Steve Price: ABC in freefall, woke 3AW — here’s how I’d fix Melbourne radio

After more than 32 years in radio, I think I’m qualified to argue the standard of the Melbourne market is not what it used to be. It’s time for a host shuffle, and these players need to go.

Melbourne deserves better from its radio hosts. Here’s who needs to go and who needs to step up their game.

The month of October is known in Australian media as the killing season — especially in radio.

I know very well because in the dying days of 2019, before Covid hit, it happened to me. Standing in a Commonwealth bank in Sydney’s Martin Place, my mobile rang.

On the other end was my long-time manager who asked if I was sitting down. I wasn’t and he told me that Nine radio (2GB) wanted to break my contract that had another year to run. I was presenting the afternoon show on 2GB in Sydney and had been in the chair for six months replacing former host Chris Smith.

Before that I had spent eight years hosting the night-time program nationally – it aired on 3AW in Melbourne — with great help from on-air partner Andrew Bolt. At one point we were the No. 1 night-time program in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane at the same time. Nine TV had a problem with the Today Show at the end of 2019 and I ended up being collateral damage.

Today show hosts Georgie Gardner and Deb Knight were about to be replaced by Karl Stefanovic and Alison Langdon. Nine had to find somewhere to park Knight and thought it would be a good idea to get me to return to nights and she could take my job.

Nine had to find somewhere to park Deb Knight, left, after bringing in Karl Stefanovic and Alison Langdon for the Today Show — and my job was suddenly in the spotlight.

Only problem is I refused to move, and Nine agreed immediately to pay me not to work for all of 2020 on full salary.

Not bad work if you can get it. Killing season though doesn’t always end as happily as that.

Radio hosting is not for the faint hearted. I’ve never actually been sacked but I have had to sack plenty of on-air talent in the past and I’ve had my fair share of on-air failures, the most recent a little-listened to show called Australia Today on SCA (Southern Cross Austereo) and in 2010 a brave but failed attempt to take on 3AW with MTR (Melbourne Talk Radio).

After 52 years in the media, and more than 32 years in radio, including 12 years as program director of Melbourne’s No. 1 radio station 3AW, I think I’m qualified to argue the standard in 2024 is not what it was.

I’ve had my fair share of on-air failures, but after 52 years in the media, I’m qualified to argue the standard in 2024 is not what it was. Picture: Mark Stewart

Radio audiences — commercial at least — have never been higher with 8.7 million Australians tuning into breakfast radio nationwide and 7.5 million listening on the way home.

But for the Melbourne market, you’ve got to ask: where are the big names? The big stars?

When I presented Drive on 3AW between 1995 and 2002 the competition was huge.

At one stage I was up against Tony Martin and Mick Molloy who did a four-year stint on Fox FM and the Grill team on Triple M with Eddie McGuire, Dermot Brereton and Brigette Duclos. Luckily for me they packed it in, and I ended up winning the timeslot and having a great run.

Today, ABC radio audiences are in free-fall around Australia and on FM, executives keep sacking talent and replacing them with cheaper no-names to save money. FM breakfast in Melbourne is in reasonable shape aside from the disastrous experiment with vile Kyle Sandilands and his sidekick Jackie O, who have flopped badly.

Steve Price in his 3AW days.

On Fox FM Fifi Box with Brendan Fevola and Nick Cody are currently No. 1 in breakfast and have this year traded places with Jase Hawkins, Lauren Phillips and Clint Stanaway on Nova and Christian O’ Connell does a good job on Gold FM while on Triple M we saw Marty Sheargold mysteriously disappear for no apparent reason.

Talk radio though is what I know more about.

I fear for the ABC, who in past have decided stupidly that they could attract a younger audience with comedians doing the breakfast show. After the success of Red Symons, they tried Jacinta Parsons and Sami Shah (that didn’t work), and now comedian Sammy J does it. In the most recent ratings, he could only manage a 7 per cent share.

He needs to go, as breakfast sets the station up for the rest of the day.

ABC mornings rates 5.8 per cent, afternoons a dismal 3.8 and Drive not much better on 4.8.

Red Symons was a successful ABC mornings host. Picture: Shevin Dissanayake

Here are a few simple solutions from me, starting with the 7.45am 15-minute news bulletin — bring it back. For years it rated No. 1 nationally and some genius decided to drop it — how dumb.

