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.
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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.
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.
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.
“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.
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
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.
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
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
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.
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
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
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
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.
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.
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.
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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