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3AW’s John Burns announces his retirement in 2020

Veteran radio presenter and one half of the Ross and John breakfast program on 3AW, John Burns, has announced his retirement from the station.

Burns will stay on until July 2020, holding down the fort before the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and his 75th birthday that month.

3AW’s John Burns and Ross Stevenson

The announcement was made on 3AW this morning, with Burns saying he’s had a great 20 years with the station.

“I’ve had 20 of the most fun and fruitful years of my life here and am looking forward to my next chapter with 3AW,” said Burns.

3AW’s returned station manager Stephen Beers called the breakfast show an ‘institution’.

“The Ross and John breakfast program is a Melbourne institution. Next year the pair will celebrate an incredible 20th year as an on-air partnership. This is a stunning achievement in any field and even more remarkable in the world of broadcast radio,” said Beers.

“We’re thrilled that Burnso has agreed to jump in the studio chair for one more year and we look forward to giving him a fitting send-off when the Olympics wrap up.”

Burns and his co-host Stevenson have spent 144 consecutive surveys as Melbourne’s number one breakfast show. As of GfK survey seven the duo held a 20.6% share. The show will return on January 13 in 2020.

A replacement for Burns will be announced in the new year.

3AW is operated by Macquarie Media, which is now owned by Nine. The radio business has undergone several changes in the last few months, including a new boss in Nine’s Tom Malone, following the exit of Adam Lang, staffing changes and content changes for some of its stations.

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