Steve Price to replace Ray Hadley on Triple M regional radio stations

Ray Hadley’s former 2GB radio colleague will replace him after the broadcaster’s show was dumped from several regional stations.

Ray Hadley will be replaced by Steve Price on regional NSW radio stations after Southern Cross Austereo moved to dump the 2GB broadcaster’s show from Triple M.

Price’s Australia Today will be syndicated into several SCA stations from July 1.

Triple M has been broadcasting Hadley’s 2GB program but will cease to do so when their contract ends with the Nine Entertainment owned station in June.

Steve Price has a new national show that is available through the Triple M app. Picture: Mark Stewart

Australia Today brands itself as “the country‘s first truly digital audio live to air conversation” and is hosted by Price and newsreader Natarsha Belling.

Price told The Daily Telegraph he is excited about the prospect of interacting with the regions.

“I’ve been doing national radio shows since the early 2000s. I took over from Alan Jones, and before that John Laws. This is what I was doing on 2GB in 2019. I love talking to rural communities and with the program’s national footprint we will be able to speak to people in Coffs, Griffith, Orange about their issues,” he said.

Price said he did not think there would be any bad blood between the broadcasters.

Radio Hadley marries his fiance Sophie Baird at Saddles in Mt White. Picture: Sam Ruttyn

“Ray Hadley and I have a great relationship, when I left GB he was one of the people who got in touch. He’s a great broadcaster, he won’t worry about me. I wish him the best.

“Years ago he would have wanted to take my head off. He’s mellowed our Ray, his latest marriage has softened him up. He’s more interested in keeping his new wife happy and playing golf than me.”

Hadley told his listeners about the decision on Monday and said he wished the networks “all the best”.

Tens of thousands of listeners will be affected when the switch is made on Triple M stations in Coffs Harbour, Mid North Coast, Port Macquarie, Kempsey, Orange and Central West and Wagga Wagga.

2GB radio host Ray Hadley at the fight between Jeff Horn and Anthony Mundine at Suncorp Stadium in Brisbane. Picture: AAP Image/Darren England

There was an outcry from his rusted-on supporters following Hadley’s announcement.

Longtime 2GB listener Nathan Goodwin, in Kempsey, told The Daily Telegraph he was in disbelief at SCA’s decision to axe Hadley.

“When I heard, I was totally gutted, it was totally ridiculous. It is a terrible decision, I can’t believe it. Every second car has Hadley going,” he said.

“I like Steve Price but country people are stuck in their ways.”

Port Macquarie Carpenter Sam Flanagan, 29, said it was the talk of the job site when they found out the show would no longer be broadcast on Triple M.

“We normally have Ray on throughout the day, that’s our routine. It has been ever since I got on the tools. Now I’ll have to fight to stop the young fellas from putting Triple J on,” he said.

“He cares, he talks about issues which affect us. Whether it‘s the fires or the floods he’s there backing us up.”