3AW and Dee Dee Dunleavy have agreed to an early conclusion to her contract which would have finished at the end of this year.
3AW Station Manager Stephen Beers said,
“I want to thank Dee Dee for her three and a half years on Afternoons and before that her stint on Weekend Break with Grubby. She’s been a great part of the 3AW line up.”
Dee Dee Dunleavy said,
“I’m happy to leave on a high, and with a record that I feel very proud of. I took over the Afternoons program just as the pandemic plunged us into lockdown, and so I faced the dual challenge of navigating a new show – remotely – while keeping the audience informed and entertained.
“I am forever grateful to all the callers who shared with me on air their grief at losing loved ones, and their anguish at losing their jobs and businesses. For those who were isolated I hope I was part of the comfort and connection that radio brought to them during that time.
“I am grateful to 3AW for giving me the opportunity to grow my skills as a talkback presenter for the last 11 years.”
Elise Elliott fills in this week with a decision to come about Dunleavy’s permanent replacement.
Living in Sydney, I did not have the chance to listen to her program.
According to former broadcaster and program director of 3AW Steve Price, her termination because management were targeting a younger audience is bull$@!t.
Source:
https://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/opinion/steve-price-do-radio-executives-actually-know-what-theyre-doing/news-story/4ed952767d4c1236c1938a1d619a88a9
The author of the article pointed out the inconsistency in retaining other presenters who range in age from 58 to 71.
Despite producing the goods of consistent high ratings a person's services are no longer required.
We could see a similarity of 3LO (774) dismissing Red Symons from his breakfast show. The ratings have never recovered.
"When you're on a good thing...stick to it" and "if it ain't broke don't fix it" applies to the above cases.
It is a bold move to change programming.
It has had its successes such as going from serials, quizzes and dramas to top 40 radio in the 1960s. Similarly it was a success when 2GB went from music to news talk in 1982.
Conversely, bold changes in programming has had its failures when changing from news talk to talking lifestyle then to talking sport as in 2UE.
However to radically change one time slot to attract a younger audience is at odds with other programs on the same station.
Then RN does not cater to the same type of listener at breakfast as it may do with Awaye!
I doubt that a commercial station would want to fragment its audience in the same way as RN's programming caters for a diverse audience.
Therefore I must agree with Steve Price that radio executives don't know what they're doing.
Thank you
Anthony, formerly of Belfield but now of Strathfield South, by dint of suburb being renamed, in the land of the Wangal and Darug Peoples of the Eora Nation