Fairfax boss Garry Linnell to host 2UE breakfast show and Angela Catterns returns to radio
Fairfax newspaper boss Garry Linnell will host the 2UE breakfast radio show with John Stanley, as the struggling Fairfax Radio Network station looks to challenge the dominance of 2GB’s Alan Jones.
The move also sees a shakeup for Fairfax’s newspaper division, with the 2.30am starts for Linnell meaning some of his staff will report to Glenn Burge, Fairfax’s executive editor of its metropolitan newspapers. The situation will be reviewed “in April or May”.
Also announced for the 2014 lineup on the Sydney talkback station is Angela Catterns who will host the morning show Monday to Friday.
Current breakfast show presenters Ian “Dicko” Dickson and Sarah Morrice will move to afternoons. And Justin Smith, producer of Neil Mitchell’s Morning Show for the Fairfax Radio Network’s Melbourne station 3AW, will move to Sydney to host the 2UE Drive show following the sacking of Jason Morrison.
Stuart Bocking, current host of the weekday Afternoons show, will take Stanley’s shifts in weekend breakfast and the weekday program Your Business Day, the network has confirmed.
Linnell
Linnell has frequently appeared on Your Business Day, discussing the news with Stanley and was tested as a host on the half hour program in Stanley’s absence last month.
The group editorial director for Fairfax Media told Mumbrella his background editing tabloid and broadsheet newspapers as well as magazines make him well placed to stir national debate against talkback rival Jones.
In the last Nielsen survey 2UE lost more ground to 2GB as it’s share slipped to 3.2 share points Monday to Friday. The breakfast show recorded a 3.4 per cent share of the audience compared with 17.2 per cent for Jones.
Linnell said: “I really dislike what’s happened to debate in Australia at the moment, everything is coloured by whether you’re on the extreme right or the extreme left, when in fact the majority of Australians are either in the middle or slightly to the right and there are very few voices who are representing them, so I think that’s where we’re going to be.”
Catterns
Catterns returns to radio with the legacy of being one of the only radio presenters to temporarily usurp 2GB presenter Alan Jones when presenting breakfast for ABC 702 Sydney in 2004. She has also presented Mornings on Triple J, and has recently been doing freelance work as a voice-over artist.
Clinton Maynard, content director at 2UE, said the 2014 lineup is the station’s strongest in years.
“The line-up delivers what our audience wants and expects: intelligent discussion of news and issues that matter in Sydney, fair and balanced opinions, positivity and a station that gives the listeners their say no matter what their view might be,” Maynard said.
Nick Randall, network sales director for the Fairfax Radio Network said: “Our all new line up for 2014 on 2UE is a further proof point that we are committed to building compelling environments for our ‘influential’ audience.”
The presenters will start in the middle of January next year.
The lineup:
Monday-Friday:
- Breakfast 0530-0830: John Stanley and Garry Linnell
- Mornings 0830-1130: Angela Catterns
- Your Business Day 1130-1200: Stuart Bocking
- Afternoons 1200-1500: Dicko and Sarah
- Drive 1500-1800: Justin Smith
- Sports Today 1800-2000: John Gibbs and Greg Alexander
- Nights 2000-0000 Clive Robertson
Weekends:
- 0530-0900: Stuart Bocking
- 0900-1400: George and Paul
- 1400-1800: Tim Webster
Huge improvement – looking forward to it!
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So 2UE is going left wing. Just like the smh. Don’t be embarrassd about it just say it. Quite gutless to pretend that you are going to sit in the middle of the road.
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I just saw CEO chris park denial of the left wing accusation which generally means ……yes it is. At least mike Carlton was a good left wing broadcaster. This group is not.
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Underwhelming.
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Talk about a suck up to smh. Hire their editor and buy good press. Very transparent motives. How on earth did they ever convince Linell to do it?
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I love Angela Catterns. This means that in 2014 I will also love 2UE.
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The Sydney morning herald on radio. BORING! We had a 2UE account manager see us recently and I genuinely feel sorry for the lady. Good luck!
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Their previous strategy of waiting for Alan Jones to die got snagged by the tricky complication Mr Jones’ steadfast refusal to expire. Now it appears they’re attempting to do Vega without the music. A brave move.
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Massive demotion for Stuart Bocking. Poor guy. Does not deserve that.
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Absolutely reeks of ‘suck up to the boss to keep your gig’. Next thing you know they’ll install a radio station in the news room. Hold on.
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And then Linnell starts with ‘I really dislike…’
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Linnell is a very capable chap but he’s biting off a LOT, maybe too much. Bets news of this though is the return of Angela Catterns, now that’s a super-smart move!
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PS So when will they change their callsign from 2UE to 2SMH..?
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If they are trying to take on 2GB, this is a massive fail. Ray Hadley will not lose a single listener to Angela Catterns. Dicko and whats-her-name have already proven they are poison and as for Drive – Justin who? John Stanley is ol’ Mr Reliable but is certainly not dynamic. Teaming him up with a piece of timber like Linnell will ensure that ratings stay below 5.
They should have put Angela in Breakfast up against Jones, where she is a proven performer and where she could have hoovered up some of Adam Spencer’s listeners, now that he’s finished up.
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Best line-up I’ve seen for a while for this station. Catterns is a brilliant move. And to the claims that the station is aiming at hardcore lefties – Gary Linnell used to edit the Daily Tele! Enough Said! Having now been editor/news director for both publications you might say he’s balanced (although the SMH is hardly left enough to balance out the Tele’s raging right).
