Fairfax news boss Garry Linnell tipped to fill-in on 2UE into 2014
Garry Linnell
Fairfax newspaper boss Garry Linnell is tipped to be a regular fill-in for 2UE program Your Business Day in 2014 as the troubled talkback station revises its line up.
Linnell hosted the half hour program yesterday in place of regular host John Stanley, and program director Clinton Maynard said he was “testing” his skills on the air.
The group editorial director for Fairfax will host the show again on Monday and possibly more in the new year, Maynard said.
Radio 2UE is owned by the Fairfax Radio Network and Maynard said Linnell’s position as Fairfax’s group editorial director and his strong business news background makes him a good fit for the show. Your Business Day uses content from Fairfax’s Sydney Morning Herald (SMH) and Australian Financial Review and is regularly broadcast from the SMH newsroom, he added.
“Because he is one of the editorial directors at Fairfax we thought it would be a good synergy to use him, potentially presenting the business program. But Garry has a much greater role at Fairfax so this is more of a test to see if he has value in radio and if he wants to add that string to his bow on top of his current duties at Fairfax,” he said.
Maynard said although the half hour business program is important to the station, it is not a hugely significant part of the lineup, in comparison with a standard three hour talkback program.
Meanwhile the drive time slot, soon to be vacated by host Jason Morrison, has yet to be filled, and Maynard said he has been running through off-air demos with various applicants.
Rumours of former 2UE breakfast show host Mike Carlton returning to the station have been flatly denied by both Maynard and Carlton.
Carlton retired from the station in 2009 after more than 40 years in radio and is now writing books and a regular column for the Sydney Morning Herald.
He told Mumbrella: “I’ve not been asked to go back to 2UE and if I had been I wouldn’t go. I have no desire or ambition to return to radio whatsoever.”
Meanwhile the Fairfax Radio Network edges closer to securing its 2014 lineup in Brisbane with former Channel Seven sports presenter Ben Davis confirmed to replace Gary Hardgrave on the Drive show in the new year.
Hardgrave, a former minister on the Howard government, announced three weeks ago that he would leave after three years with the show, and Davis will start in 2014 after 18 years on Seven News Brisbane.
Anthony Frangi, GM of News Talk 4BC, said: “Having Ben at the helm, Drive will be a highly-charged, informative show packed with plenty of punch. Ben also has a real connection to the community; he has been loved by 7 News viewers for year, so he comes to us with a high degree of respect and credibility.”
2UE. 2014. Switch it off.
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All this uncertainty will hurt FRN and benefit their commercial rivals. They have done this almost every year since I’ve been buying. Slow learners.
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Jason Morrison is a good broadcaster and I always enjoy his show.but the problem is the ratings.
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In the history of radio there has never been a worse or more clueless and clueless dogs breakfast of a broadcast outfit. Just turn off the transmitter.
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Seems to be a tradition with Fairfax that when the paper/station is floundering, get the bosses to help out. We saw that a few years ago when the then CEO David Kirk – a former All Black – wrote a rugby column for the SMH, now Linnell is behind the mic on 2UE.
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2ue does this almost every year. When will they ever learn that you need to stay with things to give them a chance and the audience the opportunity to discover the shows. And they wonder why won’t spend money with them? No number of Chinese meals will have me risk my client’s spend on a chopping changing radio station.
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Since Fairfax took charge of 2ue , ratings have declined and the blame belongs with the management ,and not with the On Air Personalities. People such as John Laws,David Oldfield and Jason Morrison didn’t bore us with political correct bull shit, and not afraid to ask the questions that the listeners wanted answered . Jason Morrison unfortunately is the latest casualty that doesn’t fit in with 2ue’s direction.Unfortunately for 2ue, you no longer fit in with my direction.
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It was a mistake to sack Jason-he use to say it the way it is. I’ve been a long time listener and am in the older age bracket, but I switch over to 2gb in the afternoon.
2UE management need to listen to the people and allow top broadcasters to do their job!’
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2ue needs to be different to 2gb its not rating because it is too similar .not enough right wing listners to go around. need to change direction. more entertainment and personality focus. put kerry ann on at lunch,stuart bonking is good in arvo. needs to be more like 702.talk about stuff other than politics.radio needs to be fun and entertaining during the day. paul murray is good when he dosent talk politics.. the business programme dosent interest me at 11.30.
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2UE management need to bck their lineup when they sign it for 2014 then Market it on Channels 9. 10 & 7 in Sydney then sign new fillins from Mix 15.5, WSFM, NOva 969 & SmoothFM 95.3 to add their listeners to 2UE.
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Chris Parker & Clinton Maynard sign people from Mix 106.5/WSFM 101.7 & Smooth FM 95.3 to 2UE for 2014 and listeners frim those FM radio Stations will follow those people to 2UE in 2014.
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I like 2ue and would like to stay listening to them in the new year, but if they are going to change their line up every year I think I might have to change my listening habits. I got the listening habit from my mother who always listened to 2ue, and I am an older listener
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2UE will gain younger listeners due to broadcasting the Sydmey Games of the 2/220 Big Bash League in three weeks
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I really wonder about the management of 2ue. Their program director seems rather young and he is ever changing decisions would concern me if I was a shareholder, Their breakfast line up is a disaster. It simply does not work. Paul Murray is about to leave. Your Business Day is a joke and needs to go. Poor old Bocking does his best but perhaps it is not enough. For Goodness sake get rid of Carlton who is sitting in drive – he Is a bloody maniac. The sports show is a mess and dear old Clive is becoming rather boring now. So, all in all, they are a lost cause. The weekends are a great combination – only format that works for them.
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There is away forward for 2UE and it goes like this.
Talk Back Radio was novel back in the Sixties and lasted for decades but it has reached it’s technological use by date. Who makes phone calls anymore?
E mails Texts Twitter and Facebook
are now the preferred way of communication for anyone under the age of 45 to 50. Less people have landline phones and there is no way people are going to tie up their mobile while on hold waiting to speak to the resident on air broadcaster.
2Ue needs to style it’s programmes to the same audience ABC 702 does .Every announcer should have a sidekick reading the social media posts that can be read with humour or gravits or whatever.Thyey can also discuss blogs that listeners are encouraged to check out and discuss. Live Interviews and musical performances are always a winner as are guest side kick to liven things up a bit. Finally what happened to the concept of playing music? If a michael Buble is in town it would be great to hear some music that listeners may not have heard. Same with Diana Krall.
2UE can be relevant and hip by realising that radio is
o longer has anything to do with AM/FM or your local city .It is GLOBAL.It is sad to see a once great station slip so far but it can be turned around by embracing the 2!st Century
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