One month into 2024 and we still don’t know when Kyle & Jackie O’s Melbourne show will start
We’re two weeks into the first radio ratings survey and one month into 2024 and it’s still unclear when Kyle Sandilands & Jackie ‘O’ Henderson will kick off their inaugural Melbourne show.
As part of their massive 10-year deal with ARN, announced back in November, the powerhouse breakfast duo were confirmed to expand their show from Sydney’s KIIS 106.5 into Melbourne’s KIIS 101.1 in 2024.
However, a start date is still yet to be locked in by the network.
This week, Sandilands told Herald Sun that he hasn’t chosen a start date yet, and Henderson couldn’t give any updates either, only saying that it’s coming “pretty soon”.
An ARN spokesperson also told Mumbrella today that the show was never scheduled to commence at the start of the year.
While that is indeed true, it is a particularly curious move, given that radio ratings are underway and that ARN launched a new marketing campaign just weeks ago celebrating the duo’s 10 years with the network.
It was also confirmed with the new deal that KIIS 101.1’s Jase & Lauren would not return in 2024 to make way for Kyle & Jackie O’s debut.
“The strong uptake of their podcast and social followings in Melbourne demonstrates that Kyle and Jackie O already have significant appeal with Melburnians,” ARN CEO and managing director Ciaran Davies said at the time.
“Coupled with their record-breaking ratings this year, now is the ideal time to further extend the brand’s footprint.”
Speaking to Mumbrella shortly after the deal was announced last year, Davies said the expansion of The Kyle & Jackie O Show to Melbourne should be welcomed by advertisers and brands, particularly with the news that Chemist Warehouse will also expand its partnership with the breakfast program and become the foundation partner for the debut year in Melbourne.
“It provides new opportunities, and those brands that have worked closely with Kyle and Jackie, and the campaigns [that] have delivered for them over the last 10 years, now have a new market to be able to launch in and work in as well, and we’re excited about that opportunity,” Davis said.
The question mark surrounding the start date also comes as ARN’s takeover bid for SCA continues to be discussed, which would see the network create a “focused” metro radio network of 10 stations across Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth with each city featuring a KIIS and Triple M brand.
Earlier this month, ARN said it is looking forward “to accelerating the engagement with the SCA board” regarding the takeover after a ruling that it bought shares from radio rivals Southern Cross Austereo in “unacceptable circumstances” was overturned.
Please keep us in suspense, as long as you can. It’d be great to wait years before finding out when they’ll start in Melbourne.
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We havent cancelled this guy yet?
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Not interested in them. Better if they don’t air. Over rated.
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