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Thanks Heavens for the legends that are:
John Gibbs and Greg Alexander
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Angela is on radio right now with me on the breakfast shift on ABC 702.
We’ll be on air till Jan 3 as The Early Girlies. We’ve had a great run there for the past 4 (5?) years. Thrilled she’s got her own major shift on a commercial AM station – hope she’s a raging success and paves the way for many more chicks. Go Ange!
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Angela and then a half hour of business news? You can count on one hand the number of people interested in Ang, Dicko and a half hour of business news.
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I’m afraid that the wrong rein’s been pulled there. Especially Jason Morrison’s sacking and that whiney voiced Pommy .John Stanley was the highlight of my weekends ,forever. Garry Linnell,whilst being capable ,isn’t up to the cut and thrust of Commercial Radio. Angela Catterns= Good. Stuart Bocking getting demoted = Bad. Jason Morrison losing his job = Pathetic
Thank you
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Actually I liked Stuart Bocking when he was the co-driver with John Stanley over the past few weekends. Both of them could have done weekday mornings together.
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Yeah. Look. They’re allowing Garry to do this before he takes on the bigger gig at Fairfax. The one he rightfully owns. Everyone knows this. Chill.
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In Fairfax and ABC circles there is no such thing as left wing journalism. They prefer to call it “independent”.
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Ah bigger it. I’ll listen to Linnell
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John Stanley puts me to sleep v
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What is with all the disapproving comments relating to the new line up and the SMH?
Seriously, Sydney does not need more over-the-top conservative, one-sided biased 2GB style radio!
That kind of radio just loves to whip up hysteria and keep everyone angry and discontented.. Forget about having a different opinion – unless you want to be humiliated by the presenter.
Let’s hope for more balanced and intelligent conversation on the radio in 2014. Good on you 2UE for lifting the standards.
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Stuart Bocking getting demoted DISGRACEFUL!
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The drive guy, a massive fail in Melbourne, a whiner and fake. Singo must be just laughing his head off
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4.1% by survey 8 next year.
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Here’s the test. Would you want your clients product in the middle of all of this? Would they get value for money?
I know the answer for all of mine and that’s why 2014 won’t be much of a year for 2ue.
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Gary Linell left the telegraph because it wasn’t going so well. The paper supported Rudd and Gillard.
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LOL
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Quite simple – I’m not going near 2UE after what they did to Jason Morrison! He was the only announcer with a spark of talent & fortitude between the lot of them.
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So many haters? I think its a ballsy move. There are some intelligent people out there who may see beyond Jones and Hadley’s paint-by-numbers formulaic programmes. Catterns a great move, and remember, everyone on breakfast radio starts somewhere. I’m looking forward to it. Good move 2UE.
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Jason Morrison? Oh, please
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Nice comment Wendy Harmer. I’m another who would like to see Angela succeed. And any business exec who didn’t make use of the resources available (SMH editors, for example) within a multi media company wouldn’t be doing their job. (Double barrel Disclaimer – ex Fairfax employee and not bitter and twisted either).
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Sorry Aussie_Austridge but you do not find left wing journalism on the ABC or in the SMH. They are all a long long way from being left wing. At most they just might just be small l liberal. You are probably using the mad right (found in Murdoch newspapers and on many commercial radio stations) as your starting point in measuring politics. Well the truth is all those who are not with them are to their left and that would include many who support the Liberal Party.
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Yes, Lindsay above is correct. The one-eyed Murdoch fans who bleat that the SMH is left-wing have never actually looked at a copy of the SMH (or the website).
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Wonderful news to know Angela Catterns is back i have always enjoyed her work, sad news to hear Stuart Bocking has less air time, he is the best thing on 2UE for years.
Putting a Melbourne host on in Sydney will fail, it has in the past on other stations and will again. It’s not only the range of view points but Victorians don’t always get Sydney.
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2UE seems to get a kick in the head no matter what it does.
People are passionate about this station – and every move it makes – for some reason .
If I were 2UE I would be finding out what drives this passion and address it on air. This current line up seems a bit of a mixed bag really . Its a bit of an each way bet between news journalists and entertainers with a news bent. They’ve created another “camel”
Whereas with 2GB you know what your getting – one eyed right wingers . Nothing wrong with that it is Commercial radio after all. Time will tell the result of 2UE’s latest line up – but I think this is going to end in tears .
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This is ridiculous. Linneell is a very well paid senior exec. Now he is going to be working a 2.30am shift.
If Fairfax does not soon realise that its only metro future is in getting the product right for today’s audiences, then Linnell had better hope the radio gig works for him!
Or is the whole management job now done by consultants?
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I agree with SJ – a mixed bag of news journalists & entertainment people which may not blend & I believe in part that has been unfortunately demonstrated with Sarah M & “Dicko” ( I hate referring to him by that monicker but I genuinely don’t recall his real name). I’m surprised they’ve kept the 2 together.
Weekends will lose nothing with Stuart B replacing one of my favourite broadcasters, John Stanley & I’m pleased that I’ll be able to hear more of him Mon – Fri before my work commitments take over.
Good luck 2UE – fingers are crossed.
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Justin Smith, great pick up 2ue. I will listen on the net form Melbourne, a good talent.
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