Then start the AM current affairs show at 8am on the dot.

Breakfast on ABC radio needs a double act, probably a male and female — although you can’t use gender ID on their ABC — and it needs to be newsy, quirky and reflect Melbourne and its older audience, not some daily version of the comedy festival.

I’d try and convince Network Ten pair Hamish McDonald and Georgie Tunney to give it a try.

That’s a combination with news credentials, a love of sport and ABC experience already under their belt. Raf Epstein is the strongest daytime performer on ABC Melbourne and just needs a better lead in.

Melbourne radio legend Kate Langbroek isn’t on radio in 2024 and with the right producer would be perfect for ABC afternoons while Trevor Chappell (currently in that slot) would be a perfect fit for Drive.

I looked back 20 years ago and at the end of 2005, ABC Radio 774 Melbourne was the No. 3 station in Melbourne with an audience share of 11.7 just behind Gold FM and 3AW on 13.7.

Today that figure is 5.8, they are seventh in the rankings and heading south. That’s a national disgrace.

In a state calling out for strong conservative voices, AW has become a woke shadow of its former self — think Hinch and Mitchell and myself.

Steve Price says 3AW has become a woke shadow of its former self.

3AW has been the No. 1 station in Melbourne for almost every survey since we got there over more than 30 years ago. The legendary Ross Stevenson who can quite rightly claim the title of the most successful radio broadcaster in the history of Melbourne — bar none — holds the success of AW in his hand.

Luckily for Nine radio bosses, Ross still has a relatively young family with school fees to pay and seems to love the job. His breakfast ratings are the highest in Australia and the format keeps being freshened up and is unique in that it doesn’t touch politics at all or cover controversial issues.

What happens when Ross Stevenson decides to quit? Picture: Nicki Connolly

The problem for AW is what happens when Ross decides to quit?

I know from personal feedback the loss of John Burns has sent some listeners to SEN breakfast, but the number must be small given the AW breakfast dominance.

Russell Howcroft, who took over from John, seems like a jolly bloke, but he adds little to the content. His giggling at Ross’ remarks is annoying beyond belief and he sounds like a privileged Melbourne-supporting toff. Nice bloke, wrong job.

I’d move him on and put regular fill in Mark Allen — former pro-golfer and ex-SEN broadcaster — in the seat. He is smart, has views on social issues that resonate with the AW audience and can carry the show in case Ross misses a program through illness — something Howcroft struggles with.

AW’s real problems don’t start at sunrise however, it’s the other end of the day. In the latest ratings the breakfast show rated 22.5 per cent of the audience. So how can you accept a Drive program rating in single figures? That’s a daytime collapse in audience that beggars belief.

Jacqui Felgate has had nearly 10 months to build an audience, and it hasn’t happened. I’d move her and her social media presence into the afternoon slot and pluck veteran newsreader and occasional program guest Tony Tardio and give him his own show.

Jacqui Felgate has had nearly 10 months to build an audience on 3AW. It just hasn’t happened. Picture: Wayne Taylor

Stick current afternoon host Tony Moclair into nights and sadly retire Dennis Walter — nice guy and all that he is.

Tom Elliott was handed the key news-current affairs program – on air from 8.30am-12pm when Neil Mitchell for no apparent reason retired. His ratings have been solid, and I listen most days, but he needs to harden up, ditch his awful intro music and start to attack the worst state government we have ever seen.

Bottom line, Melbourne deserves better from its radio hosts. Problem is 3AW is run from Sydney-by-Sydney media people who don’t get Melbourne.

This is not a job application.

I’m very happy on The Project once a week, my weekly show on Sky News and writing this column every week.

Let me know who you’d like to see hosting your favourite radio shows in the comments section below.

LIKES

Tributes to the media giant George Negus on his passing.

Tombo Den, a new Japanese sake bar/restaurant in Chapel St Windsor.

A round of golf with Aussie legend Damien Oliver.

DISLIKES

Jacinta Allan and the other Premiers snubbing a chance to meet King Charles in Canberra.

Confected outrage over a private function held by the GWS Giants end of season.

The PM’s tone deaf purchase of a $4.3 million beach house in the middle of a housing crisis.

Originally published as Steve Price: ABC in freefall, woke 3AW — here’s how I’d fix Melbourne radio