Gold FM’s Christian O’Connell takes swipe at ‘moronic’ rival shows

Gold FM’s Christian O’Connell has blasted his radio rivals for dumbing down their shows with “noisy cash competitions”, saying trying to build a No.1 rating show to a formula makes radio “vanilla”.

Gold FM breakfast host Christian O'Connell has turned up the heat in Melbourne’s breakfast radio wars. Picture: Jake Nowakowski

The temperature has been turned up in Melbourne’s breakfast radio war with Gold FM’s Christian O’Connell taking a swipe at his rivals and shows he describes as “dumbed down, moronic, noisy, cash competitions.”

He said trying to build a No.1 rating show to a formula resulted in “vanilla” radio.

Relocating from the UK six years ago, O’Connell has enjoyed tremendous success as host of Gold FM breakfast, regularly topping the FM ratings in the Melbourne breakfast market.

He said connection and authenticity was what attracted listeners, not screechy big money competitions.

“I think radio has made it too easy for people to leave, especially breakfast radio, because it is dumbed down, moronic, noisy, cash competitions that are not built around connection,” O’Connell told the Mumbrella podcast.

Gold 104.3 radio announcer and producer Christian O’Connell says connection and authenticity are what attract listeners. Picture: Tony Gough

“They are purely, strategically built around buying your ears that they sell to advertisers. That is not a connection. Who are you then when the money runs out?

“There are some shows that do really good shows and there are other shows that are just a random collection of bits.

“Sometimes they are OK, sometimes they are not, but I don’t know who you are. What do you stand for? Who actually are you?

“That is what people want. They want to know you, they want you to be revealed in your stories, in what you care about, what upsets you, what lights you up.

“Why would you want people on the radio who ask you to hang out, that are not going to reveal who they are?”

O’Connell says some shows are just a collection of hits. Picture: Stuart McEvoy

The arrival of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson in Melbourne via KIIS FM has seen listeners pummelled with big money competitions on Fox FM, Nova and KIIS. O’Connell promoted his show this year by getting his listeners to put a sticker on their rubbish bins.

Like his ARN stablemates, Sandilands and Henderson, (ARN is the parent company of KIIS FM and GOLD FM), O’Connell has ambitions to grow his show, which he described as “radio for grown ups”, outside of Melbourne.

The arrival of Kyle Sandilands and Jackie ‘O’ Henderson in Melbourne via KIIS FM has seen listeners pummelled with big money competitions. Picture: Facebook

“I have signed a long term deal with ARN,” he said.

“My goals are very clear, I want the show to be more available and that means outside of Melbourne and live.”

O’Connell said Ross Stevenson and Russel Howcroft’s 3AW breakfast show most impressed him in Melbourne.

“That show is so smart, so funny … they trust their audience, they don’t talk down to their audience, it is just really funny and really clever,” he said.

“That is a great show and there is a reason why it has those big numbers.”