‘Dumbed down, moronic, noisy cash competition’ breakfast shows have made it easy for people to leave radio: Christian O’Connell
Renowned radio presenter Christian O’Connell has taken aim at Australian programs that are only producing content in the quest to get #1 in the ratings – a bid that he believes is actually having the opposite impact.
Appearing on a new episode of Mumbrella’s one-on-one podcast ahead of the launch of his new mentoring services next month, the Gold 104.3 breakfast host – and #1 in Melbourne’s FM breakfast market – claimed he has never tried to make a show that will top the ratings, and he is seeing the opposite by other Australian radio presenters.
“I think some of that is out of fear – they want to protect their jobs… they’ve got families, they’ve got reasons to do that. For me, and for what I think radio [needs] to continue, I think it needs to become even more authentic,” he told host Neil Griffiths.
“I get really set up when I go to radio conferences and there’s a lot of middle aged guys who run radio stations who start whining on about podcasting and how big podcasting is.
“I think radio has made it too easy for people to leave, especially breakfast radio, because it’s dumbed down, moronic, noisy cash competition that are not built around connection. They are purely strategically built around buying your ears that they sell to advertisers.
“That is not connection. Let’s be really clear about what that is. And I got into radio not to do that. I don’t like that. That’s not why I think the value of radio is built on.”
On this episode, as well as discussing his start in radio and the big move from the UK to Australia six years ago – where he left a daily audience of 2.5 million – O’Connell also discussed the ramped up Melbourne radio market which saw Kyle & Jackie O make their debut in it just months ago.
Listen to the full episode here.
O’Connell’s Finding Fire service will encompass mentoring, courses, workshops, and podcasts, and launches with ‘The Heart of Speaking’, a live four-part, eight-week online program designed to help participants “awaken their truest voice and express themselves more authentically”, based on a system he has moulded over 25 years of doing live radio without a script.
The first course launches on July 18 – find out more here.
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Neil Griffiths is the Managing Editor of Mumbrella. He joined the company in October 2023.
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The stuff that’s discussed on breakfast radio when I have children in the car has put me off entirely.
Not suitable at all for children especially Kyle, stuff that comes out of his mouth is disgusting.
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Anyone else noticed not only the people running radio but all the on-air talent on every prime-time spot across commercial breakfast and drive shows in every state, and notice anything? Tip-Top white bread much? Not one person of colour as a presenter on major commercial radio stations (forget talkback) nor barely anyone that is in a position of power as EP’s or Network heads running the stations- I’d say that makes for pretty monolithic, homogenous on-air radio programming and opinions. Same same all around. And so the cycle continues and the same people get the same gigs saying the same things and on it goes. So tiresome and unacceptable in 2024 and not reflective of the population whatsoever.And we wonder why racism and stereotypes continue to be perpetuated in this country, because there are no other voices ever heard properly on air for the masses and the opinions of the same few continue to have the loudest microphone. Yawn. The mediocrity is so boring.
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