2Day FM’s Dave Hughes to move to Sydney to help breakfast show

Dave Hughes will join 2DayFM radio colleague Erin Molan in Sydney from next year, moving from Melbourne where his family is based.

A year after taking on one of the toughest jobs in Sydney radio, comedian Dave Hughes says he will finally be moving to the Harbour City.

Hughes and Ed Kavalee have recorded the 2 Day FM breafkast show from their Melbourne base for most of the year, while co-host Erin Molan has been recording from the Sydney office.

“My wife freaked out about the whole thing and borders being shut, which made it really hard to be honest,” Hughes said. “The truth is I will be buying a property in Sydney in the next month or so and I will be up there a lot but we will still be splitting our time between Melbourne and Sydney. It is not ideal but if anyone does listen to the show, they will know that we are absolutely connected. I was up in Sydney for two months and couldn’t come home.”

Dave Hughes,Erin Molan and Ed Kavalee, who host the 2Day FM breakfast show. Picture: NCA NewsWire / Jeremy Piper

Hughes and his partner, Holly, have three children together, who are in school in Melbourne.

Hughes’ comments come after the final GfK radio ratings figures were released for the year, showing the Hughesy, Ed and Erin breakfast show slipped 0.2 of a percentage point to a share of 2.7 per cent of the market.

That is way below market leader Ben Fordham on 2GB with his 18.5 per cent share, ABC Sydney on 13.2 per cent and Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson on 10.8 per cent.

Molan earlier this year told Confidential the team are in it for the long haul.

It has been a revolving door of talent on 2Day FM breakfast since Kyle and Jackie O defected to rival station KIIS in 2014, where on this last survey they scored a 12.9 per cent share.

Since then, the 2 Day breakfast show has included the likes of Sophie Monk, Merrick Watts, Rove McManus, Sam Frost, Grant Denyer, Mel B and Em Rusciano.

Comedian Dave Hughes has spent part of the year working in Sydney.

“We expect over time that it will grow,” Hughes said. “Those numbers keep you humble, there is no doubt about it. Of course, you’d want to rate a 10 but we know that the commercial interests are being looked after because we are being booked out with sponsors and we just know it will work. Obviously other shows have got very much established audiences so it is going to take time to try to chip away at bits and pieces around other people’s audiences to come to us. We are looking to do it quietly and slowly over a long period of time and weathering the storm of tepid ratings and bad headlines as we do it but we will do it with a smile on our face.”

FORDHAM WINS RADIO RATINGS AGAIN

Ben Fordham has finished a tough year on top.

In a year that saw Sydney spend months in lockdown, the AM journalist came out on top yet again as the most listened to show in the market.

Fordham came in with an 18.5 per cent (down 1.3) share of the breakfast market, well ahead of his nearest rival, ABC Sydney at 13.2 per cent (down 2.7).

“It is great to finish the year with such a strong show of faith from our listeners,” Fordham told The Daily Telegraph.

“It’s an early Christmas present and we don’t rest on our results. We’re already planning bigger things for 2022. I’d like to thank our listeners for making 2GB their radio station of choice in Sydney and wish them all a Merry Christmas.”

Overall, 2GB was the top station in Sydney in the eighth and final GfK Radio Ratings survey release for 2021.

Cheers to number one … Ben Fordham.

It had a 14.5 per cent share of the total market, ahead of ABC Sydney at 9.4 (down 2.9), WSFM at 8.8 per cent (up 0.7) and KIIS 106.5 at 8.3 per cent (up 0.3).

Elsewhere in breakfast, Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson were the top FM station with a share of 10.8 per cent (up 0.1), followed by Amanda Keller and Brendan Jonesy Jones on WSFM at 9.1 per cent (up 1.2).

In mornings, Ray Hadley on 2GB also triumphed yet again with his leading share of 18.4 per cent (up 0.1).

“Great way to end the year – 138 in a row is another milestone but our biggest challenges are post Covid,” Hadley said.

In other timeslots, Deborah Knight in afternoons scored a 12 per cent share while Jim Wilson in drive was at 7.1 per cent. On Nova 96.9 in drive, Kate Ritchie, Tim Blackwell and Joel Creasey jumped 0.9 of a percentage point to a 7.8 per cent share of that timeslot.

Industry commentator and mediaweek editor James Manning said it had been a volatile year in radio.

“While not nearly as bad as many industries, radio has had its share of Covid challenges,” Manning said. “FM in particular has been knocked around by fewer people commuting, hence smaller audiences listing to FM breakfast and drive, with more wanting AM news and information. The cream has risen to the top again with Ben Fordham and Kyle and Jackie O holding on as respective FM and AM leaders.

Manning noted Nova breakfast duo Ryan ‘Fitzy’ Fitzgerald and Michael ‘Wippa’ Wipfli as the comeback of the year.

“Covid cut the breakfast share at 4 per cent mid-year, but the duo have bounced back to end 2021 on 6.9 per cent,” Manning said. “That’s enough to the 10-year Sydney breakfast veterans to be re-signed.”