This month marks 20 years since Brendan ‘Jonesy’ Jones and Amanda Keller came together as a breakfast team on Sydney’s 2WS, WSFM and now Gold 101.7.

They have racked up many accolades, including winning a second consecutive Best On-Air Team (Metro) at the 2024 Australian Commercial Radio Awards (ACRAs, pictured), something they have won five times overall. Listeners love them too. Survey 7 last year saw the station top the Sydney ratings for the first time outright.

For such a high profile pair, who are forthright and honest in their views on the world, they somehow still fly under the radar when compared with their more hyped ARN stablemates Kyle and Jackie O at KIIS 1065.

There’s been a lot of noise at rival network SCA of late too. A new sound for 2Day FM and Triple M Sydney losing two thirds of its breakfast team currently (Beau Ryan temporarily, Tarsh Belling permanently), as well as the newly networked drivetime show hosted by Marty Sheargold plus Luke Bona‘s overnight program. With a spate of redundancies as well it would be fair to say, wittingly and unwittingly, SCA might have a little more cash in the kitty to invest well and smartly in the station’s future.

It was no surprise to me then when stories started popping up about the possibility of Jonesy and Amanda jumping ship, and networks, to Triple M, a very happy home for Amanda Keller in the past when she was on the juggernaut breakfast show alongside Andrew Denton through the late nineties.

With Jonesy and Amanda’s contracts up at the end of this year, it would be mad of SCA to not at least throw their hat in the ring.

Make no mistake, this wouldn’t be an incorrect mix of personalities and format, ala Doug Mulray and 2WS. It also would be with the aim of rekindling ratings rather than languishing without clear identity. As WSFM has rebranded to Gold at the start of this year, with a sound aimed at a slightly younger audience, Jonesy and Amanda would suit where it rocks, and the music fits the banter.

While a network leap for Jonesy and Amanda might not get everyone as worked up as Kyle and Jackie O’s switch to KIIS a decade ago, it would invigorate all concerned, not least of all Triple M 104.9 and Gold 101.7. 

Jen Seyderhelm is a writer, editor and podcaster for Radioinfo. Email: [email protected]