Annette Sharp: Sydney’s breakfast radio wars raging since 2005

FM stalwart Brendan Jones has pulled no punches in his assessment of Sydney radio — slamming ‘fakes’ and labelling one station ‘a disgrace’. Annette Sharp delves into the breakfast radio wars over the past 15 years.

While the talking heads of AM radio were boasting record gains in 2021 thanks to widespread community interest in the pandemic, over on the FM band the leading men and women of breakfast radio were splitting into two distinct divisions.

In division one are entrenched radio ratings winners Kyle Sandilands and Jackie “O” Henderson on KIISFM, Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller on WSFM, and Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel on Smooth FM.

Nova FM stars Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli are holding fast to the bottom of this group.

WSFM’s Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller.

In division two are the once-great FM stations Triple M and 2DAY FM, which are both owned by Austero.

Decades after radio legends Doug Mulray, Club Veg, Wendy Harmer and Peter Moon, Tony Martin and Mick Molloy, and Andrew Denton and Keller established the Austereo network as commercial radio’s dominant force in the eighties, nineties and early-noughties, these older stations now find themselves at the bottom of the ratings table, struggling to capture and keep an audience.

In recent weeks Triple M has dumped its breakfast star Lawrence “Moonman” Mooney after his ratings slid from a 4.7 per cent share to 4.6 in the three years since he joined that station in January 2019.

Triple M management is yet to reveal its plans for 2022, but a return to a rugby league-style The Grill Team show appears on the cards following the restoration of ex-The Grill Team panellist Mark Geyer for 2022.

Regular ratings winners Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, on KIIS.

Meanwhile, the long-time wooden-spooner of the FM band, 2DAYFM, is expected to finish the year with a share of about 3 per cent after recording a lowly 2.9 share in the latest survey.

Given the churn of talent at that station since 2014 when Sandilands and Henderson departed for KIISFM, that puts large targets on the backs of the station’s 2021 breakfast line-up featuring Melbourne imports Dave Hughes and Ed Kavalee – with Sydneysider Erin Molan thrown into the mix for some local colour.

Speaking to this column last week as he prepared to sign off for the year, WSFM’s Brendan Jones said if the past 16 years in radio’s A league had taught him anything, it’s that you need to be a radio professional to win in Sydney.

“You need to know how to operate a desk, you need to be genuinely interested in music, you need to be able to genuinely connect with your audience — Sydneysiders can smell fake a mile off,” Jones said last week.

Sydney FM breakfast wooden-spooners Ed Kavalee, Dave Hughes and Erin Molan.

“Triple M is a disgrace today. Doug Mulray and Andrew Denton were a bit highbrow for Triple M’s audience for their time, but they appreciated the music and were locals who knew the city,” he said.

“Merrick and Rosso (Nova) got to the top of the ratings charts ’cos they cared about the medium.

“If you don’t care and are just taking the money, it shows.”

Jones and his on-air partner Keller have been helming WSFM’s high rating breakfast show since 2005.

That was the same year, Jones point out, that Sandilands and Jackie O made their leap from the back end of the day into the shark tank of breakfast radio on 2DAYFM.

The two teams have been duelling for the title of Sydney’s number one FM breakfast show. Currently Sandilands and O have it – while Jones and Keller are number two.

Jonesy and Amanda celebrate a ratings win.

While that battle has seen Sandilands transform himself into the Dark Prince of radio — a bloke who keeps nocturnal hours and enjoys the company of Kings Cross kingpin John Ibrahim and convicted drug trafficker Simon Maine — Jones has remained eternally sunny, good-humoured and engaged in Sydney life.

He recently started sailing on Sydney Harbour with a group of men, some of whom are in their 80s, “who all shower together”.

Jones could be reasonably described as the anti-Kyle except, as he points out, the two men both respect the aforementioned professional skillset required to be top of their field.

One can’t imagine Sandilands being much of a diary keeper, but Jones has kept diaries during his years on radio.

From Monday, the contents of those annals will form the foundation of a 12-part summer podcast series, Jonesy and Amanda’s Time Traveller’s Journey, running for six weeks on iHeartRADIO while Jones and Keller are enjoying their summer break.

