Show’s over: what’s next for the big names of breakfast radio?
From the unsociable hours to the fame, glory and great pay, Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis looks at faces of breakfast radio past and present and asks, where are they now?
So is there life after breakfast radio? The answer for most showbiz identities would appear to be yes.
Andrew Denton and Amanda Keller have gone on to long and successful careers, as has Wil Anderson. Wil’s peers, including Dave Hughes, Meshel Laurie, Mick Molloy, Tony Martin and Adam Spencer, have also successfully juggled early morning starts with stand up and television.
On the flipside, life after brekkie radio hasn’t been so bright for too many names to mention. Occasionally I lie awake at night and wonder what the fuck happened to Ugly Phil O’Neil, Dave O’Neil, Peter Moon, Greg Fleet, and Wendy Harmer.
Tim Ross’ return to breakfast with Claire Hooper on Sydney’s MIX FM made me think how few positions there are in this business for good talent, reiterated by Merrick Watts and his plum new gig hosting Triple M’s drive show after a decade with arch rival Nova.
So why would you leave a gig like that in the first place?
In some cases management makes the decision, in others, the chemistry isn’t right. Poor ratings claim some scalps. But do people really get sick of the hours?
Rosso’s reasons for leaving were pretty much the same as the ones I gave in 2008 when I quit my evening show on Nova: pursue fresh challenges, spend more time with the wife, and stay up later than 8pm.
The truth? I didn’t feel I would ever go anywhere in the organization, I was uncomfortable with my on-air partnership, and I couldn’t take the repetition of turning up for work every day to deceive an audience who were barely listening in the first place.
Each night I would urge the show’s young fan base to “call now and vote for your favourite song”. Of course the playlist was determined at 4pm that afternoon.
My musical tastes and credibility were being corrupted. No true music fan could seriously work in commercial radio and say they were there for the tunes.
On paper, being a breakfast radio host seems a dream job: paid handsomely to finish work by 9am while your mug grins out from the side of buses. The truth is a long way from that.
Regardless of the time of day you work as a radio DJ, it’s the same tired old songs or the latest auto-tuned, computer-manufactured pop shit hour after hour. It’s enough to drive anybody crazy. Or to quit.
I worked alongside Merrick and Rosso at Nova for four years. They were possibly the crabbiest, grouchiest people I’d ever met.
Lovely guys, but the outward appearance was so tough, presumably from years of rising at 4am to be perky and fun.
The sacrifice of a normal life in exchange for a big cheque is a tricky balance. ‘King’ Kyle and the grandpas on AM radio seem to earn the biggest pay packets and it’s no secret they’re about as disagreeable as they come.
Is it the hours that drive people into the ground?
The ridiculously prohibitive early nights, waking in the dark of early morning, the constant feeling of fatigue that wears away their reserves of kindness and humanity?
If so, then how come Amanda Keller and Brendan Jones are so warm and friendly?
Nova’s latest breakfast duo Fitzy and Wippa are genuinely lovely blokes. How long until the beep of the alarm clock turns them into great heartless bastards?
It’s a big call to walk away from a breakfast radio gig. Maybe it’s the call one has to make before it walks away from you.
Jason ‘Jabba’ Davis recently starred as Dazza Smith in the SBS comedy Housos.
- This article first appeared in the relaunched print edition of Encore magazine. To subscribe, click here
None of those mentioned in this article need get out of bed. 3AW’s Ross and John are so far ahead of them they should be embarrassed.
User ID not verified.
nice piece Jabba
User ID not verified.
Good read – nicely done Jabba.
User ID not verified.
Very interesting @Jabbatron
User ID not verified.
A lot of people will disagree with you about commercial radio’s quality but then they are either into alternative music or people like Keith who never bother switching over from AM. Comparing Merrick and Rosso to Ross and John is pointless – completely different target markets and broadcast styles.
I’m forced to listen to 3AW every day at work – it’s great for keeping track of the news, useless if you want light-hearted entertainment aimed at under 25s.
User ID not verified.
There is a difference between being a music fan and being a music snob. But then, I’m probably a TV snob; Housos must be the dopiest piece of trash to ever hit our screens.
User ID not verified.
Steve why would you say I never “switch over from AM” ? How would you know my listening habits ? A study of available research will show a large percentage of the Ross and John audience turn from FM to listen.
User ID not verified.
Working in commercial Radio scars you. Hence I listen to ABC RN, in much the same way as another might watch TV. I Can’t stand to hear Music Radio, let alone commercials.
Try Regional Radio. Broadcasting from Townsville to most of Qld and pretending to be where you’re not. As they sold it to us.. “Broadcasting from Nowhere to Everywhere.”
AS for your playist being decided at 4PM? 4PM the day before would be more like it where I worked.
Truth be told, I became Jaded when I saw a guy find out he was unemployed as the Network PD announced the new Hot AC Stream – Line-up. He couldn’t help but notice his name wasn’t there.. Oh yeah, and neither could the 130 other people crowded around the whiteboard.
User ID not verified.
Really well written!!! Good job! xxx
User ID not verified.
What the fuck happened to me?
Well, I have a successful career in writing books for kids, teenagers and adults and have sold more that 600,000 translated into ten laguages ( just about to go into China). My kids series was made into an animated series shown in 50 countries.
I now am editor of The Hoopla – my new daily online mag for women.
This year I was guest speaker at 3 book festivals and the Walkleys. In the past few months I have regularly appeared on Sunrise, Paul Murray Live and The Circle.
I made a 4 part doco for the ABC called “Stuff: a couple of years ago and am involved in a new series on ABC TV next year.
With Angela Catterns I take over the 702 breakfast shift for five weeks from next Monday (and have done for the past three years), as well as fill in for Jon Faine and Red Symons on occasion.
So,don’t lie awake at night wondering what happened to me, Jabba. I’m doing just fine.
Wx
User ID not verified.
PS: I think you’ll find Fleety is managing OK too. Breakfast radio was never meant to be forever.
User ID not verified.
Hahaha… oooooooooooooooooh SNAP!
Hi Wendy!
User ID not verified.
I miss Wendy harmer from radio and am glad she’s coming back, even if its just for a little while.
User ID not verified.
Love, love, love The Hoopla! Keep up the fab work Wendy. You’re rockin’ it.
User ID not verified.
“No true music fan could seriously work in commercial radio and say they were there for the tunes.”
Let me guess – you’re an alternative music fan? White guys with jangly guitars music as I like to put it. What is it with alt music fans being so snobberific about their genre? It isn’t ‘how music should be’, its just another genre of music. Pop music has its bad moments, but every genre does, including alternative music.
User ID not verified.