ABC Radio Sydney veteran Richard Glover quits

‘It’s one of the best jobs in Australian journalism, and I feel I’ve hogged it for long enough,’ said Glover on Friday afternoon.

Richard Glover has resigned after 26 years as host of ABC Radio Sydney’s drive program. Supplied: ABC

After 26 years as host of ABC Radio Sydney’s drive program, Richard Glover is calling it quits.

Glover announced his resignation on Friday afternoon, saying in a statement that it was his decision to move on.

“It’s one of the best jobs in Australian journalism, and I feel I’ve hogged it for long enough,” he said.

Glover’s resignation comes just two days after the ABC announced that Patricia Karvelas, the host of Radio National’s breakfast program, will vacate her show at the end of the year.

Both Karvelas and Glover have experienced sharp ratings declines this year.

In the most recent radio survey, released on October 1, Glover saw his audience share slip from 5.3 per cent to 5.0, leaving him in eighth position in his timeslot.

According to the survey, he shed 10,000 listeners from early July to mid-September, down from 220,000 to 210,000.

As The Australian reported earlier this week, Karvelas, who took over the RN breakfast show from Fran Kelly in January 2022, has overseen a 43 per cent drop in the program’s audience during her three-year tenure.

The announcement of the looming departures of Karvelas and Glover underscores the pledge of ABC chair Kim Williams to drive change at the ABC.

Since taking over as chair of the publicly-funded organisation in March, Mr Williams has been vocal about his desire to win back viewers and listeners who have deserted the ABC in droves in recent years.

“A starting point (for the ABC) must be a greater understanding of the wants and behaviours of our audiences, and some tough assessments about whether we are fulfilling our audiences’ needs, interests and aspirations to the extent we should be,” Mr Williams said earlier this year.

“How else can we be the reliable and compelling microphone and mirror to the nation?”

In announcing his departure on Friday, Glover said his future at the ABC was uncertain.

“There may be new opportunities for me at the ABC, but in the short-term I plan to keep writing my column for the Sydney Morning Herald, attempt another book and dote over my three grandchildren,” he said.

In a statement, ABC managing director David Anderson said: “Richard is a once in a generation broadcaster who manages to strike the balance between news and politics and just having a really good yarn on radio.”

Curiously, ABC director of news Justin Stevens used exactly the same phrase last month when farewelling high-profile sports presenter Tony Armstrong.

“Tony Armstrong is a once in a generation talent and it has been fantastic watching him soar in his role at News Breakfast,” Mr Stevens said.

That’s a lot of generational talent out the door of the ABC in a short period of time.