Glover said.
“The weekend show is run by Simon and Georgia, that’s two people, who run this thing, and they produce eight hours of radio a week, which would be a lot of radio if you just sat in the studio with your feet up.”
Glover’s retirement after 26 years comes amid a major shakeup at the ABC. Last week, ABC Sydney’s Mornings presenter Sarah Macdonald revealed on air that her contract hadn’t been renewed, and she would be departing the broadcaster. Former Q+A presenter Hamish Macdonald has been floated as the frontrunner to replace her.
In his Instagram post, Marnie said his sacking came as a “shock and I am still processing what it means for me”.
“After a week or so of speculation I can confirm that the ABC has looked at its Weekend Structure in 2025 and informed me they do not have a role for me in that structure,” he wrote.
“If you’re in Sydney on Sunday I’d love you to join me one last time for the Weekend Show Christmas Picnic Outside Broadcast at Jazz @ The House on the grounds of Government House.”
The news of Macdonald’s departure came on the same day the ABC announced its 2025 content slate, which includes the return of veteran broadcaster Fran Kelly to Radio National. Speaking at the presentation, Glover paid tribute to Macdonald and said the station had been inundated with messages of support for her from listeners.
ABC chair Kim Williams defended the decision when he appeared at the National Press Club in Canberra on Wednesday, saying “changes in media are part of life”.
“Much of the public reaction would actually say that you can never change anything, ever, unless the person impacted by the change is entirely in agreement with that change. And I think that in a media working environment, that’s a very impractical view of the world,” he said.
ABC’s head of radio, Ben Latimer, on Monday emailed staff to calm unrest and admonish “poor behaviour”. Employees told the Herald about festering concern that the radio division’s new bosses, both from commercial music stations, had misread the ABC audience. They said the volume of listener complaints about Macdonald’s dumping had been unusually high.
Latimer, who warned of changes ahead when he joined the ABC from FM music station NOVA 18 months ago, urged staff to focus on the broader plan rather than individual changes.
Glover, who is being replaced as host of Drive by Chris Bath but will continue to write his weekly column for The Sydney Morning Herald, joked last week his retirement may see him forced to “take up golf”.
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correction
This article originally said Simon Marnie’s final Weekend Mornings shows would air this week. Marnie will stop hosting the program in 2025.