The ABC has announced most of their shuffling of the decks for 2025 with some surprise departures, arrivals and a celebration of Conversations.
As she announced on air earlier today, Sarah MacDonald on ABC Radio Sydney mornings will not return in 2025. Chris Bath will take over Sydney Drive from Richard Glover, starting in January. Bath will continue to read weekend news for Channel 10, as well as her weekday Drive shift.
Social media has also published unconfirmed posts that ABC Sydney weekend presenter Simon Marnie has been made redundant. Marnie has over 25 years of service with the ABC. radioinfo contacted Marnie, who declined to comment.
In Melbourne, Brigitte Duclos will host Afternoons allowing Trevor Chappell to return to his role as Overnights presenter in 2025. She will start in December. Bob Murphy and Sharnelle Vella were announced last week to replace Sammy J on Breakfast.
Charlie Pickering returns to take the reins of Thank God It’s Friday! It will be heard on ABC Radio Melbourne and Sydney as well as on Radio National on Fridays from 5-6pm. Jacinta Parsons and Brian Nankervis will now host Saturday mornings. Alice Zaslavsky on Saturdays will leave for family reasons, so too Matt Preston.
In Perth, Gary Adshead is confirmed to be hosting Drive when he departs 6PR. Jo Trilling moves to Afternoons and Afternoons host Michael Tetlow returns to the ABC News Channel to present the evening and late national TV bulletins.
In Brisbane, Ellen Fanning will return to radio and the ABC to host Drive, one of the only two live and local drive shows in that market. Kelly Higgins-Devine returns to Evenings meaning Rebecca Levingston will finish at the end of the year.
In Adelaide, Spence Denny will return to host Evenings, Jason Chong then moves to present Sunday mornings between 10am and 12pm.
Current Afternoons and Drive presenters Nikolai Beilharz and Jo Laverty will switch places. Then move will see Laverty start earlier, with Country Hour dropped (but still available via the ABC Listen app) and Drive now running from 3 – 6pm. Rory McClaren had already been announced as the new host of Mornings, replacing retiring David Bevan.
In Canberra, Mornings presenter Georgia Stynes will move to the vacant Drive spot. Current Drive producer Saskia Mabin will present Morning. Ross Solly has already moved from Drive to take over Breakfast from Adam Shirley who is staying with the ABC and has moved back into the newsroom.
triple j is going to take Like A Version overseas, with a special run of performances recorded in other countries.
Also in 2025, Conversations will turn 20! Richard Fidler and Sarah Kanowski take the show on the road to celebrate.
For ABC Radio National, alongside Sally Sara already announced to replace Patricia Karvelas on Breakfast, Fran Kelly also returns to the station to host a new daily 6pm program The Radio National Hour. Andy Park departs his RN Drive program for Sally Sara’s vacant seat hosting The World Today.
The full ABC slate of content for 2025 is here. Linton Besser has been announced to replace Paul Barry hosting Media Watch, who ends his 11 year run on the show on December 2.