Christian O’Connell’s national move ‘to begin in Sydney’

Nathan Jolly

July 31, 2025 9:30

Christian O’Connell’s plans of taking his top-rating Melbourne breakfast radio program national might be in motion, with reports that his show is set to be networked into Sydney’s Gold 101.7.

According to a Daily Mail report, which cites “industry insiders”, O’Connell’s Gold 104.3 show will be syndicated on its Sydney sister station, while current Sydney Gold 101.7 breakfast host Amanda Keller and Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones will move into the drive slot. Steve Fitton is the current drive host on Gold 101.7.

Sydney’s Gold already airs a one-hour “best of” package of O’Connell’s show each weeknight at 7pm, which is also syndicated across other stations on parent company ARN’s network.

Christian O’Connell in studio

When asked about O’Connell’s network plans last week, ARN’s chief audience and content officer Lauren Joyce told Mumbrella “the show has appeal beyond the market that it’s in”.

“We’re really pleased with the success that we’ve had in Melbourne with the Christian O’Connell show, and then certainly, where the show is syndicated at night already across the rest of the network, it delivers solid numbers.

“We certainly think that, yes, there is a life for the show outside of Melbourne. As to when that happens? You know we haven’t locked down any plans at this stage.”

O’Connell is signed directly to Gold’s parent company ARN until 2029, reducing any potential networking friction.

“I’ve signed a long-term deal with ARN. My goals are very clear,” O’Connell told Mumbrella last year.

“I want the show to be more available and that means outside of Melbourne and live. That’s really important to me, really important. It’s nothing to do with domination or trying to be number one somewhere else. It’s about just making it more available. That’s what is in my heart. I’d really like that.

“The different shapes and forms and permutations of that … there’s a lot of different ways that it can happen. But that is my goal [for] the next few years – for the show to be more available.”

Mumbrella has reached out to ARN for comment.