Newcastle online station adds broadcaster Carol Duncan to afternoon lineup
Independent online broadcaster, New2uw.com has added former ABC Newcastle broadcaster, Carol Duncan, to the Hunter-focused station’s lineup.
The announcement:
Newcastle’s new local and independent internet radio station, The New2UW, appoints former ABC broadcaster, Carol Duncan.
Newcastle’s brand new internet radio station, The New2UW, has scored a major local personality to add to its line-up.
Launched three weeks ago, the station has recruited well-known former 1233 ABC Newcastle presenter, Carol Duncan, to join the team from Monday 5 November.
“Having spent decades working with the people of Newcastle and the Hunter, localism and an interest in what they are doing is vital. Grassroots is where Newcastle is at its best and the New2UW.com certainly fills a much needed hole in the market,” said Mornings Host and Communications Expert Tracy McKelligott.
“There was an enormous backlash when the ABC elected to cancel Carol’s local programme four year ago, and it’s exactly why we are experiencing the early success we are. When we started considering who would be the best fit for the station in the afternoon shift Carol Duncan’s name was first, second and there was really no other person we wanted,” she said.
“We are so pleased Carol made the decision to return to the airwaves with the New2UW.com and I cannot wait to hand over from my programme to hers on Monday,” she said.
The New2UW.com is the first station of its kind in the Hunter and beyond; creating significant disruption in an otherwise very conservative market.
“The word that is often bandied around in the new media landscape is ‘disruption’’, said Duncan this week.
“I got disrupted out of a long and successful radio career so I’m the poster girl for disruption! But it doesn’t mean it’s all bad – it can be hard and disappointing for an individual, but sometimes change is necessary. The New2UW is also a disruptor and is disrupting me back into the industry.”
The internet station is based in suburban Newcastle and staffed by locals, each with significant radio careers behind them.
“We’re all neighbours, we’ve worked together in radio or Newcastle media for nearly 30 years. The technician who has built the New2UW has built at least three other radio stations that I’ve worked at!”
“Local truly matters, more so now than ever. As we continue to see the savage cuts to Fairfax and to the ABC, you have to support your local media. Once you lose your local voices, you will not get them back.
“I love the ABC, always will, but the budget cuts mean that local programming will continue to suffer.”
The station believes this is an opportunity for more local voices in the Newcastle and Hunter regions.
“It’s an independent media outlet and that’s also really important. We’ve seen this huge disruption in media generally, and savage cuts that have affected our friends and colleagues, but we’ve also seen the rise of the independents – Crikey, The Saturday Paper, PBS and RRR in Melbourne, KooriMail, etc … and we need to support that.”
From a new2uw.com press release
