KIIS 106.5‘s Kyle and Jackie O had a chat with Byron Cooke on KIIS 101.1 this morning, announcing that they would launch into Melbourne, and replace Cooke who has been keeping the seat warm for them the last couple of months, at 6am on Monday April 29, 2024. Now that that’s out of the way, I have some totally unfounded speculation about that date of my own.
Sandilands told the KIIS 101.1 audience:
“It doesn’t matter what you’ve heard and what the newspaper or this person or some other radio station says, we’re not here to change your mind. We’re just going to give you a very different type of radio show. I’m not saying the other ones are the worst shows in the world because they’re not. They’ve been great, but we just offer something different.”
With Jackie O adding:
“We’re looking forward to finally broadcasting into Melbourne. We’re excited.”
Addition details, which most of the broadcast industry know already, this is the 10th year that The Kyle & Jackie O Show, on ARN‘s KIIS 106.5, has broadcast from Sydney. They’ve been the No 1 FM breakfast show there for the last 40 surveys in a row and No 1 overall last year for 6 of the 8 GfK Radio 360 Surveys. Highlights of the show will continue to be replayed nationally across the KIIS Network at 6pm.
In November 2023, when ARN and the duo resigned and increased their contracts the rumour was confirmed that it would also include airing the show into Melbourne “in 2024”, which most of us, including myself, assumed would be when all the metro talent returned from summer break to start vying for Survey 1, which is out this Thursday March 14.
April 29 means that they will not be part of the first two Melbourne surveys of 2024 with Survey 2 out April 18. Second term in Victoria commences Monday April 15, which is also the start of the third surveying period. Everyone will be back to work, and school.
Surely you’d like to maximise your first ratings and start then?
Now that April 29 is out there, we have six weeks to check out the competition. Now the competition knows the date, there will be fierce promotion in the lead up to it, especially if they have an additional fortnight of the Survey 3 ratings period to make an impression.
This launch date has been the hottest topic in the Sydney and Melbourne radio markets this year. Wouldn’t it be an additional surprise if they decided to go early?
I don’t think Kyle and Jackie O are done with this cat and mouse game yet.