This follows the success of the pair’s previous ACRA award-winning podcast, Jonesy and Amanda’s Holiday Book Club.

SYDNEY FM BREAKFAST RADIO LINE-UPS

It’s 16 years since Sydney’s most enduringly successful modern breakfast radio partnerships — Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O, and Brendan Jones and Amanda Keller — were forged in the hellfire of Sydney’s cutthroat FM radio market.

Through 128 radio ratings surveys — and despite the upheaval of successive managements, holding companies, the transition to a new ratings supplier, frequent scandals engulfing the

In 2005, Nova’s Merrick Watts and Tim Ross were kings of the breakfast FM radio airwaves.

Kyle and Jackie O show, the duo’s stunning jump across the dial from 2DAY FM to KIIS FM, and the introduction of digital radio — the two partnerships have held their ground at the top of the FM radio ratings, despite a barrage of talent being thrown at them by formerly chief rivals 2DAY and Triple M.

Today, as survey 8 of the 2021 concludes and the duos head off for their summer break, The Sunday Telegraph casts an eye over the roster of talent that has battled to topple Kyle and Jackie O and Jonesy and Amanda since their breakfast shows launched.

2005

NOVA: Merrick and Rosso. Record their highest survey results in Survey 5, a 12.1 share.

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda debut, replacing Jonesy and Kayley Harris. In survey 8, record a 9.5 and topple the unbeaten Merrick and Rosso for first time.

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O make their breakfast slot debut, replacing Judith Lucy, Peter Helliar and Kaz Cooke. Survey 8 shows they’ve quickly become a power with a 9 share.

TRIPLE M: The Cage with Peter Berner, and Brigitte Duclos with Mike Fitzpatrick, James Brayshaw and Matt Parkinson. Record an 8.6 share in survey 8.

MIX: Sammy Power and Jason Bouman. Record a 7.7 share in survey 8.

VEGA: Angela Catterns jumps ship from ABC702 after DMG launches Baby Boomer alternative station in August. Records a 1.8 share in survey 8.

2005 was the year Kyle Sandilands and Jackie O’s hugely successful radio partnership began.

2006

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Merrick and Rosso with Sami Lukis newsreading

TRIPLE M: The Cage with Peter Berner and Brigitte Duclos

MIX: Sammy Power, Jason Bouman, Alan Brough and Subby Valentine

VEGA: Angela Catterns

Triple M’s The Cage breakfast team was replaced …

… by Fifi Box and Marty Sheargold in 2007.

2007

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O (reach 11.4 share in survey 7)

Nova: Merrick and Rosso, with Sami Lukis newsreading

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

MIX: Sammy Power and Subby Valentine

VEGA: Angela Catterns with new line-up of Tony Squires, Rebecca Wilson and Mikey Robins

TRIPLE M: The Shebang with Fifi Box and Marty Sheargold replaces The Cage

2008

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Merrick and Rosso joined by Kate Ritchie

TRIPLE M: The Shebang with Fifi Box, Marty Sheargold and Paul Murray. Box quits mid-year to join Sunrise, The Shebang is axed.

MIX: Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney

VEGA: Tony Squires, Rebecca Wilson and Mikey Robins

Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney joined MIX in 2008 but departed in September 2009.

2009

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O (Kyle suspended)

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

TRIPLE M: Ugly Phil O’Neil and Sami Lukis

NOVA: Merrick and Rosso and Kate. Rosso and Ritchie announce their departure in November.

MIX: Sonia Kruger and Todd McKenney. They depart in September.

VEGA: Tony Squires, Rebecca Wilson and Mikey Robins. Wilson resigns mid-year; Squires and Robins axed at the end of the year.

Vega’s breakfast trio of Rebecca Wilson, Tony Squires and Mikey Robins lasted less than two years.

