By Kim Napier.
After decades behind the mic, I know that breakfast radio isn’t just about filling airtime. It’s about setting the emotional tone for the day. I’ve done it in two very different worlds: the bright, fast-talking buzz of commercial radio, and now the slower, deeply human rhythm of the ABC. Same alarm clock, different approach.
In commercial radio, we had the kind of clout that could create real change on the fly. We once rallied tradies and suppliers to retrofit a house for wheelchair use by 9am. If someone’s car was stolen, we’d call the local dealership live on air and ask if they’d help and they often did. And I loved it.
Not to forget the stunts!
But these days, on ABC Radio, the power is quieter.
We can’t ask businesses to step in. There are rarely giveaways, and definitely no live crosses to local sponsors. But what we can do is foster connection. We can hold space for our listeners, especially the ones who show up for us, day after day, like Linda.
Linda is a regular caller. She has the cheekiest laugh and the kindest, most innocent heart. She lifts the whole show whenever she calls. Recently after a chat with Linda on food waste a listener texted in suggesting we play What a Wonderful World to sum up how Linda makes them feel. So we did.
And then, something awesome happened.
Listeners began texting and calling. One truckie told us he was driving through thick fog, and just as Louis Armstrong sang that iconic first line, he burst through into golden sunlight. Another said the song made the sun feel warmer as it rose over the hills. People told us it changed their entire mood, and it helped them see the good in the day ahead.
It reminded me that while commercial radio can make one person’s day with a prize, public broadcasting has the power to shift the emotional current of an entire city. And all it took was a song, a listener, and a moment of shared feeling.
For me that remains the magic of breakfast radio. Whether we’re making noise or creating space for stillness, we have the chance to connect people not just to information, but to each other.
And in that moment with the sun breaking through and Louis singing for Linda, I knew this is why I still love this job.
About the Author:
Kim Napier presents Breakfast on ABC Northern Tasmania. Kim is a born and bred Launcestonian with convict heritage. Her ABC reports can be found here. Before joining the ABC she was part of the long running, top rating, Kim and Dave breakfast show on Heart (now Hit) FM Hobart. She also previously worked for radioinfo and Radio Today.
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