Red Symons dumped from ABC radio show

TALK-BACK radio presenters Red Symons and John-Michael Howson will not be returning to their respective morning radio shows on the ABC and 3AW next year, after making shock announcements this morning.

TALK-BACK radio presenters Red Symons and John-Michael Howson will not be returning to their respective morning radio shows on the ABC and 3AW next year, after making shock announcements this morning.

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Symons told listeners this morning he didn’t know why but had been told he would not be hosting his morning program in 2018.

3AW management released a statement this morning also announcing Howson’s departure from the Sunday Morning program.

John Michael Howson will no longer be heard on @3AW693 with his Sunday morning show.

— Peter Ford (@mrpford) November 30, 2017

ABC radio bosses have wished departing breakfast hot Red Symons all the best for the future --- but haven’t explained why he was sacked.

Symons said he didn’t know why he was asked to leave.

“Why am I going? They haven’t said and I haven’t asked,” he said,

“Other things have been offered here but I think it’s better to make a clean break.”

Sources said ABC bosses were keen to “shuffle” its presenters, take Symons out of the breakfast program, and feature him “somewhere else” on the station.

ABC management presented the offer to Symons earlier this week, but he decided against returning in 2018.

Sources said his bosses were “disappointed” by the decision.

ABC Radio Melbourne Manager, Warwick Tiernan, said the station was sorry not to have Symons as part of the station’s line-up in 2018.

“There is no-one like Red Symons. His unique take on the world and his endless curiosity about the world around him has kept audiences tuning in for 15 years,” Mr Tiernan said in a statement.

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“Without doubt, he will be hugely missed both on-air by his legion of fans and off-air by all his ABC colleagues. We wish him the very best for the future.”

His last day on air will be December 8.

ABC Radio will announce its 2018 station line-ups in coming days.

Howson’s time on radio has not been without controversy.

He sparked outrage with an on-air comment last month suggesting anti-coal campaigners jump in front of a tram or take rat poison.

Last year Howson said Apex gang members should go “back to bongo land”, and in 2015

he verbally abused Channel 7 reporter and then co-presenter Nick McCallum before throwing sexist insults at a female producer.

In 2012 he was suspended for taunting Julian Assange’s mother with a Nazi slogan.

This morning 3AW said in a statement: “After meeting yesterday about his ongoing involvement on the Sunday Morning program, John-Michael Howson and management agreed to part ways starting this week.”

John-Michael Howson and Red Symons will not present their respective morning shows on 3AW and ABC next year.

“We thank John-Michael for his work on the popular Sunday Morning program for the past 10 years. From social commentary to theatre reviews, his style wasn’t always everyone’s cup of tea, but it was always compelling radio.”

“We have offered John-Michael the opportunity to talk to the Sunday Morning audience at the start of this week’s program.”

“The program will continue to be hosted by Darren James and Nick McCallum.”

“An announcement about a third co-host will be made in the new year.”

Symons was off-air for two months earlier this year after a serious fall in which he hit his head while walking home from the supermarket.

He has been on radio for 15 years.