2010

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Merrick joined by Ricki-Lee Coulter and Scott Dooley

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team launches with Gus Worland, Mark Geyer and Stuart MacGill

MIX: Mike Etheridge and Carmela Contarino

VEGA: Music format until station closes in March, it continues as Classic Rock with Anthony Maroon

2011

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Gus Worland, Mark Geyer and Matty Johns

NOVA: Merrick, Dools and Monty

MIX: Dr Andrew Rochford and Claire Hooper

CLASSIC ROCK: Anthony Maroon

The Grill Team — with Mark Geyer, Matty Johns and Gus Worland — proved a stayer for Triple M.

2012

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Ryan “Fitzy” Fitzgerald and Michael “Wippa” Wipfli debut

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Gus Worland, Mark Geyer and Matty Johns

MIX: Tim Rosso and Claire Hooper

SMOOTH FM: Launches in May with Ed Phillips, Mike Perso and Glenn Daniel replacing Classic Rock/Vega

2013

2DAY: Kyle and Jackie O. Record 11.2 share in November and announce departure as ARN confirms talks with pair

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Gus Worland, Mark Geyer and Matty Johns

SMOOTH FM: Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel

MIX: Sami Lukis and Yumi Stynes

Bogart Torelli and Glenn Daniel joined Smooth FM in 2013, and their partnership endures to this day. Picture: AAP Image

2014

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda. Record 11.5 share in July.

KIIS FM launches: Kyle and Jackie O move to the rebranded MIX FM. Record 9.3 share in March.

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

SMOOTH FM: Bogart and Glenn

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Matty Johns, Gus Worland and Mark Geyer

2DAY: Merrick, Sophie Monk, Jules Lund and Mel “Scary Spice” Brown

2015

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O. Survey 1, 10.7 share.

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda. Survey 1, 8.4 share,

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Matty Johns, Gus Worland and Mark Geyer

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

HIT/2DAY: Dan Debuf and Maz Compton fail to lift 2DAY’s sagging fortunes, despite rebrand to HIT

2016

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Matty Johns, Gus Worland and Mark Geyer

HIT/2DAY: Rove McManus and Sam Frost

Dan Debuf and Maz Compton for 2Day in 2015.

Rove McManus and Sam Frost for 2Day in 2016.

2017

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda (WS FM and KIIS breakfast shows are tied at 10.3 in Survey 6.

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Matty Johns, Gus Worland and Mark Geyer. Geyer resigns at the end of the year.

HIT/2DAY: The Em Rusciano Show with Harley Breen. Breen quits at the end of the year.

2018

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa

TRIPLE M: The Grill Team with Matty Johns and Gus Worland. Johns resigns at the end of the year. Show cancelled.

HIT/2DAY: Em Rusciano with Ed Kavalee and Grant Denyer. Rusciano departs in September, to be replaced by Ash London.

Ed Kavalee, Em Rusciano and Grant Denyer for 2Day in 2018.

2019

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa … and a growing cast of friends

TRIPLE M: Moonman in the Morning launches with Lawrence Mooney, Jess Eva and Chris Page

HIT/2DAY: Ed Kavalee, Grant Denyer and Ash London. Show cancelled in August, replaced by Jamie Angel hosting a music-based show.

Triple M's Moonman in the Morning breakfast team: Chris Page, Lawrence Mooney and Jess Eva.

2020

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa and crew

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn

TRIPLE M: Moonman in the Morning with Jess Eva and Chris Page

HIT/2DAY: Jamie Angel hosts a music-based show. Station ditches the HIT rebrand and reverts to 2DAY.

Nova’s Ryan (Fitzy) Fitzgerald (left) and Michael (Wippa) Wipfli.

2021

KIIS: Kyle and Jackie O. Record best-ever result, a 15.5 share in survey 4.

WS FM: Jonesy and Amanda. Second in survey 4, with a solid 8 share.

SMOOTH: Bogart and Glenn. Third in survey 4, with a 7.3 share.

NOVA: Fitzy and Wippa and crew. Fourth in survey 4, with 6.4.

TRIPLE M: Moonman in the Morning with Jess Eva and Chris Page. Lawrence Mooney departs at the end of the year. Survey 4 yields a 4.6.

2DAY: Dave Hughes, Ed Kavalee and Erin Molan. Survey 4 result is a static 3.3, but declines by end of year.

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